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I. LOCATION

i.	Geographical area	Egypt
ii.	Nome	Hermopolites (U15)
iii.	Site	Hermopolis

II. NAME

i.	Full name (original language)	ἡ ἱερὰ ξυστικὴ περιπολιστικὴ Σεβαστὴ Ἁδριανὴ Ἀντωνιανὴ Σεπτιμιανὴ σύνοδος τῶν περὶ τὸν Ἡρακλέα καὶ τὸν ἀγώνιον καὶ Αὐτοκράτορα Καίσαρα Λ(ύκιον) Σεπτίμιον Σευῆρον Περτίνακα Σεβαστόν (Pap.Agon. 6, ll. 37-9)
ii.	Full name (transliterated)	he hiera xystike peripolistike Sebaste Hadriane Antoniane Septimiane synodos ton peri ton Heraklea kai ton agonion kai Autokratora Kaisara Lukion Septimion Seueron Pertinaka Sebaston

III. DATE

i.

Date(s)

194 (?) - 212 (?) AD

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

ii.

Name elements

Cultic:	hiera Sebaste Hadriane Antoniane Septimiane
Personal:	peri Autokratora Kaisara Lukion Septimion Seueron Pertinaka Sebaston
Professional:
Theophoric:	Sebaste Hadriane Antoniane Septimiane peri ton Heraklea
Other:	xystike peripolistike, peri ton agonion

iii.

Descriptive terms

σύνοδος, synodos
ξυστός xystos

Note

synodos: Pap.Agon. 6, ll. 3, 5, 10, 18, 29, 38, 60, 68, 74, 83, 95.
xystos: 50, 78, 83, 98.

V. SOURCES

i.	Source(s)	Pap.Agon. 6 (AD 200-212)
	Note	Other publications: P. Lond. III 1178; W.Chr. 156; AGRW 303. Cf. BL VIII 186; IX 141; XII 103.
	Online Resources	Pap. Agon. 6 TM 22834 AGRW ID 3183
i.a.	Source type(s)	Papyrological source(s)
i.b.	Document(s) typology & language/script	Greek; rescripts dealing with an association of athletes.
i.c.	Physical format(s)	papyrus
ii.	Source(s) provenance	Although found in Hermopolis (U15), the document was written in Nea Polis (Naples) Italy, Campania (Regio I Latium et Campania), l. 45.

VII. ORGANIZATION

ii.	Leadership	high priest of the whole xystos, ll. 50, 77, 97-98: ἀρχιερεύς τοῦ σύμπαντος ξυστοῦ, archiereus tou sympantos xystou. There are four (possibly three if one name is repeated [as Harland has, see bibliography] cf. below "Proper names"). These high priests are also "xustarch-presidents for life", (cf. IG XIV 1104), ll. 50, 78: ξυστάρχης διὰ βίου, xystarches dia biou (But at l. 98, ξυστάρχης xystarches).
iii.	Members	οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς αὐτῆς συνόδου, hoi apo tes autes synodou (l. 3) συνοδίτης, synodites (l. 4)
iv.	Officials	"Officers" of the association, ll. 60, 68, 71, 85, 90: ἄρχοντες τῆς συνόδου, archontes tes synodou treasurer, ll. 62, 74, 94-95: ἀργυροταμίας, argurotamias. chief secretary, ll. 65, 82: ἀρχιγραμματεύς ξυστοῦ, archigrammateus xystou (is this an official in a gymnasium? s.v. LSJ ξυστός). And an ex-secretary(?), l. 83: γραμματεύσας τῆς συνόδου, grammateusas tes synodou (cf. Pap.Agon. 1 = CAPInv. 1912). At l. 102 here, we have γραμ̣μ̣ατεύων grammateuon, which presumes this individual is still serving as a secretary. Is there a prerequisite for the position of archigrammateus? Did one have to serve as grammateus before becoming eligible?
viii.	Obligations	Apparently Herminos alias Moros, paid 100 denarii as an entrance fee (ἐντάγιον entagion) to become a member of this association (ll. 5-6), κατὰ τὸν νόμον kata ton nomon "according to the law." Is this an imperial law i.e. the one referred to in several Pap. Agon. documents (e.g. Pap. Agon. 1. 15, CAPInv. 1912)? Herminos also paid 50 denarii at the games of Asia in Sardis ll. 84-102, esp. 87, 93, 100).
ix.	Privileges	Although parts of the document do acknowledge that members received benefits, these benefits themselves - besides membership, and Roman citizenship in some instances - are not given. ll. 1-7 acknowledge Herminos alias Moros, from Hermopolis, as a member, and that he has paid his entrance fee. ll. 16-31 records a second letter from Claudius who, in return for the association's support, bestows Roman citizenship on Diogenes, son of Mikkalos, and his daughters Sandogenes and . . . ll. 32-36 records a letter from Vespasian providing the privileges that the association has seemingly asked for, and noting that he will maintain them. See comments for full details of various sections of the document.

VIII. PROPERTY AND POSSESSIONS

iii.

Income

Herminos alias Moros, paid 100 denarii as an entrance fee (ἐντάγιον) at Naples to become a member of this association (ll. 5-6), κατὰ τὸν νόμον kata ton nomon "according to the law." He also paid 50 denarii to act as high priest at the games of Asia in Sardis ll. 84-102, esp. 87, 93, 100). How much of the latter went to the association is not entirely clear.

