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Last Updated on 25 Nov 2018

Author: Mario C.D. Paganini

CAPInv. 187: to politeuma (ton Boioton)

I. LOCATION

i. Geographical area Egypt
ii. Nome Xoites (L06)
iii. Site Xois

II. NAME

i. Full name (original language) τὸ πολίτευμα (τῶν Βοιωτῶν) (SEG 2: 871, ll. 8-9)
ii. Full name (transliterated) to politeuma (ton Boioton)

III. DATE

i. Date(s) 165 (?) BC

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

ii. Name elements
Ethnic:Boiotoi Boeotians
iii. Descriptive terms πολίτευμα, politeuma
Note politeuma: SEG 2: 871, l. 8

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) SEG 2: 871 (ca. 165 BC)
Note Other publications of the text: SB III 6664.
Online Resources SEG 2: 871
TM 7262
AGRW ID 20516
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script Greek dedication of a temenos to Zeus Basileus and the patrioi theoi by the politeuma and synpoliteuomenoi of the Boeotians.
i.c. Physical format(s) Limestone stele.

VI. BUILT AND VISUAL SPACE

ii. References to buildings/objects The politeuma dedicated τὸ τέμενος καὶ τὰ συγκύρ[οντα], to temenos kai ta synkyronta (l. 15).
στήλη, stele (l. 13)

VII. ORGANIZATION

iii. Members The members of the politeuma seems to be referred to as ο]ἱ̣ ἐ̣πισυνηγμένοι | ἐν Ξόει Βοιωτο̣ί̣, hoi episynegmenoi en Xoei Boiotoi (ll. 11-2). Furthermore the group of ο̣ἱ̣ σ[υμ]πολιτευ|όμενοι, hoi synpoliteuomenoi (ll. 12-13) is also mentioned: according to Thompson Crawford 1984 and Thompson 2012: 94, the term indicated the non-military supporting members who took part in the activities of the politeuma.
iv. Officials There is a priest of the politeuma: ἱερεὺς τοῦ | πολιτεύματος, hiereus tou politeumatos (ll. 8-9). He may have been at the head of the politeuma: cf. Fraser 1959-60: 149.

VIII. PROPERTY AND POSSESSIONS

ii. Realty The τέμενος καὶ τὰ συγκύρ[οντα], temenos kai ta synkyronta (l. 15) dedicated to Zeus by the politeuma may have belonged to them.

IX. MEMBERSHIP

ii. Gender Men
Note It is likely that the politeuma was a group formed by people involved in military life, and therefore men.
iii. Age Adults
Note If the military character of the politeuma is correct, it does not seem likely that children took part in it.
iv. Status The members of the politeuma probably belonged to the military background and had (at least in the beginning) a common Boeotian origin. The civilians associated with them (defined as hoi synpoliteuomenoi: they probably represented the soldiers families or immigrant of similar origin) also took part in the politeuma's activities.
The priest of the politeuma, Kaphisodoros, son of Kaphisodoros, Boiotos, bore the aulic title of archisomatophylax and was also strategos of the Xoites nome (ll. 6-9; from other texts we know that he was also priest of Alexander and of the Ptolemies in 156/5 BC: cf. Mooren 1975: no. 088). His sons, Metrophanes and Ptolemaios, were also involved in the army (and the politeuma) as diadochoi and were eisangeleis, palace officials (ll. 9-11: cf. Mooren 1975: nos. 0300 and 0301).
v. Relations Kaphisodoros, priest of the politeuma, and his two sons, Metrophanes and Ptolemaios, were all members of the politeuma.
vi. Proper names and physical features Καφισό̣δωρος Καφισοδώρου Βοιώτιος ὁ ἀρχισωματοφύλαξ καὶ στρατη̣γ̣ὸς τοῦ Ξο̣ΐτου καὶ ἱερεὺς τοῦ πολιτεύματος
οἱ τούτου υἱοὶ Μητροφάνης κ̣[αὶ Πτ]ολεμαῖος οἱ διάδοχοι καὶ εἰσαγγελε̣ῖ̣[ς

X. ACTIVITIES

iii. Worship The politeuma of Boeotians dedicated the shrine and premises to Zeus Basileus and the patrioi theoi: Διὶ βασιλεῖ | καὶ [τοῖς] ἄλλοις πα̣τρίοις θεοῖς, Dii basilei kai tois allois patriois theois (ll. 4-5).
Deities worshipped Zeus Basileus
patrioi theoi
iv. Honours/Other activities The dedication is made on behalf of the Royal House, thus showing the politeuma's loyalty to the Ptolemaic dynasty: ὑ̣π̣ὲρ βασιλέως Πτολεμαίο̣[υ] | καὶ βασιλίσσης Κλεοπάτρας τῆς | ἀδελφῆς θ[ε]ῶν Φιλομητόρων κα[ὶ] | τῶν [τέ]κνων αὐτῶν, hyper basileos Ptolemaiou kai basilisses Kleopatras tes adelphes theon Philometoron kai ton teknon auton (ll. 1-4).

XII. NOTES

iii. Bibliography Fraser, P. M. (1959-60), 'Inscriptions from Ptolemaic Egypt', Berytus 13: 123-161.
Mooren, L. (1975), The Aulic titulature in Ptolemaic Egypt. Brussel.
Thompson Crawford, D. J. (1984), 'The Idumaeans of Memphis and the Ptolemaic Politeumata', in Atti del XVII Congresso Internazionale di Papirologia, Napoli: 1069-75.
Thompson, D. J. (2012), Memphis under the Ptolemies. 2nd edn. Princeton and Oxford.

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Certain
Note The group presents all the characteristics (internal organisation, activities, officials etc) of a private association. There are no hints at the fact that this group had larger responsibilities of whatever character, like it is the case for other politeumata (cf. CAPInv. 1370). It therefore seems certain that this politeuma functioned and was a private association of a military character.