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Last Updated on 23 May 2019

Author: Sofia Kravaritou

CAPInv. 1217: [t]o koinon zeu[gitan

I. LOCATION

i. Geographical area Central Greece
ii. Region Thessaly. Pelasgiotis.
iii. Site Nikaia, located 8 km south of Ancient Larisa.

II. NAME

i. Full name (original language) [τ]ὸ κοινὸν ζευ̣[γιτᾶν (SEG 42: 513, l. 1)
ii. Full name (transliterated) [t]o koinon zeu[gitan

III. DATE

i. Date(s) f. iii BC

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

ii. Name elements
Professional:The tentative restorations of the name of the group zeu[gitan and the name of the divinity (Impsiou), as well as the etymological
analysis provided by Kontogiannis, were based on two facts:
a. the discovery of two more votive stelai dedicated to Poseidon Impsios in the same area (SEG 42: 511 and SEG 42: 512) and b. two later scholia (Hesychius, s.v. impsas· zeyxas. Thessaloi; idem, s.v. Impsios· Poseidon ho zygios. Likewise, Kontogiannis argued that the name of the koinon most probably refers to an association of craftsmen responsible for the yoking of animals (Kontogiannis 1992: 385-7).
Theophoric:We could also restore the name of the koinon as Zeuxanthioi, following the text of another votive stele to Poseidon Zeuxanthios (SEG 42: 515), which was also located in the same area (Kontogiannis 1992: 387-8).
iii. Descriptive terms κοινὸν, koinon
Note koinon: SEG 42: 513, l. 1

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) SEG 42: 513 (f. iii BC)

Note See also:
Giannopoulos 1930: 104, no. 2, fig. 6
Kontogiannis 1992: 385
Heinz 1998: 196, cat. no. 49, fig. 117
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script SEG 42: 513 is a fragmentary votive inscription of the koinon to a divinity: in every probability, Poseidon Impsios or Zeuxanthios. The inscription was dated by the komarchoi (archons of the kome/-ai 'villages-chiefs'? leaders of the group? ). The text is written in Thessalian dialect.
i.c. Physical format(s) Fragmentary shaft stele of white marble (Giannopoulos 1930: 104, fig. 6; Heinz 1998: 196, cat. no. 49, fig. 117).
ii. Source(s) provenance The stele was located in the area of modern Nikaia, 8 klm south of Ancient Larisa. Now in the Museum of Larisa, cat. no. 212.

VI. BUILT AND VISUAL SPACE

i. Archaeological remains The area of Nikaia has delivered two more hellenistic votive stelai to Poseidon Impsios, a third one to Poseidon Zeuxanthios and two later funerary inscriptions. Kontogiannis tentatively identified the area with the site of ancient Chalke, a kome inside the chora of Ancient Larisa (Kontogiannis 1992).

VII. ORGANIZATION

ii. Leadership The two komarchoi dating the inscription have been interpreted as archons of the nearby kome (Kontogiannis 1992: 385-6) and in that case the koinon would be an association of the population of the kome dating its acts by the local archons. However, komarchoi are also attested in Attica, as archons of smaller administrative units that the demes with mainly religious responsibilities (IG II2 3103; cf. Parker 1997: 328-9); following that second perspective, the komarchoi of the SEG 42: 513, l. 1 could feature as archons of the religious association of the koinon zeugitan, namely the inhabitants -ploughmen- of the kome itself.
iv. Officials
Eponymous officials The question whether the two komarchoi dating the inscription are religious officials of the koinon stays open.

X. ACTIVITIES

iii. Worship The koinon dedicates a stele to the God.
Deities worshipped Most probably, Poseidon Impsios or Zeuxanthios.

XII. NOTES

iii. Bibliography Giannopoulos, N.I. (1930), ‘Θεσσαλικαί επιγραφαί’, AEph: 104, no. 2, fig. 6.
Heinz, M. (1997), Thessalische Votivstelen. Bochum.
Kontogiannis, A. (1992), ‘Ίμψιος· Ποσειδών ο Ζύγιος’, in E. Kypraiou (ed.), Πρακτικά Διεθνούς Συνεδρίου για την αρχαία Θεσσαλία στη μνήμη του Δ.Ρ. Θεοχάρη, Athens: 381-91.
Parker, R. (1997), Athenian Religion. A History. Oxford.

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Probable
Note The use of the term koinon and the tentative restorations of the theophoric zeuxanthioi or the professional zeugitai suggest that we are dealing in every probability with a private association of low intensity.
ii. Historical authenticity The presence of the inscription renders the historical authenticity of the group certain.