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Last Updated on 21 May 2019

Author: Nikolaos Giannakopoulos

CAPInv. 185: hoi <s>y<n>a<g>omenoi [eis] ton metroi<ak>on th<ia>son

I. LOCATION

i. Geographical area Western Asia Minor
ii. Region Bithynia
iii. Site Kios

II. NAME

i. Full name (original language) οἱ <σ>υ<ν>α̣<γ>όμενοι [εἰς] τὸν μητρῳ̣<ακ>ὸν θ̣<ία>σον̣ (I.Kios 20, ll. 1-2)
ii. Full name (transliterated) hoi <s>y<n>a<g>omenoi [eis] ton metroi<ak>on th<ia>son

III. DATE

i. Date(s) m. i BC - iii AD

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

ii. Name elements
Theophoric:metroiakos (l. 2) refers to Meter/Kybele. See Ziebarth 1896: 49; Schwertheim 1978: 799.
Other:synagomenoi
iii. Descriptive terms θίασος, thiasos
Note thiasos: I.Kios 20, ll. 2, 6
In addition to the full name appearing in the nominative case, the association is also referred to as simply θίασος (thiasos) in I.Kios 20, l. 6. Cf. Poland 1909: 23 and 25.

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) I.Kios 20 (m. i-iii AD)
Note See also:
CIG 3727
Online Resources I.Kios 20
AGRW ID# 13275
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script Honorary inscription in Greek set up by the association for Markos Kaikilios Tyraki[os?].
i.c. Physical format(s) Perhaps a basis, according to Ziebarth (1896: 49).
ii. Source(s) provenance The inscription was found in Gemlik (Kios) but is now lost.

VI. BUILT AND VISUAL SPACE

ii. References to buildings/objects <ἐλ>α<ίᾳ>, <el>a<iai>, olive-crown (l. 3)

X. ACTIVITIES

ii. Meetings and events The name of the association as presented in the honorary inscription for Markos Kaikilios Tyraki[os?] suggests that meetings and cultic ceremonies for Meter/Kybele were at the core of this thiasos’ activities. Cf. Schwertheim 1978: 799.
iv. Honours/Other activities The association honours a certain Markos Kaikilios Tyraki[os?] with an olive crown. The honorand seems to have provided various services and benefactions to the association, as the formula εὐχάριστον γενόμενον [κα]τὰ πάντα τῷ θιάσῳ (euchariston genomenon [ka]ta panta toi thiasoi, ll. 5-6) demonstrates. Nothing further on this person is known. Cf. Fernoux 2004: 313.

XII. NOTES

i. Comments The fact that the honouring party is self-defined as ‘those gathering in the metroakos thiasos’ points towards the existence of a common building or meeting-hall owned by the association.
The term hoi synagomenoi eis ton metroiakon thiason may not have been the official name of the association. Θίασος Μητρός (Thiasos Metros) or μητρῳακὸς θίασος (metroiakos thiasos) were perhaps the official terms used. If that was the case, the choice of the term hoi synagomenoi eis ton metroakon thiason to denote the honouring party in this inscription may have had to do with the fact that persons who were not full members but were somehow entitled to use the thiasos’ infrastructure (offering sacrifices?) cooperated with the association in awarding of honours. Of course this is no more than a working hypothesis.

The cost of the honours awarded to Markos Kaikilios Tyraki[os?] may have been covered either from ad hoc contributions of the members or from money drawn from a common treasury.
ii. Poland concordance Poland B 415 (I.Kios 20)
iii. Bibliography Fernoux, H.-L. (2004), Notables et elites des cités de Bithynie aux époques hellénistique et romaine (IIIe siècle av. J.-C. – IIIe siècle ap. J.-C.). Essai d’histoire sociale. Lyon.
Foucart, P. (1873), Des associations religieuses chez les Grecs. Thiases, éranes, orgéons. Paris.
Poland, F. (1909), Geschichte des griechischen Vereinswesens. Leipzig.
Schwertheim, E. (1978), ‘Denkmäler zur Meterverehrung in Bithynien und Mysien’, in S. Şahin, E. Schwertheim and J. Wagner (eds.), Studien zur Religion und Kultur Kleinasiens. Fetsschrift für Friedrich Karl Dörner zum 65. Geburtstag am 28. Februar 1976. 2 vols. Leiden: 791-837.
Ziebarth, E. (1896), Das griechische Vereinswesen. Leipzig.

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Certain
Note The name of the honouring body in ll. 1-2 and the use of the term thiasos demonstrate that it was a private association.