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Last Updated on 03 Jul 2019

Author: Annelies Cazemier

CAPInv. 145: hoi thiasotai

I. LOCATION

i. Geographical area Aegean Islands
ii. Region Lesbos
iii. Site Mytilene

II. NAME

i. Full name (original language) οἱ θιασώται (Charitonidis, Ἐπιγραφαί: no. 22, l. 2)
ii. Full name (transliterated) hoi thiasotai

III. DATE

i. Date(s) iii - ii BC

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

ii. Name elements
Cultic:thiasotai

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) Charitonidis, Ἐπιγραφαί: no. 22 (iii-ii BC: Hodot 1990: 279, MYT 109)
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script Dedication to the thiasotai. Greek.
i.c. Physical format(s) Rectangular or square inscribed base with socket on top (photo of front face in Charitonidis, Ἐπιγραφαί: Pl. 8a).
ii. Source(s) provenance Found when digging the foundations of the house of Vostani, at the start (on the right hand side) of the road Agias Irinis, in the southern part of the city.

VI. BUILT AND VISUAL SPACE

ii. References to buildings/objects ἕρμαιον, hermaion (Charitonidis, Ἐπιγραφαί: no. 22, l. 2) -- The rectangular cutting on top of the inscribed base suggests that a herm would have been placed on top (making the alternative interpretation of a dedication of a Hermaion or sanctuary of Hermes unlikely).

VII. ORGANIZATION

iii. Members θιασώται, thiasotai ? (Charitonidis, Ἐπιγραφαί: no. 22, l. 2) -- The term thiasotai may indicate members of a private association but could also refer to a wider group of worshippers.

IX. MEMBERSHIP

ii. Gender Men
Note The dedicants, if themselves part of the thiasotai, are male. See below: 'Comments'.

XII. NOTES

i. Comments Note the alternative reading in Ἐπιγραφαί: no. 22, l. 1 (names of dedicants) proposed by Hodot 1976: 68 (cf. SEG 26.929).

Charitonidis (Ἐπιγραφαί: p. 23, no. 22) suggests there may be a relation between the thiasotai and the Hermaistai attested in IG XII.2 22 (CAPInv. 144). Note, however, that the dedication of a hermaion to the thiasotai need not mean that they worshipped Hermes.
iii. Bibliography Charitonidis, S. (1968), ‘Αι Επιγραφαί της Λέσβου,’ Συμπλήρωμα, Athens.
Hodot, R. (1976), ‘Notes critiques sur le corpus epigraphique de Lesbos’, Etudes d'Archeologie
Classique 5: 17-81.
Hodot, R. (1990), Le dialecte eolien d'Asie: la langue des inscriptions (VIIe s. a.C. - IVe s. p.C.). Paris.

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Possible
Note It is possible that the thiasotai constituted a private association (thiasotai being members of a thiasos), but alternatively the term thiasotai may indicate a wider group of worshippers.