AIO 2893 Dossier on the association of the musical artists of the Dancer

Dossier on the association of the musical artists of the Dancer

AIO 2893 Date: ca. 140 AD

Face A (front)

Fragment ab The priest of the Dancer [from the artists and priest of the] harmony of the Greeks, [Tiberius Claudius Attalos] Andragathos of Sphettos . . . . . . ^[1] . . . . . . (5) . . . . . . . . . . . .

Fragment c . . . . . . uninscribed space Document I ^[2] . . . . . . of such things . . . . . . (10) . . . . . . he, being foremost (?), has depended upon the association (synodou) . . . . . . . . . . . . and of what skill (technēs) . . . . . . . . . . . . Emperor Caesar Trajan [Hadrian Augustus . . . . . . ] . . . . . . those - the association

Fragment de Document II [Emperor Caesar, son of] the God Trajan [Parthicus, grandson of the God Nerva, Trajan] (15)[Hadrian Augustus] pontifex maximus [tribunician power - times, consul 3 times, father] [of the fatherland (128-138) to the association of the musical artists] of the Dancer, [greetings . . . . . . ] . . . . . . whatever sort of procession there will be . . . . . . . . . . . . you may need, by deed firm . . . . . . (19)[farewell.] Document III (19)Emperor Caesar, [son of the God Trajan Parthicus, grandson of the God Nerva, Trajan] (20)[Hadrian Augustus] pontifex maximus [tribunician power - times, consul 3 times, father] [of the fatherland (128-138) to the association of the musical artists] of the Dancer, [greetings . . . . . . ] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . association . . . . . . (25) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . of the dance . . . . . . . . . . . . is . . . . . . (29)[ . . . . . . farewell.] Document IV (29)Emperor [Caesar son of the God Trajan Parthicus, grandson of the God Nerva], (30)[Trajan Hadrian Augustus] pontifex [Maximus, tribunician power - times, consul] [three times, father] of the fatherland (128-138) to the association [of the musical artists of the Dancer, greetings] . . . . . . the speech was - and, as . . . . . . . . . . . . awaiting . . . . . .

Fragment fgh (34) . . . . . . Document V (35)[ . . . . . . to the association of the] musical artists [of the Dancer . . . . . . ] . . . . . . of Celsus . . . . . . . . . . . . to you of the letter . . . . . . . . . . . . Emperor Caesar . . . . . . . . . . . . there to be written from . . . . . . (40) . . . . . . in this, but if something . . . . . . . . . . . . he will act justly . . . . . . (42)[ . . . . . . Farewell] Document VI (42)[Emperor] Caesar son of the God Trajan [Parthicus, grandson of the God Nerva], [Trajan Hadrian Augustus pontifex] maximus, tribunician [power - times, consul] [3 times, father of the fatherland (128-138) to the association of the musical] artists [of] the Dancer, greetings (45) . . . . . . [Claudius Attalos (?)], my mighty (kratistos) friend . . . . . . father . . . . . . ever in the fatherland . . . . . . and the . . . . . . he shall be one of the leaders (hēgemonōn) (?) . . . . . . (48)to the Council . . . . . . Farewell. Document VII (48)Emperor [Caesar] [son] of the God Trajan [Parthicus, Trajan] Hadrian Augustus [pontifex maximus], (50)[tribunician power - times, consul] 3 times, father of the fatherland (128-138), [to the association of the musical] [artists of] the Dancer, [greetings . . . . . . ] (52)hierophant . . . . . . [farewell]. Document VIII (52)[Emperor Caesar son of the God Trajan] Parthicus, [Trajan Hadrian Augustus, pontifex maximus, tribunician] power 21 times, [consul 3 times, father of the fatherland (136/7), to the association of the] musical (55)artists [of the Dancer, greetings . . . . . . ] of men and the . . . . . . the birthday^[3] . . . . . . prepare . . . . . . Document IX (59)Emperor [Caesar son of the God Trajan Parthicus, Trajan Hadrian Augustus], (60)[pontifex maximus, tribunician power - times, consul 3 times, father of the fatherland (128-138), to the association] [of the musical artists of the Dancer, greetings . . . . . . ]

Fragment i (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Face B (back)

Fragment ab [the priest from the artists of the Dancer], priest of the [harmony of the Greeks, Tiberius] Claudius Attalos [Andragathos of Sphettos . . . . . . ] to the musical artists of the [Dancer and the God Hadrian] (5) . . . . . . uninscribed space Document X ^[4] . . . . . . . . . . . .

Fragment c Document XI (8) . . . . . . . . . . . . and to you . . . . . . (10) . . . . . . not a pretended . . . . . . . . . . . . but I myself think otherwise . . . . . . Document XII . . . . . . to the musical artists, greetings . . . . . . . . . . . . Sal- performed the embassy most excellently (?) . . . . . . . . . . . .

