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Last Updated on 21 May 2019

Author: Nikolaos Giannakopoulos

CAPInv. 641: bennos

I. LOCATION

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

II. NAME

i. Full name (original language) βέννος
ii. Full name (transliterated) bennos

III. DATE

i. Date(s) i BC - iii AD

IV. NAME AND TERMINOLOGY

iii. Descriptive terms βέννος, bennos
Note bennos: SEG 36: 1150 ll. 1-2
Bennos is a term denoting a religious association devoted to the cult of the fertility God Zeus Bennios (see Şahin 1978; Drew-Bear and Naour 1991: 1956-1961 and 1987-1991; Schwabl 1999; Adak, Akyürek Şahin and Güneş 2008: 81-82).

V. SOURCES

i. Source(s) SEG 36: 1150 (i - iii AD)
Note The inscription was first mentioned by Şahin 1986: 135 note 37.
Online Resources AGRW ID# 13282
SEG 36: 1150
i.a. Source type(s) Epigraphic source(s)
i.b. Document(s) typology & language/script Dedication in Greek of an altar by Apollonios to Zeus Bennios.
i.c. Physical format(s) Altar
ii. Source(s) provenance The inscription was found at Gerede (Krateia).

VI. BUILT AND VISUAL SPACE

ii. References to buildings/objects βωμός, bomos, l. 2
An altar was dedicated by Apollonios as an expression of gratitude and honour towards the bennos.

VIII. PROPERTY AND POSSESSIONS

ii. Realty The altar dedicated by Apollonios as an expression of gratitude and honour towards the bennos was apparently in the association’s possession.

X. ACTIVITIES

iii. Worship The dedication of an altar (βωμός, bomos, l. 2) to Zeus Bennios as an expression of gratitude and honour towards the bennos demonstrate that the association was involved in sacrifices.
Deities worshipped Zeus Bennios

XI. INTERACTION

i. Local interaction The association is explicitly stated to have provided certain unspecified benefactions to the dedicator of the altar Apollonios. Since the dedication was addressed to Zeus Bennios epekoos, it could be argued that the association was held to have secured divine assistance for the dedicator’s (rural?) affairs. In fact Apollonios may have been a member of the bennos.

XII. NOTES

i. Comments The official name of the individual association which Apollonios thanked, may have been simply bennos, but, since his dedication is not a document issued by the association itself, this is not certain.
iii. Bibliography Adak, M., Akyürek Şahin, N.E., and Güneş, M.Y. (2008), ‘Neue Inschriften im Museum von Bolu (Bithynion/Klaudiupolis)’, Gephyra 5: 73-120.
Drew-Bear, T. and Naour, C. (1990), 'Divinités de Phrygie', ANRW II.18.3: 1907-2044.
Şahin, S. (1978), ‘Zeus Bennios’ in S. Şahin, E. Schwertheim and J. Wagner (eds.), Studien zur Religion und Kultur Kleinasiens. Festschrift für Friedrich Karl Dörner zum 65. Geburtstag am 28. Februar 1976. 2 vols, Leiden: 771-90.
Şahin, S. (1986), ‘Studien über die Probleme der historischen Geographie des nordwestlichen Kleinasiens I: Strabon XII 3,7 p. 543. Der Fluß Gallos, die Stadt Modr<en>e in Phrygia Epiktetos und die Schiffbarkeit des Sangarios’, EA 7: 125-52.
Schwabl, H. (1999), ‘Zum Kult des Zeus in Kleinasien (II). Der phrygische Zeus Bennios und Verwandtes’, AAntHung 39: 345-54.

XIII. EVALUATION

i. Private association Certain
Note The term bennos in this inscription denotes a private association considered to have awarded benefactions to an individual.