Stable URL: http://ancientassociations.ku.dk/assoc/1142Download as PDF
Last Updated on 01 Jul 2019

Author: Benedikt Eckhardt

CAPInv. 1142: U-WAM-017

I. LOCATION

i. Geographical area Western Asia Minor
ii. Region Ionia
iii. Site Smyrna

II. NAME

i. Association with unknown name U-WAM-017

III. DATE

i. Date(s) 1 (?) - 200 (?) AD

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) I.Smyrna 712 (1 (?) - 200 (?) AD)
Online Resources I.Smyrna 712
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script Civic decree. Greek.
i.c. Physical format(s) Broken marble plate
ii. Source(s) provenance Smyrna

XII. NOTES

i. Comments The inscription records a decree of the council and the people of Smyrna concerning a conflict among the local ferrymen (who probably transported people across the gulf of Smyrna: Royer 2005: 70). Apparently, a group of ferrymen offered their services for a lower price than usual (2 asses instead of 2 obols), and violently hindered others from transporting people. As the license for such transports was contracted out by the city, the aggressive ferrymen may have hoped to gain a monopoly and thus lower the price to be paid for the license (van Nijf 1997: 15).

iii. Bibliography Royer, A. (2005), Associations professionnelles et groupes de gens de métier dans les cités grecques d'Asie Mineure à l'époque impériale (Ier - Ve siècles ap. J.-C.). Lyon.
Van Nijf, O.M. (1997), The Civic World of Professional Associations in the Roman East. Amsterdam.

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Possible
Note If one of the parties involved was organized as an association, this would be important evidence for the capacity of ancient associations to pursue economic interests, and even to act in a way similar to medieval guilds (van Nijf 1997: 14-5). However, the fragmentary text does not give any information about permanent group structures.
ii. Historical authenticity Certain