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I. LOCATION

i.	Geographical area	Peloponnese with Adjacent Islands
ii.	Region	Laconia
iii.	Site	Sparta

II. NAME

i.	Full name (original language)	Ταινάριοι (IG V.1 210, l. 1)
ii.	Full name (transliterated)	Tainarioi

III. DATE

i.

Date(s)

i BC

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

ii.

Name elements

Topographical:

Tainaron, where a famous sanctuary of Poseidon (Strabo 8.5.1 [= 8.363]). However, there was a sanctuary of Poseidon, called Tainarion, in Sparta, see Paus. 3.12.5 and Kourinou 2000: 185-99.

V. SOURCES

i.	Source(s)	IG V.1 210 (i BC) IG V.1 211 (i BC) IG V.1 212 (i BC)
	Online Resources	IG V 1, 210 IG V 1, 211 IG V 1, 212
i.a.	Source type(s)	Epigraphic source(s)
i.b.	Document(s) typology & language/script	Greek catalogues
i.c.	Physical format(s)	All are large stelai IG V.1 210: 1.045 x 0.57 x 0.175 m; IG V.1 211: 0.985 x 0.52 x 0.125 m; IG V.1 212: 0.75 x 0.43 x 0.19 m
ii.	Source(s) provenance	All stelai were found in 1857 at the same place, at the suburb of Sparta called Magoula, near the route of the Aphetais hodos, where the sanctuary of Poseidon is to be located. For this identification see Kourinou 2000: 185-92.

VII. ORGANIZATION

iv.

Officials

IG V 1, 210
μάντις (mantis, seer): Sichares son of Teisamenos
γραμματε[ύς] (grammateus, secretary): Aristokles son of Philonikides
κάρυκες (karykes, l. kerykes, heralds): Damokrates, Euameros
αὐλητάς (auletas, l. auletes, flute-player): Damokratidas son of Damokrates
παιανίαι (paianiai): Aristolas, Eudamidas
σὶν φέρων (sin pheron, l. theon pheron, bearer of the image of the deity): Agiteles
κοακτήρ (koakter, perhaps to be associated with Suid. κωάζειν · ἐνεχυράζειν, koazein: enechyrazein, perhaps responsible for collecting the owed money): Eunous
ἐπὶ γρ<α>φῶν (epi gr<a>phon, responsible for setting up the inscribed documents): Soinikos
μάγειρος (mageiros, cook, butcher): Arion
ὀψοποίς (opsopois, responsible for cooking meat): Thyrsos
βαλανεύς (balaneus, responsible for the bath): Dionysios

IG V.1 211
κάρυκες (karykes, l. kerykes, heralds): Architas son of Aristokles, Kleonymos son of Kletor
μάντις (mantis, seer): Aretippos son of Lysippos
αὐλητάς (auletas, l. auletes, flute-player): Aristodamos
γραμματεύς (grammateus, secretary): Klenikos son of Klenikos
τὸν σὶν φέρων (ton sin pheron, l. ton theon pheron, bearer of the image of the deity): Eudaimion
ἐπὶ γραφῶν (epi graphon, responsible for setting up the inscribed documents): Euameros
κοιακτήρ (koiakter, perhaps to be associated with Suid. κωάζειν · ἐνεχυράζειν, koazein: enechyrazein, perhaps responsible for collecting the owed money): Eubios
μάγειρος (mageiros, cook, butcher): Ktesiphon

