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Last Updated on 22 May 2019

Author: Sofia Kravaritou

CAPInv. 822: koinon ton boukolon

I. LOCATION

i. Geographical area Central Greece
ii. Region Thessaly. Pelasgiotis
iii. Site City of Atrax

II. NAME

i. Full name (original language) κοινὸν τῶν βουκόλων (SEG 35: 496, l. 1)
ii. Full name (transliterated) koinon ton boukolon

III. DATE

i. Date(s) 300 - 250 BC

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

ii. Name elements
Cultic:The term Boukoloi could indicate members of Dionysiac communities (Schol. Lycoph. 212).
Professional:The term Boukoloi can also indicate a group of professionals (herdsmen).
iii. Descriptive terms κοινόν, koinon
Note koinon: SEG 35: 496, l. 1

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) SEG 35: 496 (300-250 BC)
Note See also:
BE 1988: no. 709
Online Resources SEG 35: 496
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script SEG 35: 496 is a votive inscription to the gods on behalf of the koinon ton boukolon, in honor of Eukleides, son of Sosos.
i.c. Physical format(s) SEG 35: 496: White marble stele in the form of a naiskos; the pediment is decorated with a relief shield (Heinz 1998: 329, no. cat. 281, fig. 163).
ii. Source(s) provenance SEG 35: 496: city of Atrax (now in Trikala, Inv. no. 28)

VI. BUILT AND VISUAL SPACE

i. Archaeological remains The site of Ancient Atrax has delivered public architecture (acropolis, remains of sanctuaries and a theatre, fortification walls), as well as a rich record of public and private inscriptions, including decrees, votives, inscribed tombstones, etc (Decourt, Nielsen, Helly et al. 2004: 692).

VII. ORGANIZATION

iii. Members SEG 35: 496 lists probably the name of one of the members (Eukleides, son of Sosos).

IX. MEMBERSHIP

i. Number SEG 35: 496 lists (ll. 1-2) most probably the name of one of the members (Eukleides, son of Sosos).
ii. Gender Men
Note SEG 35: 496, ll. 1-2: The honored, Eukleides, son of Sosos, is in every probability one of the members.

X. ACTIVITIES

iii. Worship SEG 35: 496 is a votive inscription of the koinon to the gods (theois), in honour of one of its members (Eukleides, son of Sosos).
Deities worshipped Theois (gods)

XII. NOTES

iii. Bibliography Decourt, J.-C., Nielsen, Th. H., Helly, Br. et al. (2004), ‘Thessalia and adjacent regions’, in M.H. Hansen and Th.H. Nielsen (eds.), An Inventory of Archaic and Classical Poleis, Oxford: 676-731.
Heinz, M. (1998), Thessalische Votivstelen. Bochum.
Jaccottet, A.-F. (2003), Choisir Dionysos. Les associations dionysiaques ou la face cachée du dionysisme. 2 vols. Zürich.
Kontogiannis, N. (1992), ‘Ίμψιος. Ποσειδών ο Ζύγιος’, in E. Kypraiou (ed.), Διεθνές Συνέδριο για την Αρχαία Θεσσαλία στη μνήμη του Δημήτρη Θεοχάρη, Athens: 381-91.
Mili, M. (2015), Religion and Society in Ancient Thessaly. Oxford.
Tziafalias A. (1984a), ‘Ανέκδοτες Θεσσαλικές επιγραφές’, Thessaliko Hemerologio 7: 193-237.
Tziafalias A. (1984b), ‘Ανέκδοτες επιγραφές από τη Θεσσαλική πόλη Άτραγα’, Thessaliko Hemerologio 8: 177-208.

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Certain
Note The presence of the koinon of boukoloi in Atrax conforms to a private association of religious or professional character. It has been argued (Jaccottet 2003: 108-12) that the boukoloi of Atrax should be associated with the homonymous dionysiac associations known from later periods mainly from Pergamon; they used to perform dances and sing hymns in honour of Dionysus. The first editor (Tziafalias 1984a: 198) has claimed that we are dealing with a professional association of herdsmen and that the dedication made to the theoi is not related to Dionysus (cf. Kontogiannis 1992: 385 and n. 22). Recently, Mili 2015: 118 argues that the boukoloi of Atrax 'must have been a group of male dancers in honour of Dionysus' and the dedication made to the theoi does not necessarily exclude Dionysus; in that perspective, she also draws attention to the presence of a later votive phallus dedicated to Dionysus that was found in the city, possibly in the same area (Tziafalias 1984b: 195, no. 54).
ii. Historical authenticity The presence of SEG 35: 496 argues for the historical authenticity of this association.