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Last Updated on 03 Mar 2017

Author: Maria-Gabriella Parissaki

CAPInv. 686: rhopopolai

I. LOCATION

i. Geographical area Thrace
ii. Region Inland Thrace
iii. Site Philippopolis

II. NAME

i. Full name (original language) ῥοποπῶλαι, l. ῥωποπῶλαι (IGBulg V. 5464, ll. 4.5-6)
ii. Full name (transliterated) rhopopolai

III. DATE

i. Date(s) Imp.

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

ii. Name elements
Professional:ῥοποπῶλαι, rhopopolai (=small-wares merchants)

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) IGBulg V. 5464 (Imp.)
Online Resources IGBulg V. 5464
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script Funerary Greek inscription of Philippos son of Philippos, with depiction of five wreaths, one of them offered by the guild.
i.c. Physical format(s) Rectangular mable stele (1.62 x 0.74 x 0.18) with an elaborate floral pattern at its upper part and a pedimental stele in relief depicted below; this stele bears five wreaths and the funerary inscription.
ii. Source(s) provenance Found at Ralitza str. at the site of 'Vtora Kamenitza', where the necropolis of the 1st-3rd cent. AD is located, see TIR K35/2: Philippopolis p. 298.

VI. BUILT AND VISUAL SPACE

i. Archaeological remains Necropolis

VII. ORGANIZATION

iii. Members Collectively designated by their profession (ῥωποπῶλαι, rhopopolai, l. 4.5-6).

VIII. PROPERTY AND POSSESSIONS

i. Treasury/Funds The wreath offered to the deceased indicate that the guild collected funds, even if on an ad hoc basis.

IX. MEMBERSHIP

iv. Status This was the professional association of ῥωποπῶλαι, rhopopolai, working at Philippopolis.

X. ACTIVITIES

iv. Honours/Other activities The guild offered a wreath to the deceased Philippos son of Philippos, (IGBulg V. 5464), who should have been an important citizen of Philippopolis (see below XI.i) but not necessarily a member of the guild.

XI. INTERACTION

i. Local interaction The deceased Philippos son of Philippos, should have been an important citizen of Philippopolis, as indicated by the wreaths also offered to him by the βουλή, boule, and the δῆμος, demos, of the city, the Νεικαεῖς ὀλυμπιασταί, Neikaeis (CAPInv. 688), the Νεικομηδεῖς, Neikomedeis (CAPInv. 806) and the βυρσεῖς, byrseis (CAPInv. 583). The presence of two professional associations, of two associations of foreign residents at Philippopolis and the eastern origin of the deceased's brother (as indicated by the personal name Παπίας, Papias) are signs of his eastern origin and of his possible involvement with trade.

XII. NOTES

i. Comments The right form of the word is ῥωποπῶλαι, rhopopolai. For another association of ῥωποπῶλαι, rhopopolai, at Thrace (Perinthos), see CAPInv. 543.
iii. Bibliography Kolev, K. (1966), ‘Nadgrobna plotsa of Filipopol’, Arheologija 8/2: 57-9.

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Certain
Note Although available information consists exclusively of a collective name and the group's action of honouring a deceased, there is no reason to doubt that this was a private professional association.