IGII2 1348 Letters from and to the artists of Dionysos

Letters from and to the artists of Dionysos

IG II² 1348 Date: ca. 132-150 AD

[The association of the artists of Dionysos and - ] Augustus [New Dionysos],^[1] [ . . . . . . sacred victors], crown wearers . . . . . . . . . . . . in the Great E[leusinia . . . . . . ] . . . . . . we placed, and the . . . . . . (5) . . . . . . we responded, remembering (?) . . . . . . . . . . . . and those present . . . . . . . . . . . . was able to learn most precisely on . . . . . . . . . . . . Antonius Urbanus, the [consular (?) . . . . . . ]^[2] . . . . . . and of the others . . . . . . (10) . . . . . . praise as pious and just . . . . . . . . . . . . of all Athenians . . . . . . . . . . . . priest of Melpomenos . . . . . . ^[3] . . . . . . so, what the Attic people must . . . . . . . . . . . . as far as possible . . . . . . (15) . . . . . . performing a removal . . . . . . . . . . . . being - whence not . . . . . . . . . . . . for it is . . . . . . . . . . . . having observed for us those going to . . . . . . . . . . . . having formerly been our associates (sunodeitas) . . . . . . (20) . . . . . . of those around him, and now . . . . . . . . . . . . master. [Emperor . . . . . . ] to the association [of the artists of] [Dionysos, greetings . . . . . . ] you also grant to them . . . . . . having won the Hadrianeia and the – (25)[ . . . . . . from the] itinerant [association] shall be allowed to share in - , just as

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References:

IG II² 1348 (Translated text) (PHI)

Translation by: Chris de Lisle

Monument type: Plaque

Inscription type: Letter (Dionysiac artists), Letter (Emperor)

Findspot: Acropolis (EM 9489)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] Textual note: AIO follows the text of IG except in l. 3, where we follow S. Follet, Athènes (1976), 317 and 330 in restoring ταῖς μεγάλαις Ἐ[λευσινίαις "the Great Eleusinia".

This very fragmentary inscription consists of a letter from the artists of Dionysos to a Roman emperor (ll. 1-21), probably Hadrian or Antoninus Pius, and the beginning of the emperor's response (ll. 22-26). On inscribed Imperial letters, see I Eleusis 513 with notes. On the artists, see IG II² 1320 and AIUK 4.3A (BM Decrees) 9, with notes; SEG 33.139 is another fragmentary letter from Hadrian to the artists. A dispute has arisen, which involves the Eleusinia and Hadrianeia festivals (ll. 3, 24) and people previously members of the association (l. 19). Perhaps it was connected to the dispute which enveloped the association of the musical artists of the Dancer in the 130s and 140s AD (SEG 30.86, cf. S. Follet and D. Peppas-Delmousou, BCH 143, 2019, 783). It seems that the entitlements of victors at the Hadrianeia festival had not yet been firmly set, which suggests a date shortly after the festival’s establishment in 132 AD. Οn Hadrian and his relationship with Athens, see IG II² 5185 with notes. [2] Antonius Urbanus is not otherwise known. It is unclear whether he is affiliated with the artists or an authority figure with whom they have corresponded. [3] The artists had their own priest of Dionysos Melpomenos ("the Singer"), cf. IG II³ 4, 1899.

Added: 17 Aug 2024
Updated: 22 Sep 2024
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ID: AIO_2894