IX. MEMBERSHIP

i.	Number	At least 11, although given the province- and empire-wide nature of this group, significantly larger.
ii.	Gender	Men
	Note	At least those noted as officials appear to be men.
iii.	Age	Adults
	Note	At least as far as can be ascertained from the document.
iv.	Status	Early members (according to internal evidence, prior to creation of Pap.Agon. 6): Tiberius Claudius Hermas (Roman citizen) Tiberius Claudius Kyros (Roman citizen) Dion, son of Mikkalos, citizen of Antioch Diogenes, son of Mikkalos, citizen of Antioch (Roman citizen) [are Dion and Diogenes one and the same?] Daughters of Diogenes (above), Sandogenes and . . . (Roman citizens). The following are prior to the Constitutio Antoniniana so likely not Roman citizens unless otherwise specified (and then only based on the names provided in the text) , but the members are certainly citizens of some significant communities: Marcus Aurelius Demostratos Damas, citizen of Sardis, Alexandria, Antinoopolis, Athens, Ephesos, Smyrna, Pergamon, Nikomedeia, Miletos, Sparta and Tralleis (Roman citizen). Marcus Aurelius Demetrios, citizen of Alexandria and Hermopolis (Roman citizen). Marcus Aurelius Chrysippos, citizen of . . . , Smyrna, and Alexandria (Roman citizen). Marcus Aurelius Demetrios (Roman citizen). Alexander II, also called Athenodoros, citizen of Myra and Ephesos Prosdektos, citizen of Mytilene. (?) Proklos, citizen of Ephesos. Publius Aelius Euktemon (Roman citizen). Photion, son of Karpion, citizen of Laodikeia and Ephesos . . . , son of Zosimos, citizen of Philadelphia, Ephesos, and Tralleis Glykon, son of Glykon (?), citizen of Thyateira. Quintilius Karpophoros, citizen of Ephesos.
vi.	Proper names and physical features	Early members (according to internal evidence, prior to creation of Pap.Agon. 6): Tiberius Claudius Hermas Tiberius Claudius Kyros Dion, son of Mikkalos Diogenes, son of Mikkalos Marcus Aurelius Demostratos Damas Marcus Aurelius Demetrios Marcus Aurelius Chrysippos Marcus Aurelius Demetrios (different to above given relevant citizenships; although context is problematic. Maybe it is the same individual [MG]) Alexander (II), also called Athenodoros Prosdektos Proklos Publius Aelius Euktemon Photion, son of Karpion . . . , son of Zosimos Glykon, son of Glykon (?) Quintilius Karpophoros

X. ACTIVITIES

ii.

Meetings and events

Clearly the association met at various athletic competitions. Noted within these document alone are meetings/competitions at Naples (ll. 5-6) and at the games of Asia in Sardis (ll. 84-102).

XI. INTERACTION

i.	Local interaction	The nature of the document suggests that Hermonis could have used this locally to illustrate his status and make clear his privileges and position in the local arm of the association presumably to the local administration.
ii.	Interaction abroad	Clearly this association, like the Dionysiac technitai, had connections to other branches of this group in the Mediterranean. Presumably this local group's interaction abroad would be linked to games and competitions in other parts of the Mediterranean world.

XII. NOTES

i.	Comments	The early privileges noted under the Julio-Claudian emperors at the start of the papyrus do suggest a date of foundation in the first half of the first century AD. It is likely that this association is the same as CAPInv. 1941 and perhaps CAPInv. 1957. This text is part of the archive of Theognostos of Hermopolis, that dates to AD 175-238. ll. 1-7 acknowledge Herminos alias Moros, from Hermopolis, as a member of this group, and note his membership payment. ll. 8-15 record a letter from the Emperor Claudius acknowledging an apparent gift - a gold crown - and noting the envoys. Tiberius Claudius Hermas, Tiberius Claudis Kyros, Dion sone of Mikkalos of Antioch. ll. 16-31 records a second letter from Claudius who, in return for the association's support, bestows Roman citizenship on Diogenes, son of Mikkalos, and his daughters Sandogenes and . . . ll. 32-36 records a letter from Vespasian providing the privileges that the association has seemingly asked for, and noting that he will maintain them. ll. 37-83 contain a certificate, during the 49th quadrennial great Augusteian-Italian-Roman games, acknowledging (again) that Herminos has paid his entrance fee and confirms that he is a member of this association. Signatures of several officials from the association follow. ll. 84-102 contain a second certificate, but this time confirming that Herminos has paid the relevant costs for the (to participate in?) the great games of Asia at Sardis. Signatures of officials from the association follow.
iii.	Bibliography	Burgeon, C. (2016) "Les xystarques de l’Empire romain du Ier au IIIe siècle de notre ère." Réflexion(s), février 2016 (available online here). Remijsen, S. (2015) The end of Greek athletics in late antiquity. Cambridge. Sijpesteijn, P. J. (1989) "Theognostos alias Moros and his family." ZPE 76: 213-18. Strasser, J.-Y. (2003) "La carrière du pancratiaste Markos Aurèlios Dèmostratos Damas." BCH 127.1: 251-99. Van Minnen, P. (1989) "Theognostos en de bokser Hermeinos: Van een broer, een zus en een zwaargewicht." In P. W. Pestman (ed.) Familiearchieven uit het land van Pharao. Zutphen: 107-37.

XIII. EVALUATION

i.	Private association	Certain
	Note	This association seems to be very similar to the Dionysiac technitai in its organisation. It seems likely then that this group was also a private association. This association is a famous international collective of athletes, and enjoyed imperial patronage, and may be—at least in part—the same as in P. Oxy. 79 5207 (CAPInv. 1941), perhaps made up of several private branches.

CAPInv. 1952: he hiera xystike peripolistike Sebaste Hadriane Antoniane Septimiane synodos ton peri ton Heraklea kai ton agonion kai Autokratora Kaisara Lukion Septimion Seueron Pertinaka Sebaston