Funerary Honors by Initiates of Dionysos for Isia (II CE)

Tenos (Southwestern islands, Aegean Islands — Pleiades map), II CE
IG XII,5 972 = PHI 78335 = AGRW ID# 17875

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Found in a chamber of the monastery of Evangelistria in 1835. Followed here is Schuddeboom's (2009, 216-217) proposal to read the singular genitive ending in line 2 (Ἀγηνορίδ[αο), taking it as a reference to the god Dionysos himself as a descendant "of Agenor" (rather than the genitive plural proposed in IG – Ἀγηνορίδ[ων] – which would refer to the descendants or daughters "of Agenor" more generally).

The initiates (mystai) set up an image of this wild, possessed woman (thyssas) of Bromios (“Thunderer”) during the rites (teletai) of the descendent of Agenor (i.e. Dionysos) (?) . . . because (?) she completed the half-finished, brilliant ceilings of the shrines (megara) between those of Bacchos and of holy Demeter. On account of this . . we set up an image of the girl (?) . . . beside Dionysos, and the city offered her burial honors for the sake of . . . her memory and virtue (?) . . . , Isia, a person . . . beloved by both non-devotees of Bacchos and devotees of Bacchos (bakchoi) (?), . . . daughter of a noble father . . .

Translation by: Harland

θυσσάδος ἀγροτέρου Βρομ̣[ίου θέσαν εἰκόνα μύσται] | ἐν τελεταῖσιν Ἀγηνορίδ[αο ⏕–⏑⏑–⏓] | μ̣εσσατίων Βάχχοιό τ[ε καὶ Δημήτερος ἁγνῆς] | ἡμιτελῆ μεγάρων τελ[έσασ’ ὀροφώματα λαμπρά]. || ὧν χάριν ἐς Διόνυσον [ἐθήκαμεν εἰκόνα κούρης]· | ἡ δὲ πόλις [κ]τερ<έ>ϊξε χά[ριν μνήμης ἀρετῆς τε(?)] | τὴν μερόπεσσι<ν> ἀβα[κχεύτοις βάκχοις τ’ ἀγαπητὴν] | Εἰσίαν εὐπατέρειαν ⏑–⏕–⏑⏑–⏓.

Item added: November 9, 2015
Item modified: January 22, 2016
ID number: 17875
Short link address:
http://www.philipharland.com/greco-roman-associations/?p=17875

Category: 4) Greek Islands, a) Southwestern islands (off Attica), Dionysos, f) 2nd century CE, Funerary text, Honorary inscription, Mysteries or initiations / initiates

Associations in the Greco-Roman World (AGRW)

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

Funerary Honors by Initiates of Dionysos for Isia (II CE) ║ Tenos - Southwestern islands

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