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Last Updated on 04 Jul 2019

Author: Annelies Cazemier

CAPInv. 895: U-AEI-011

I. LOCATION

i. Geographical area Aegean Islands
ii. Region Delos
iii. Site Delos

II. NAME

i. Association with unknown name U-AEI-011

III. DATE

i. Date(s) ii BC

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

iii. Descriptive terms σύνοδος, synodos
κοινὸν, koinon ?
Note The term σύνοδος, synodos occurs twice in the text (I.Delos 1521, l. 17; 32). While the text also includes two references to τῶι κοινῶι, toi koinoi (I.Delos 1521, l. 21; 26), it is not so clear whether the word is used to refer to the (same) association. In line 21, it concerns the crowning of honorands and seems to mean 'in public', rather than constituting a reference to the association. In line 26, the words toi koinoi have been understood to mean that a copy of the honorary decree had to be sent to another koinon elsewhere (Fougeres 1889: 241-2; cf. Ziebarth 1896: 43; Poland 1909: 561, no. B 187; Roussel and Launey in I.Delos 1521.). The relevant lines of the inscription (ll. 24-6) are only partly preserved and the suggested
interpretation is uncertain.

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) I.Délos 1521 (ii BC)
Note old eds.:
Fougères 1889: 239-42, no. 11
Roussel 1915-16: 204-5, no. 216; cf. p. 296
see also:
Trümper 2011: 78, no. 16
Online Resources I.Délos 1521
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script Honorary decree. Greek
i.c. Physical format(s) Seven fragments forming the lower part of a marble stele.
ii. Source(s) provenance The exact provenance of the stele is not clear, but it seems to originate from the temenos of Apollo or surroundings (Roussel 1915-16: 204).

VI. BUILT AND VISUAL SPACE

ii. References to buildings/objects χρυσὸς στέφανος, chrysos stephanos (I.Délos 1521, l. 14)
[στεφά]νοι, [stepha]noi (I.Délos 1521, l. 34)
εἰκών χαλκῆ, eikon chalke (I.Délos 1521, l. 15)
εἰκόνες, eikones (I.Délos 1521, l. 34)
κλισία, klisia (I.Délos 1521, l. 18)
ἱερόν, hieron (I.Délos 1521, l. 31)

VII. ORGANIZATION

iv. Officials While Fougères (1889: 240; followed by Ziebarth 1896: 43) thought the decree mentioned hieropoioi, the reading of the text was subsequently corrected to hieropoik[on] (I.Délos 1521, l. 23, following Roussel 1915-16: 205 with 296). See below: 'Treasury/funds'.
viii. Obligations The two honorands were admitted to the association without the required introduction or admission fee (ll. 17-18: εἰσόδιον, eisodion) and they were exempt from any payment or liturgy (l. 19: λειτουργία, leitourgia), which suggests that members usually were obliged to make payments / contributions. Cf. Roussel 1987: 92.

VIII. PROPERTY AND POSSESSIONS

i. Treasury/Funds The association had common funds (I.Délos 1521, l. 23-4: κοινὸν ἀργύριον, koinon argyrion; l. 35: κοινὰ χρήματα, koina chremata), from which the cost of honorary crowns and statues was covered (ll. 33-5) and from which a sum of 50 drachmai was set aside for the day celebrated each year in honour of two honorands (ll. 21-4). The latter sum seems to have been referred to as ἱεροποικ[ὸν], hieropoik[on] (I.Délos 1521, l. 23, restored; following Roussel 1915-16: 205 with 296; cf. BE 1958.137).
ii. Realty ἱερόν, hieron (I.Délos 1521, l. 31) -- It is not clear if this sanctuary was the property of the association. Cf. Ziebarth 1896: 43; Roussel 1915-16: 205.

