Stable URL: http://ancientassociations.ku.dk/assoc/1792Download as PDF
Last Updated on 24 Mar 2017

Author: Benedikt Eckhardt

CAPInv. 1792: Pinareon to politeuma

I. LOCATION

i. Geographical area The Near East and Beyond
ii. Region Phoenicia
iii. Site Sidon

II. NAME

i. Full name (original language) Πιναρέων τὸ πολίτευμα (RBi 13: 551-2, no. 3, l. 1)
ii. Full name (transliterated) Pinareon to politeuma

III. DATE

i. Date(s) 250 (?) - 200 (?) BC

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

ii. Name elements
Ethnic:Pinareis
iii. Descriptive terms πολίτευμα, politeuma
Note politeuma: RBi 13: 551-2, no. 3, l. 1

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) RBi 13: 551-2, no. 3 ( 250 (?) - 200 (?) BC)
Note See also: AGRW 274
Online Resources AGRW ID# 1893
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script Commemorative inscription in Greek
i.c. Physical format(s) Grave stele depicting a soldier
ii. Source(s) provenance Sidon

XII. NOTES

iii. Bibliography Honigman, S. (2003), ‘Politeumata and Ethnicity in Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt’, AncSoc 33: 61-102.
Huß, W. (2011), Die Verwaltung des ptolemaiischen Reiches. Munich.
Sänger, P. (2014), ‘The Politeuma in the Hellenistic World (Third to First Century B.C.): A Form of Organisation to Integrate Minorities’, in J. Dahlvik, Chr. Reinprecht and W. Sievers (eds.), Migration und Integration – wissenschaftliche Perspektiven aus Österreich. Jahrbuch 2/2013, Göttingen: 51-68.

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Possible
Note The debate on the nature of ethnic politeumata has been long and inconclusive. It seems clear that they united Ptolemaic mercenaries from a given area, and that they had a certain judicial autonomy (Honigman 2003: 64-6; Sänger 2014: 59-60). According to Sänger 2014, this means that they could not have been private associations, but had "a public and institutional character" (62). It is nevertheless possible that the impulse to form a group was a private one, and we should remember that internal jurisdiction was characteristic of all ancient private associations.

One important aspect of this debate is the old question whether or not privileges similar to citizenship were accorded to members of politeumata (on the debate, cf. Honigman 2003: 61-2). See also CAPInv. 1789.