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Last Updated on 21 May 2019

Author: Nikolaos Giannakopoulos

CAPInv. 619: U-WAM-007

I. LOCATION

i. Geographical area Western Asia Minor
ii. Region Bithynia
iii. Site Klaudiopolis

II. NAME

i. Association with unknown name U-WAM-007

III. DATE

i. Date(s) l. i (?) BC - iii AD

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) I.Klaudiupolis 65 (imp.)
Note See also:
CIG 3803
IGR III 73
Fernoux 2004: 469 no. 39
Online Resources I.Klaudiupolis 65
AGRW ID# 13212
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script Honorary inscription in Greek set up by the mystarches Marcus Domitius Teimoleon for his brother Marcus Domitius Euphemos, thyekoos of the mysteries and consularis.
i.c. Physical format(s) Statue base
ii. Source(s) provenance According to Perrot (1872: 46-47 note 1) the inscription was found at the abandoned cemetery of Aktchevak in the plain of Bulu.

VII. ORGANIZATION

ii. Leadership A μυστάρχης, mystarches (l. 10) was at the head of the group of initiates.
iv. Officials The term θυηκόος, thyekoos (I.Klaudiupolis 65, l. 5-6), which denotes a sacrificing priest (see Poland 1909: 339; Becker-Bertau in I.Klaudiupolis 65, p. 69; Fernoux 2004: 313), probably refers to a religious official involved in the mysteries celebrated by the group of initiates.

IX. MEMBERSHIP

iv. Status The mystarches held Roman citizenship.
v. Relations The mystarches and the thyekoos were brothers.

X. ACTIVITIES

iii. Worship Mysteries are explicitly mentioned in the inscription (l. 6-7) and sacrifices may be confidently inferred from the mention of a thyekoos of the mysteries (l. 5-6). It is widely held that these mysteries concerned the cult of the deified Antinoos (see Boeckh in CIG 3803; Cagnat in IGR III 73 following Mendel's suggestion; Robert 1960: 322 note 3; Robert 1980: 133; Fernoux 2004: 312 and 469; Harland in AGRW ID# 13212).
Deities worshipped Antinoos

XII. NOTES

i. Comments The tria nomina of the mystarches, the thyekoos, and the consular rank of the latter indicate a date in the Roman Period. Furthermore, if the mysteries mentioned in the inscription were indeed those of the deified Antinoos, the reign of Hadrian (130 AD) emerges as a terminus post quem. Cf. Fernoux 2004: 469.
L. Robert (BE 1953: no. 194) traces back the Bithynian Domitii to Cn. Domitius Ahenobarbus, governor of Bithynia under Mark Antony. On Marcus Domitius Teimoleon see PIR2 D 166. His brother Marcus Domitius Euphemus may have been either consul or governor of a consular province (Fernoux 2004: 469). On the Bithynian Domitii see also Madsen 2009: 70-71.
ii. Poland concordance Poland B* 419 (CIG 3803; IGR III 73; I.Klaudiupolis 65)
iii. Bibliography Fernoux, H.-L. (2004), Notables et elites des cités de Bithynie aux époques hellénistique et romaine (IIIe siècle av. J.-C. – IIIe siècle ap. J.-C.). Essai d’histoire sociale. Lyon.
Madsen, J.M. (2009), Eager to be Roman: Greek response to Roman Rule in Pontus and Bithynia. London.
Perrot, G. (1872), Exploration archéologique de la Galatie et de la Bithynie. Paris.
Poland, F. (1909), Geschichte des griechischen Vereinswesens. Leipzig.
Robert, L. (1960), ‘Recherches Épigraphiques’, REA 52: 276-361.
Robert, L. (1980), À travers l’Asie Mineure. Athènes, Paris.

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Possible
Note Although the terms mystarches and thyekoos demonstrate a well-structured organization, it is not possible to determine whether the mysteries mentioned in the inscription were performed by a private religious association or were part of an official civic cult for Antinoos.