IX. MEMBERSHIP

iv. Status The decree contains a reference to the month Mecheir (I.Délos 1521, ll. 22-23), which indicates that the synodos had a connection to Egypt. It probably was an association of Egyptian settlers on Delos (Fougères 1889: 241-2; Roussel 1915-16: 204-5; 1987: 92). Their foreign origin seems confirmed by the reference to the good example set to 'others abroad' (ll. 7-8: τοῖς ἄλλοις τοῖς ἐπ’ ἀλλοδημίας) by one of the honorands. If the reconstruction of the text in lines 24-6 is correct, a copy of the honorary decree had to be sent 'to the fatherland' (ll. 25-6: [εἰς τὴν πατρί]δα; following Holleaux 1899: 10-11, no. 10).
v. Relations Roussel and Launey (in I.Délos 1521) suggest that the two honorands were father and son.

X. ACTIVITIES

ii. Meetings and events The association must have held regular drinks parties or banquets (πόσεις, poseis), since the honorary decree states that at any such celebration (ll. 19-20: καθ’ ἑκάστην πόσιν, kath' ekasten posin), both honorands were to be crowned. Furthermore, a day in honour of the two honorands was celebrated each year in the month Μεχεὶρ, Mecheir. See below: 'Honours/other activities'.
iv. Honours/Other activities I.Délos 1521 contains a decree (ll. 12ff.) outlining the honours awarded to two people. Their identity is unknown; Roussel and Launey (in I.Délos 1521) suggest that they were father and son. Both are crowned / honoured with a golden crown (l. 14: chrysos stephanos) and a bronze statue (l. 15: eikon chalke) which is to be set up at a place of their choosing. They are to be admitted (l. 16: προσλάβεσθαί, proslabesthai) to the association (synodos) without the required introduction or admission fee (ll. 17-18: εἰσόδιον, eisodion), receiving an honorary seat (l. 18: klisia), and being exempt from any payment or liturgy (l. 19: λειτουργία, leitourgia); at each drinks gathering or banquet (l. 20: πόσις, posis) both men are to be crowned along with a proclamation (l. 21: ἀναγόρευσις, anagoreusis); a day is also to be held in their honour each year in the month Mecheir, for which a sum of 50 drachmai is allocated from the common funds (ll. 23-4: κ[οι]νοῦ ἀργυρίου, K[oi]non argyriou). The cost of the crowns and statues is also to be covered by the common funds (l. 35: κοινῶν χρημάτων, koinon chrematon).

XI. INTERACTION

ii. Interaction abroad If the reconstruction of the text in lines 24-6 is correct, a copy of the honorary decree had to be sent 'to the fatherland' (ll. 25-6: [εἰς τὴν πατρί]δα, [eis ten patri]da; following Holleaux 1899: 10-11, no. 10). If the words τῶι κοινῶι in line 26 are to be interpreted as a reference to a koinon, it may mean that a copy of the decree had to be sent to another association. The relevant lines of the inscription (ll. 24-6) are only partly preserved, and the restoration and interpretation are therefore uncertain. See above: 'Descriptive terms'.

XII. NOTES

ii. Poland concordance Poland B 187
iii. Bibliography Fougères, G. (1889), ‘Fouilles de Délos’, BCH 13: 229-52.
Holleaux, M. (1899), 'Curae epigraphicae', REA 1: 1-18.
Poland, F. (1909), Geschichte des griechischen Vereinswesens. Leipzig.
Roussel, P. (1915-16), Les cultes égyptiens à Délos du IIIe au Ier siècle av. J.-C. Paris.
Roussel, P. (1987), Délos: colonie athénienne. rev. ed. Paris.
Trümper, M. (2011), ‘Where the non-Delians met in Delos: the meeting-places of foreign associations and ethnic communities in late Hellenistic Delos’, in O.M. van Nijf and R. Alston (eds.) Political culture in the Greek city after the classical age, Leuven: 49-100.
Ziebarth, E. (1896), Das griechische Vereinswesen. Leipzig.

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Certain
Note The descriptive term and the wellknown character and activity of this association guarantees its private status.