Stable URL: http://ancientassociations.ku.dk/assoc/1694Download as PDF
Last Updated on 20 May 2019

Author: Benedikt Eckhardt

CAPInv. 1694: heroistai

I. LOCATION

i. Geographical area Western Asia Minor
ii. Region Ionia
iii. Site Tire (territory of Ephesos)

II. NAME

i. Full name (original language) ἡρωισταί (SEG 33: 946, ll. 20-21)
ii. Full name (transliterated) heroistai

III. DATE

i. Date(s) 50 (?) - 100 (?) AD

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

ii. Name elements
Cultic:Heroistai are those who perform the heroismos (l. 8).

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) SEG 33: 946 (50 (?) - 100 (?) AD)
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script Funerary foundation, Greek
i.c. Physical format(s) Originally a rather large marble plaque, possibly one of two.
Three fragments of the inscription were combined by Keil and Premerstein (cf. I.Eph(esos) 3214), a fourth (I.Eph(esos) 3334) has been added by Jones 1983.
ii. Source(s) provenance Tire

VI. BUILT AND VISUAL SPACE

ii. References to buildings/objects τὸ ἡρῷον, to heroon (ll. 7, 9): the building erected for the funerary cult of Nonnia Paula, erected by Peplos, a rich inhabitant of the village. Ll. 7-17 contain an inventory of utensils to be found in this sanctuary.

VII. ORGANIZATION

i. Founder(s) Peplos seems to have founded the association, as he has authority over the appointment of new members.
Gender Male
iii. Members Members were called heroistai.

IX. MEMBERSHIP

i. Number The number of members is not known, but appears to have been fixed. Peplos reserves for himself the right to replace a member who has died with another one (ll. 19-20).
v. Relations All members were related via friendship to Peplos (l. 18).

X. ACTIVITIES

iii. Worship The association existed to carry out the heroismos of Nonnia Paula, who was present in the heroon with 13 painted portraits and 14 statues (on the meaning of ζῴδια, zoidia, cf. Jones 1983: 124)

XI. INTERACTION

i. Local interaction The endowment is under the control of the city, so interaction with local magistrates is to be expected.

XII. NOTES

iii. Bibliography Jones, C.P. (1983), ‘A Deed of Foundation from the Territory of Ephesos’, JRS 73: 116-25.

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Probable
Note It is not quite clear what it means for the association that the endowment was under the control of the city. Jones 1983 has convincingly argued that ll. 1-7 regulate misbehavior of civic magistrates, not of members of the association. This leaves us with hardly any information about the heroistai themselves; we only know that they were chosen by Peplos from among his friends. This is a clear indication of a private association, but by placing the endowment under the protection of the city, Peplos has accorded a public aspect to them as well.
ii. Historical authenticity Certain