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I. LOCATION

i.	Geographical area	Egypt
ii.	Nome	Thinites (U08)
iii.	Site	Ptolemais Hermeiou

II. NAME

i.

Association with unknown name

U-EGY-005

III. DATE

i.

Date(s)

138 / 137 BC

V. SOURCES

i.	Source(s)	SB III 6184 (138/7 BC)
	Note	The inscription is partly reproduced in JIGRE 154.
	Online Resources	SB III 6184 TM 7236 AGRW ID 15267
i.a.	Source type(s)	Epigraphic source(s)
i.b.	Document(s) typology & language/script	Greek dedication of a sanctuary to Triphis, Pan, and other companion-gods on behalf of the Royal Family by the members of the association.
i.c.	Physical format(s)	Black granite stele, with pediment and acroteria at the top.
ii.	Source(s) provenance	ἱερόν, hieron (l. 8)

VII. ORGANIZATION

ii.	Leadership	The head of the association is an ἐπιμελητής, epimeletes called Paniskos, son of Lykophron, of the deme Berenikeus: Πανίσκος Λυκόφρονος \| Βερενικεὺς τῶν ἀρχισωματοφυλάκων καὶ ἱπ<π>άρχης \| ἐπ’ ἀνδρῶν καὶ ἐπιμελητής, Paniskos Lykrophonos Berenikeus ton archisomatophylakon kai hipparches ep'andron kai epimeletes (ll. 5-7). On the title of epimeletes to indicate the leader of an association, cf. San Nicolò 1972: 61.
iii.	Members	The members of the association are called οἱ συνοδῖται, hoi synoditai (l. 7). Their names are listed at the end of the inscription.

VIII. PROPERTY AND POSSESSIONS

ii.

Realty

It seems likely that the association owned the ἱερόν, hieron (l. 8) which they dedicated.

IX. MEMBERSHIP

i.	Number	The members recorded are 29 (including the epimeletes). They most probably constituted the entire membership of the association.
ii.	Gender	Men
	Note	All the names recorded are male names. The association was therefore made up of men only.
iii.	Age	Adults
	Note	It seems very likely that the members were adults.
iv.	Status	The members of the association show Greek, Egyptian, Jewish, and Persian onomastics. The head of the association, the epimeletes Paniskos, was citizen of the polis of Ptolemais Hermeiou (his deme was Berenikeus), bore the aulic titulature of 'one of the ἀρχισωματοφύλακες', archisomatophylakes, and was at the head of a cavalry-unit (ἱπ<π>άρχης \| ἐπ’ ἀνδρῶν, hipparches ep'andron, ll. 6-7). The other members of the association may have belonged to a military background too and may have also been citizens of Ptolemais.
vi.	Proper names and physical features	Πανίσκος Λυκόφρονος \| Βερενικεὺς τῶν ἀρχισωματοφυλάκων καὶ ἱπ<π>άρχης \| ἐπ’ ἀνδρῶν καὶ ἐπιμελητής (ll. 5-7) Ἀσκληπιάδης Πτολεμαίου Ζηνόδωρος Ἱππονίκου Ἀμμώνιος Πελαίου Ἑρμίας Ἑρμαΐσκου Ἀπολλώνιος Φίλωνος Μιθροβανδάκης Σρούσου Θέων Λεωνίδου Δίδυμος Ἀπολλωνίου Ἑρμίας Λύκου Ἑρμίας Ἑρμίου Εὔβιος Βοήθου Σαραπίων Διονυσίου Ἀμβαδίσκος Ἱερωνύμου Σωσίβιος Σωσιβίου Στράτων Διονυσίου Λύκος Παοῦτος Λυσίμαχος Παποῦτος Ἕρμων Πτολεμαίου Ἑρμόφιλος Ἀχιλλέως Πτολεμαῖος Ἀσκληπιάδου Ἄρειος Εὐρυτίδας Νίκωνος Νίκανδρος Πτολεμαίου Ἀβρὰμ Ἀλωσμαθοῦτος Ἡφαιστίων Σαραπίωνος Ἀμμώνιος Ἀμωνίου Φατρῆς Πατάϊος Ἀμώνιος Λυκόφρονος

X. ACTIVITIES

iii.	Worship	The association dedicated the sanctuary or shrine (τὸ ἱερόν, to hieron, l. 8) to Triphis, (with the unknown epithet of Kolanthes?), Pan, and the θεοὶ σύνναοι, theoi synnaoi.
	Deities worshipped	Triphis (Kolanthes?) Pan theoi synnaoi
iv.	Honours/Other activities	The dedication is done on behalf of the Royal Family: ὑπὲρ βασιλέως Πτολεμαίου καὶ βασιλίσσης \| Κλεοπάτρας τῆς ἀδελφῆς καὶ βασιλίσσης \| Κλεοπάτρας τῆς γυναικός, θεῶν Εὐεργετῶν, \| καὶ τῶν τούτων τέκνων, hyper basileos Ptolemaiou kai basilisses Kleopatras tes adelphes kai basilisses Kleopatras tes gynaikos, theon Euergeton, kai ton touton teknon (ll. 2-5). This shows loyalty by the association to the Royal House.

XI. INTERACTION

i.

Local interaction

I do not think there is enough evidence for supposing (as Lefebvre 1914: 219 does) that Asklepiades, son of Ptolemaios (l. 9) is the same person as in I.Th.Sy. 303, l. 36 (CAPInv. 51) - Ammonios, son of Ammonios (l. 34) was also thought to be a member of the association CAPInv. 51 (I.Th.Sy. 303, l. 35), but the reading in that inscription is now Ammonios, son Apollonios.

XII. NOTES

iii.

Bibliography

Lefebvre, M. G. (1914), 'Égypte gréco-romaine', Annales du service des antiquités de l'Égypte 13: 215-26.
San Nicolò, M. (1972), Ägyptisches Vereinswesen zur Zeit der Ptolemäer und Römer. 2nd edn. München.

XIII. EVALUATION

i.	Private association	Certain
	Note	The terminology used (synoditai), the internal organisation with officials, and the possible ownership of real estate make it certain that we have here a private association.

CAPInv. 155: U-EGY-005