Stable URL: http://ancientassociations.ku.dk/assoc/1467Download as PDF
Last Updated on 20 May 2019

Author: Benedikt Eckhardt

CAPInv. 1467: astiopolai

I. LOCATION

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

II. NAME

i. Full name (original language) ἀστιοπολαί (I.Eph(esos) 454c, l. 4)
ii. Full name (transliterated) astiopolai

III. DATE

i. Date(s) 150 (?) - 250 (?) AD

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

ii. Name elements
Professional:astiopolai. It is possible that ἀστιοπόλων, astiopolon, is a misspelling for ἀστιοπώλων, astiopolon; cf. Ruffing 2008: 446-7 (who speculates that the group belongs to the textile sector, like the eriopolai (l. 3) mentioned in the same inscription).

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) I.Eph(esos) 454c (150 (?) - 250 (?) AD)
Note See also:
Dittmann-Schöne II.1.5
Online Resources I.Eph(esos) 454c
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script Seat inscription, greek
i.c. Physical format(s) Inscribed pillar
ii. Source(s) provenance Gymnasium of Vedius

XII. NOTES

i. Comments There were several associations with reserved seats in the latrines of the gymnasium of Vedius. The astiopolai seem to have been one of them, although the term remains unclear. Another option is to take astiopolai as an attribute to eriopolai (Dittmann-Schöne 2010: 131; Royer 2005: 154; cf. CAPInv. 1466). But the sense would still be doubtful, and given that the stone shows yet another (albeit erased) name of an association (linoplokoi, ll. 1-2), there is no objection to regarding the astiopolai as an additional group. For its probable background in textile production, see Ruffing 2008: 446-7.
iii. Bibliography Dittmann-Schöne, I. (2010), Die Berufsvereine in den Städten des kaiserzeitlichen Kleinasiens. 2nd. ed. Regensburg.
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.
Ruffing, K. (2008), Die berufliche Spezialisierung in Handel und Handwerk. 2 vols. Rahden, Westf.

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Probable
Note Professional associations in the 2nd/3rd century were often very close to the official civic institutions, but they probably remained essentially private associations.
ii. Historical authenticity Certain