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Last Updated on 21 Jun 2019

Author: Stella Skaltsa

CAPInv. 1915: mystai autou

I. LOCATION

i. Geographical area Aegean Islands
ii. Region Samos
iii. Site Samos

II. NAME

i. Full name (original language) μύσται αὐτοῦ (IG XII 6.1, 132 l. 9)
ii. Full name (transliterated) mystai autou

III. DATE

i. Date(s) ii BC

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

ii. Name elements
Cultic:mystai
Personal:autou: possessive pronoun referring to the mystai of Xenombrotos

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) IG XII 6.1 132 (ii BC)
Note See also Robert 1935: 477-86.
Online Resources IG XII 6.1 132
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script Decree of the chiliastyres of the lesser Epidaurians those who climb up to the Helikonion.
i.c. Physical format(s) Stele broken at the upper left corner
H. 23.5 x L. 6.3 x TH. 1.2 cm
ii. Source(s) provenance Unknown.

VI. BUILT AND VISUAL SPACE

ii. References to buildings/objects ἡρῷον, heroon (l. 8)

VII. ORGANIZATION

iii. Members μῦσται, mystai (l. 9)

VIII. PROPERTY AND POSSESSIONS

iv. Endowments Xenombrotos, son of Philmbrotos, made an endowment to the chilastis of the lesser Epidaurians who climb up to the Helikonion: ἐπίδοσιν πεποίηται, epidosin peopoietai, ll. 6-7. This endowement would fund the sacrifice (θυσία, thysia l. 8) made annually by his tomb.

X. ACTIVITIES

ii. Meetings and events Every year the mystai would come together to take part in a sacrifice (θυσία, thysia, l. 8) and a banquet (σύνοδος, synodos l. 9) held in the memory of Xenombrotos by his heroon that was built by himself.
iii. Worship Τhis inscription provides evidence for the cult of benefactors (note the infinitive εὐεργετεῖν, euergetein in l. 14), instigated by themselves through a foundation. The use of the term mystai to denote the participants in the commemorative event for Xenombrotos and the fact that a sacrifice is made to in honour of Xenombrotos all this suggest that a cult for a founder/ benefactor is at stake.

XI. INTERACTION

i. Local interaction Members of a civic subdivision (chyliastes) take part in the commemoration of a fellow-chyliastes and benefactor, after the latter provided the necessary funds through an endowment for an annual gathering in his memory.

XII. NOTES

iii. Bibliography Robert, L. (1935), 'Inscriptions de Lesbos et de Samos', BCH59: 471-88.

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Possible
Note The text provides evidence for an association in the making. The purpose of the endowment was to bring fellow-chiliastai together to commemorate Xenimbrotos on an annual basis. The participants in this event are called mystai. Although they display a collective identity and participate in an event together, the durability of this group is uncertain. The inscription is of much interest in that it sheds light on the formation of groups through endowments.