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Last Updated on 01 Dec 2018

Author: Mario C.D. Paganini

CAPInv. 220: to plethos ton en Alexandreiai hippeon tes therapeias

I. LOCATION

i. Geographical area Egypt
ii. Nome Arsinoites (00)
iii. Site Ptolemais Euergetis (?)

II. NAME

i. Full name (original language) τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἐν Ἀλεξανδρείαι ἱππέων τῆς θεραπείας (I.Fayoum I 13, ll. 1-2)
ii. Full name (transliterated) to plethos ton en Alexandreiai hippeon tes therapeias

III. DATE

i. Date(s) 42 BC

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

ii. Name elements
Geographical:Alexandria
Professional:hippeis tes therapeias
Status-related:hippeis tes therapeias
iii. Descriptive terms πλῆθος, plethos

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) I.Fayoum I 13 (2 Pharmouthi = 2 April 42 BC)
Note Other editions of the texts: SB V 7787; SEG VIII 532.
Online Resources I.Fayoum I 13
TM 6276
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script Statue dedication in Greek by the group of the Royal Household cavalrymen in Alexandria.
i.c. Physical format(s) Limestone stele.
ii. Source(s) provenance The stone was acquired by the museum of Alexandria in Medinet el-Fayyum (Ptolemais Euergetis, ancient metropolis of the Arsinoite nome); no indication of the exact finding spot is given.

IX. MEMBERSHIP

ii. Gender Men
Note Given the fact that the members were part of the cavalry, they had to be men.
iii. Age Adults
Note As cavalrymen, they were adults.
iv. Status The man honoured by the plethos ton en Alexandreiai hippeon tes therapeias, Ptolemaios son of Achilles, bore the title of syngenes, was strategos and exegetes of the Arsinoite nome, and systratiotes of the cavalrymen: Πτο[λε]μαῖον Ἀχιλλέως τὸν | συγγενῆ καὶ στρατηγὸν καὶ | ἐξηγητ̣ὴ̣ν τοῦ Ἀρσινοίτου | τὸν ἑα[υτ]ῷν συστρατιώτην, Ptolemaion Achilleos ton syngene kai strategon kai exegetes tou Arsinoitou ton heauton systratioten (I.Fayoum I 13, ll. 3-5).
vi. Proper names and physical features Πτο[λε]μαῖον Ἀχιλλέως τὸν συγγενῆ καὶ στρατηγὸν καὶ ἐξηγητ̣ὴ̣ν τοῦ Ἀρσινοίτου τὸν ἑα[υτ]ῷν συστρατιώτην

XI. INTERACTION

i. Local interaction The group of cavalrymen, part of the Royal Household at Alexandria, had connections with the Arsinoite nome, where one of their companions undertook public offices and where they set up a statue for him.

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Possible
Note The simple reference to the plethos does not suffice to prove that this was a private association and not just the simple unit of the Royal Household cavalry at Alexandria, who decided to set up a statue of one of their fellow companions (pace I.Fayoum I 13, commentary on ll. 1-2). The fact that the man honoured is referred to as systratiotes (l. 6), pointing to the belonging to a common military unit rather than the common membership of an association, seems to render weaker the identification of this groups as a private association.