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Last Updated on 03 Mar 2017

Author: Maria-Gabriella Parissaki

CAPInv. 710: Sparganiotai

I. LOCATION

i. Geographical area Thrace
ii. Region Propontic Thrace
iii. Site Perinthos

II. NAME

i. Full name (original language) Σπαργανιῶται (I.Perinthos 146, l. 5)
ii. Full name (transliterated) Sparganiotai

III. DATE

i. Date(s) i - ii AD

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

ii. Name elements
Other:Σπαργανιῶται, Sparganiotai (=children in swaddling-clothes, see LSJ, s.v. σπαργανάω).

The word σπαργανιώτης, sparganiotes, occurs only once (H.Herm. 301), though it obviously derives from σπάργανα, spargana (swaddling-clothes) and the unattested verb σπάργω, spargo. According to Dict.Étym. s.v. σπάργω: 'un rapprochement avec la famille de σπεῖρα, σπάρτον etc. semble s’imposer'.
iii. Descriptive terms σπεῖρα, speira
Note speira: I.Perinthos 146, l. 4. The text goes: δώσει μου σπείρῃ, οἷς τοὔνομα Σπαργανιώταις, dosei mou speirei, hois tounoma Sparganiotais (ll. 4-5).

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) I.Perinthos 146 (i - ii AD)
Note See also: SEG 48: 934
Online Resources I.Perinthos 146 and AGRW ID 14178
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script Funerary inscription in Greek setting a fine in case of tomb violation.
i.c. Physical format(s) Stele, upper part broken (0.79 x 0.36)
ii. Source(s) provenance Perinthos, though exact date and place of finding unknown.

VII. ORGANIZATION

iii. Members Referred to as Σπαργανιῶται, Sparganiotai (l. 5).

VIII. PROPERTY AND POSSESSIONS

iii. Income The association is named as the recipient of a fine in case of tomb violation.

XII. NOTES

i. Comments The term σπαργανιώτης, sparganiotes, may be interpreted as pointing to the devotees' hope of rebirth.
There are three additional inscriptions from Perinthos that contain a reference to a σπεῖρα, speira, or to a σπείραρχος, speirarchos: I.Perinthos 57, I.Perinthos 280 (see CAPInv. 720 for both of them) and 313 (CAPInv. 718); due to inadequate information regarding their finding place, only the first two can be tentatively associated.

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Certain
Note The term σπεῖρα, speira, points to an association devoted to the cult of Dionysos.