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Last Updated on 08 Mar 2017

Author: Alexandru Avram

CAPInv. 1152: Asianon speira

I. LOCATION

i. Geographical area Thrace
ii. Region Euxine Coast
iii. Site Dionysopolis

II. NAME

i. Full name (original language) Ἀσιανῶν σπεῖρα (IGBulg I2 23, l. 5)
ii. Full name (transliterated) Asianon speira

III. DATE

i. Date(s) 222 - 235 AD

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

ii. Name elements
Ethnic:Asianoi, i.e. colonists from Asia Minor.
iii. Descriptive terms σπεῖρα, speira
Note speira: IGBulg I2 23, l. 5

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) IGBulg I2 23 (AD 222-235)
Note See also: Jaccottet II 53; AGRW 71
Online Resources IGBulg I2 23 and AGRW ID 3236
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script Greek dedication of a ἱερονόμος, hieronomos to the σπεῖρα, speira of the Ἀσιανοὶ πρεσβ(ύτεροι), Asianoi presb(yteroi) on behalf of the emperor Severus Alexander.
i.c. Physical format(s) Stele of limestone.
ii. Source(s) provenance Dionysopolis

VII. ORGANIZATION

iv. Officials M. Aur(elios) Koure(s) ἱερονόμος, hieronomos (for this office cf. I.Ilion 154).

IX. MEMBERSHIP

iii. Age Elders
Note The abbreviation πρεσβ., presb. (l. 5) means quite certainly πρεσβ(ύτεροι), presb(yteroi).

XII. NOTES

i. Comments Marshall (1907: 218 no. 1421, with pl. XXXIII), published a ring from Dionysopolis bearing the inscription συνόδου μυστικῆς Ταρσέων, synodou mystikes Tarseon, ‘mystic guild of Tarsians’, and suggested that the society would have used the ring for sealing official documents (p. xvii). Annelies Cazemier suggests (per litt.) a connection between this society of Tarsians and the speira of the Asianoi. This is highly probable.
M. Aur(elios) Koure(s) ἱερονόμος, hieronomos, is the same as the priest of the Ἄττεις, Atteis (CAPInv. 1157).
From other examples of σπεῖραι, speirai and especially from the term Ἀσιανοί, Asianoi, which seems to be connected exclusively with Dionysiac associations, we can infer that we have to do with Dionysos.
ii. Poland concordance Poland B 87 (ring from Dionysopolis; cf. XII.i: Comments, above)
iii. Bibliography Jaccottet, A.-F. (2003), Choisir Dionysos. Les associations dionysiaques ou la face cachée du dionysisme. 2 vols. Zürich.
Marshall, F.H. (1907), Catalogue of the Fingerrings, Greek, Etruscan, and Roman, in the Departments of Antiquities, British Museum. London.
Slavova, M. (2002), ‘Mystery Clubs in Bulgarian Lands in Antiquity’, OAth 27: 137-149, esp. 140 (about speira), 142 (about koures; but Koures is here a cognomen; cf. Jaccottet 2003: II.109) and 144 (text of the inscription).

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Certain
Note The terminology used points to a private association.