IG V.1 212
γραμματεύς (grammateus, secretary): Kleon ex Agetas
κάρυκες (karykes, l. kerykes, heralds): Pratonikos son of Epistratos, Euameros son of Euameros
παιανίαι (paianiai): Aristolas, Pratonikos son of Lysimachos
μά̣ντις (mantis, seer): Sichares son of Tisamenos
αὐλη̣τάς (auletas, l. auletes, flute-player): Damokratidas son of Damokrates
σιοφόρος (siophoros, l. theophoros, bearer of the image of the deity): Ploutos ex Eurybanassas
ἐπὶ γραφῶν (epi graphon, responsible for setting up the inscribed documents): Soinikos
κοακτήρ (koakter, perhaps to be associated with Suid. κωάζειν · ἐνεχυράζειν, koazein: enechyrazein, perhaps responsible for collecting the owed money): Agiteles
σκιφατόμος (skiphatomos the one who cuts the sacrificed animal): Dionysios
μάγιρος (magiros, l. mageiros, cook, butcher): Apollodoros

IX. MEMBERSHIP

i.	Number	52 (including officials) in IG V.1 210; 52 (including officials) in IG V.1 211; 55 (including officials) in IG V 1, 212.
ii.	Gender	Men
	Note	All attested names of members are male names.

XII. NOTES

i.	Comments	It is generally accepted that Tainaristai are an equivalent of Tainarioi, see e.g. Kourinou (2000: 185). Hesychios writes: ταιναρίας· παρὰ Λακεδαιμονίοις ἑορτὴ Ποσειδῶνος· καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ Ταιναρισταί. Ταίναρον γὰρ πεδίον Λακωνικῆς. (tainarias; para Lakedaimoniois heorte Poseidonos; kai en autei Tainaristai. Tainaron gar pedion Lakonikes). The cult of Poseidon should have been the central point of Tainarioi. It is however not to exclude a meaning similar to Ἰσθμιαστής, Isthmiastes, which is interpreted by LSJ as "spectator of the Isthmian games", probably on the basis of the title of a play by Aeschylus, Ἰσθμιασταί, Isthmiastai. The lists of Tainarioi document in any case the participants in the annual festivities celebrating Poseidon. Spawforth (2012: 188-9) connects the efflorescence of cults in Sparta in the late 1st c. BC and especially of the cult of Poseidon in his Spartan sanctuary which was an offshoot of the sanctuary at Tainaron, with Eurycles and his interest for the Laconia coast, as his father was a nauarchos and he himself had a maritime inclinations.
iii.	Bibliography	Kourinou, E. (2000), Σπάρτη. Συμβολή στη μνημειακή τοπογραφία της. Athina. Chrimes, K.M.T. (1949), Ancient Sparta. A re-examination of the evidence. Manchester. Mylonopoulos, J. (2003), Πελοπόννησος οἰκητήριον Ποσειδῶνος. Heilgtümer und Kulte des Poseidon auf der Peloponnes, Liège: 90, 221, 301, 314-5, 317. Poland, F. (1909), Geschichte des griechischen Vereinswesens. Leipzig. Spawforth, A.J.S. (1992), ‘Spartan cults under the Roman empire: some notes’, in: J.M. Sanders (ed.), ΦΙΛΟΛΑΚΩΝ. Laconian studies in honour of Hector Catling, London: 227-38, esp. 233-4, n. 42. Spawforth, A.J.S. (2012), Greece and the Augustan cultural revolution. Greek culture in the Roman world. Cambridge, New York.

XIII. EVALUATION

i.	Private association	Discarded
	Note	The problem, whether these lists represent civic-cults-participants or members of private cult-associations, has caused a lengthy discussion. The most recent arguments on this debate are those of Spawforth 1992: 233-4, n. 42, who agrees with Poland 1909: 70-2. Both scholars object to the view that these documents are lists of private cult associations. Poland's and Spawforth's view seems to be justified, as the members of the lists changed from year to year, as their numbers are very large. Poland inclines rather to the view that the lists document no private association, although he cannot exclude the possibility that certain families were connected to certain sanctuaries and conducted festivities. This does not speak however for an organized private association but rather to participants in those annual festivities. Chrimes (1949: 152-4) sees in Tainarioi civic magistrates, but the fact that some of them bear no patronymic implies a servile origin.

CAPInv. 773: Tainarioi