Dedication by a Synod of Royalists (143 BCE)

Setis Island (Upper Egypt, Egypt — Pleiades map), 143-142 BCE
GRA III 246 = SB V 8394 = OGIS I 130 = SEG 31:1545 = PHI 219025 = AGRW ID# 31472
Copenhagen Inventory info: 51

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Slab of black granite (117.1 x 59.4 cm) featuring a low relief of a mixing bowl and a single thyrsus on either side. Found in a small shrine and now located in Frankfurt at the Liebieghaus (1628). This dedication by a group with thirty members devoted to the Ptolemaic / Egyptian kings (hence "royalists") is offered to various local Egyptian gods. Greek alternative names for each named local deity are provided.

For the well-being of king Ptolemaios and queen Kleopatra his sister, the Benefactor gods, and their children. Herodēs son of Demophon of Berenike subdivision (deme), the chief bodyguard and commander (stratēgos), and the Royalists (basilistai) who meet in Setis, the island of Dionysos, whose names are appended below, dedicated to Chnoubis who is also called Ammon, to Satis who is also called Hera, to Anoukis who is also called Hestia, to Petempamentes who is also called Dionysos, to Petensetis who is also called Kronos, and to Petensenis also called Hermes, all of whom are the great gods, and to other divinities of the Cataract, this inscribed slab (stele) and the money contributed for the sacrifices and libations that will be made at the assembly on the first nine days of each month and the other eponymous days in each month. This was done in the year that Papios son of Ammonios was president and Dionysios son of Apollonios was priest of the synod (synodos).

Herodes son of Demophon, Hermias son of Ammonios, Papias son of Ammonios, Dionysios son of Apollonios, Philammon son of Philammon, Ammonios son of Apollonios, Petearoeris son of Phanouphis, Dorion son of Apollonios, Psenchnoubis son of Pelaias, Paniskos son of Kephalon, Psenpoeris son of Petesis, Protarchos son of Protarchos, Protion son of Herakleides, Sarapion son of Apollonios, Dionysios son of Kephalon, Pachnoubis son of Toteēs, Pelaias son of Pelaias, Sarapion son of Ammonios, Ammonios son of Apollonios, Asklepiades son of Ptolemaios, Xeiniades son of Itagos, Dionysios son of Ammonios, Harmodios son of Basileides, Nesiotes son of Name. . ., Dionysios son of Ammonios, Asklepiades son of Dionysios, Dionysios son of Sokrates, Eumenes son of Dionysios, Apollonios son of Itagos, Pelaias son of Zmenichnoubis.

Translation by: Rebecca Runesson and Patrick Stange (with modifications)

ὑπὲρ βασιλέως Πτολεμαίου καὶ βασιλίσσης | Κλεοπάτρας τῆς ἀδελφῆς, θεῶν Εὐεργετῶν, | καὶ τῶν τέκνων Ἡρώιδης Δημοφῶντος | Βερενικεὺς, ὁ ἀρχισωματοφύλαξ καὶ στρατηγός, || καὶ οἱ συνάγοντες ἐν Σήτει τῆι τοῦ Διονύσου | νήσωι βασιλισταὶ ὧν τὰ ὀνόματα ὑπόκειται, | Χνούβει τῶι καὶ Ἄμμωνι, Σάτει τῆι καὶ Ἥραι, | Ἀνούκει τῆι καὶ Ἑστίαι, Πετεμπαμέντει τῶι καὶ | Διονύσωι, Πετενσήτει τῶι καὶ Κρόνωι, Πετενσήνε[ι] || τῶι καὶ Ἑρμεῖ, θεοῖς μεγάλοις, καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις τοῖς | ἐπὶ τοῦ Καταράκτου δαίμοσιν τὴν στήλην κα<ὶ τ>ὰ | πρὸς τὰς θυσίας καὶ σπονδὰς τὰς ἐσομένας | ἐν τῆι συνόδωι κατὰ τὰς πρώτας ἐνάτας τοῦ | μηνὸς ἑκάστου καὶ τὰς ἄλλας ἐπωνύμους ἡμέρας || δι’ ἑκάστου εἰσενηνεγμένα χρήματα, ἐπὶ | Παπίου τοῦ Ἀμμωνίου προστάτου καὶ | Διονυσίου τοῦ Ἀπολλωνίου ἱερέως τῆς συνόδου· | Ἡρώιδης Δημοφῶντος, | Ἑρμίας Ἀμμωνίου, || Παπίας Ἀμμωνίου, | Διονύσιος Ἀπολλωνίου, | Φιλάμμων Φιλάμμωνος, | Ἀμμώνιος Ἀπολλωνίου, | Πετεαρόηρις Φανούφιος, || Δωρίων Ἀπολλωνίου, | Ψένχνουβις Πελαίου, | Πανίσκος Κεφάλωνος, | Ψενπόηρις Πετήσιος, | Πρώταρχος Πρωτάρχου, || Πρωτίων Ἡρακλείδου, | Σαραπίων Ἀπολλωνίου, | Διονύσιος Κεφάλωνος, | Πάχνοῦβις Τοτέους, | Πελαίας Πελαίου, || Σαραπίων Ἀμμωνίου, Ἀμμώνιος Ἀπ̣ο̣λ̣λωνίου, | Ἀσκληπιάδης Πτολεμαίου, Ξεινιάδης | Ἰτάγου, | Διονύσιος Ἀμμωνίου, Ἁρμόδιος Βασιλείδου, | Νησιώτης — — —, || Διονύσιος Ἀμμωνίου, | Ἀσκληπιάδης Διονυσίου, | Διονύσιος Σω̣κράτου, Εὐμένης Διονυ(σίου), | Ἀπολλώνιος Ἰτάγου, | Πελαίας Ζμενιχνούβιος.

Item added: July 15, 2020
Item modified: July 15, 2020
ID number: 31472
Short link address:
http://www.philipharland.com/greco-roman-associations/?p=31472

Category: 6) Egypt, Ammon, c) 2nd century BCE, c) Upper (southern) Egypt, d) Group with a deity in its name (e.g. Demetriasts), d) Honors for imperial figures, Dedication inscription, Dionysos, Hellenistic ruler (as a deity), Hera, Hermes, Hestia, List of contributors / contributions, Member (or leader) of the group, Royal official or ruler, Royal or Imperial official or king / emperor

Associations in the Greco-Roman World (AGRW)

An expanding collection of inscriptions, papyri, and other sources in translation (run by Philip A. Harland)

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