IGII34 656 Dedication to Dionysos by the leader of a thiasos

Dedication to Dionysos by the leader of a thiasos

IG II³ 4 656 Date: ca. early 2nd cent. BC

For you, king, Dionysios^[1] founded this temple here, a fragrant precinct and wooden statues^[2] in your image and everything, having chosen not to pile up domestic wealth and silver riches, so as to pay you, Bakchos, the customary reverences; (5) in return for which, O Dionysos, be kind and preserve him, his house and his descendance, and your entire association (thiason).^[3]

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References:

IG II³ 4 656 (Translated text) (IG Online)

IG II² 2948 (PHI)

SEG 55.292

SEG 38.173

Translation by: Stephen Lambert, Salvatore Tufano

Monument type: Plaque

Inscription type: Dedication (thiasos leader), Dedication (Dionysos)

Findspot: Piraeus (Piraeus Museum 1246)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] This man is identifiable as the Dionysios son of Agathokles of Marathon whose family was responsible for the institution of this association of worshippers of Dionysos in the Piraeus (cf. IG II² 1325 of 185/4 BC and 1326 of 176/5 BC, found in the same place as our inscription, with J. D. Mikalson, Religion in Hellenistic Athens, 2003, 204-6). Dionysios himself, or his father, founded the cult at the beginning of the second century BC and the family personally paid for the establishment of the sanctuary; on its remains see A.-F. Jaccottet, Choisir Dionysos (2003), I ch. 11, cf. R. Garland, The Piraeus (1987), 146. The verse epigram expresses clearly the benefits that could be expected to accrue from a benefaction of this kind. [2] “Wooden statues” (xoana) may be poetic licence, as regards the number of statues and possibly as regards the material (wooden statues were typically archaic, of a piece with the diction of the epigram). In fact, when Dionysios died (176/5 BC) the members of his thiasos recorded that he had contributed five hundred drachmas to the erection of a single statue (agalma) of Dionysos (IG II² 1326, ll. 16-18). This would normally imply a statue in bronze or possibly marble. [3] This group of Dionysiastai could be also described as orgeones, if one accepts the identification of this Dionysios with the namesake mentioned by IG II² 2948, l. 2 (see I. Arnaoutoglou, Thusias eneka kai sunousias. Private religious associations in Hellenistic Athens, 2003, 67 n. 114).

Added: 1 Jul 2019
Updated: 2 Jul 2021
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