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Last Updated on 28 Feb 2017

Author: Sophia Zoumbaki

CAPInv. 553: hoi thyaktai

I. LOCATION

i. Geographical area Peloponnese with Adjacent Islands
ii. Region Argolis
iii. Site Troizen

II. NAME

i. Full name (original language) οἱ θυάκται (IG IV 757, B1, l. 8)
ii. Full name (transliterated) hoi thyaktai

III. DATE

i. Date(s) 146 BC

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

ii. Name elements
Cultic:thyaktai: a sacrificing priest (see LSJ, s.v.).
iii. Descriptive terms κοινόν, koinon (?)
Note koinon (l. 9)
The fragmentary state of the text does not allow us to interpret with certainty the expression [- - -]όντου̣ ὄ̣ν̣[τ]α αὐτοῖς ἐν τῶι κοινῶι ([- - -]ontou on[t]a autois en toi koinoi, Face B.1, l. 9) as a reference to common belongings of the group which is defined as a koinon.

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) IG IV 757 (146 BC)
Online Resources IG IV 757
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script A decree of the polis of Troizen followed by a list of various groups who contribute for the
construction of a diateichisma.
i.c. Physical format(s) A plaque of white stone written on two sides, A and B. The stone is very damaged and the text is extremely lacunose.
ii. Source(s) provenance Found in a private field at the village Damala (ancient Troizen).

VI. BUILT AND VISUAL SPACE

ii. References to buildings/objects The contributions mentioned in the inscription aim at the construction of a diateichisma. Remains of the diateichisma are preserved.

VII. ORGANIZATION

iii. Members

VIII. PROPERTY AND POSSESSIONS

ii. Realty [- - -]όντου̣ ὄ̣ν̣[τ]α αὐτοῖς ἐν τῶι κοινῶι ([- - -]ontou on[t]a autois en toi koinoi, Face B.1, l. 9)
This is a reference to some common belonging which was offered to the state for the construction of the diateichisma. If one is allowed to judge from the remaining contributions made by other entities to the town, we deal with some landed property.

IX. MEMBERSHIP

ii. Gender Men
Note All listed names of the thyaktai are male.Σωκράτης
Εὐρυτίδας
Καλλίας
Νικολ[α]ΐδ̣ας
Ἀσκλαπιόδωρ[ος] (he is propably to be identified with Ἀσκλαπιόδωρος Ἀσκλαπιά̣δα, l. 10, who undertook the official notification of the contribution of the group to the state)
Ε̣․λ[---]

X. ACTIVITIES

iv. Honours/Other activities The decision was taken by the thyaktai (the verb ἔδοξε, edoxe, is restored in Face B.1, l. 8 in analogy to ll. 10, 12, 19 etc.) to offer some common property to the town.

XI. INTERACTION

i. Local interaction The thyaktai contribute to the construction of a diateichisma for the protection of the town.

XII. NOTES

i. Comments The thyaktai were sacrificing priests.
For a commentary of the text and the other groups involved in the contribution, see CAPInv. 552, CAPInv. 555, and CAPInv. 556.
ii. Poland concordance Poland B 9
iii. Bibliography Frost, F.J. (1980), ‘Skyllaieis, a district of Troizenia’, AJA 84: 186-8.
Hennig, D. (1995), ‘Staatliche Ansprüche an privaten Immobilienbesitz in der klassischen und hellenistischen Polis‘, Chiron 25: 235-82, esp. 261.
Jones, N.F. (1987), Public Organization in Ancient Greece: A Documentary Study. Philadelphia: 111.
Maier, F.G. (1959), Griechische Mauerbauinschriften I. Heidelberg: 140-145 no. 32.
Meyer, E. (1939), ‘Troizen’, RE VII.A.1: 617-54, esp. 647.
Migeotte, L. (1992), Les souscriptions publiques dans les cités grecques. Genève, Québec: 49-54 no. 21.
Mylonas, K.D. (1886), ‘Επιγραφή εκ της Τροιζήνος’, BCH 10: 136-47.
Sokolicek, A. (2003), ‘Zum Phänomen des Diateichisma im griechischen Städtebau’, Forum Archaeologiae, Zeitschrift für klassische Archaeologie 27. Retrieved from http://homepage.univie.ac.at/elisabeth.trinkl/forum/forum0603/27mauern.htm (2015-08-25).

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Possible
Note The fragmentary state of the text does not allow us to interpret with certainty the expression [- - -]όντου̣ ὄ̣ν̣[τ]α αὐτοῖς ἐν τῶι κοινῶι ([- - -]ontou on[t]a autois en toi koinoi, Face B.1, l. 9) as a reference to the thyaktai, who are listed by name, as a koinon.
As no further indication exists about the nature of this religious group, it is difficult to decide, whether it was a private cultic association or the functionaries of a public sanctuary.
In any case Meyer 1939: 647 regards the religious groups which are listed in the inscription as "Kultvereine" and Jones 1987: 111 doubts the public function of the most – if not of all – of the listed bodies.