Fragment de Document XIII (15)[ . . . . . . the God] Hadrian and Emperor [Titus Aelius Antoninus Pius (138-161)] Document XIV . . . . . . to the most - , greetings . . . . . . . . . . . . of such a sort, which - would then punish (?) . . . . . . . . . . . . so shamefully and unworthily and . . . . . . . . . . . . of payment (misthou) and I at least would not . . . . . . (20) . . . . . . he would become the - by the public fund (dēmosia) such . . . . . . . . . . . . slander (diabolēn) the association receives (?) . . . . . . . . . . . . so our - of the association . . . . . . . . . . . . he will praise you and all . . . . . . (24) . . . . . . I pray [that you be well] uninscribed space Document XV (24)From Attalos . . . . . . (25) . . . . . . bearing much . . . . . . . . . . . . against the - to wrong . . . . . . . . . . . . so then, well . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . but once . . . . . . (30) . . . . . . having written that you . . . . . . . . . . . . worthy, which things caught (?) . . . . . . . . . . . . cult statue (xoanon), but I, as the general (?) . . . . . . . . . . . . and it seemed to me wretched . . . . . . . . . . . . and the festivals (heortas) either . . . . . . (35) . . . . . . you, for also the . . . . . . . . . . . . of the present situation . . . . . . . . . . . . of my own mightiest . . . . . . . . . . . . often with others . . . . . . . . . . . . to those, themselves . . . . . . (40) . . . . . . hoplite general after this . . . . . . . . . . . . and I have made longer . . . . . . . . . . . . another chorus . . . . . .

Fragment fgh Document XVI (43) . . . . . . so then, since . . . . . . . . . . . . becoming also . . . . . . (45) . . . . . . for the good time . . . . . . . . . . . . so then, the fitting encomium . . . . . . . . . . . . for those celebrating, every occasion well- . . . . . . . . . . . . of the - to those who - harmony and concord . . . . . . . . . . . . nor would Attalos seem (?) to me . . . . . . (50) . . . . . . of the just ones precise . . . . . . . . . . . . you have brought forth - of the Muses . . . . . . . . . . . . for the fatherland, all melodies . . . . . . . . . . . . of many dithyrhambs . . . . . . . . . . . . having thought worthy . . . . . . (55) . . . . . . of . . . . . . and of wretches . . . . . . . . . . . . everywhere the same . . . . . . . . . . . . benefactor God Hadrian . . . . . . Document XVII . . . . . . to the [musical] artists, [greetings . . . . . . ] . . . . . . the - of the priest . . . . . . (60) . . . . . . and he praises Attalos . . . . . . . . . . . . we - and immediately . . . . . . . . . . . . the enthusiastic mind . . . . . . and . . . . . . of - and top . . . . . . . . . . . . uninscribed space

Fragment i (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . deserving of punishment, but . . . . . . . . . . . . but all rhythms . . . . . . . . . . . . of - the - the opinion . . . . . . (5) . . . . . . a stele from one of you such . . . . . . . . . . . . and banishment (apopompēn) from the . . . . . . . . . . . . was now first seen uninscribed space . . . . . . . . . . . . Titus Aelius Hadrian A[ntoninus Augustus Pius (138-161)] . . . . . . being - you appear to those whom Claudius [Attalos . . . . . . ] (10) . . . . . . the upright- . . . . . . . . . . . . the . . . . . . . . . . . . to you . . . . . . . . . . . .

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References:

AIO 2893 (Translated text) (AIO)

IG II² 1105 (PHI)

IG II² 4795 (PHI)

SEG 30.86 (PHI)

SEG 21.507

Oliver, Constitutions 98-104

Translation by: Chris de Lisle

Monument type: Stele (inscribed on both sides)

Inscription type: Letter (emperor)

Fr. a - Findspot: Unknown (EM 3942)
Fr. b - Findspot: Unknown (EM 396)
Fr. c - Findspot: Athens, St. Demetrios (EM 8390)
Fr. d - Findspot: Unknown (EM 8391)
Fr. e - Findspot: Agora (EM 13350 = Ag. I 397)
Fr. f - Findspot: Unknown (EM 8389)
Fr. g - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 8388)
Fr. h - Findspot: Unknown (EM 3277)
Fr. i - Findspot: Unknown (EM 4649)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] Textual note: AIO follows the text of D. Geagan, TAPA 103 (1972), 133-160 (= SEG 30.86) for Face B, and the text of Oliver Constitutions for Face A, who adds fragment h at ll. 52-54 (supplying the specific date for Document VIII) and restores the Imperial title πατὴρ πατρίδος ("father of the fatherland") in ll. 15-16, 20-21, which probably indicates a date after 128 AD. Follet plausibly identifies Face B of Fragment i as part of Documents XIII and XIV, but without specifically locating the fragment relative to Fragment de (BCH 143, 2019).

This fragmentary dossier of letters deals with a dispute regarding the "association of the musical artists of the Dancer." It was inscribed on both sides of a stele by Tiberius Claudius Attalos Andragathos, priest of "the Dancer" (see below). Face A contains at least nine letters mostly from Emperor Hadrian (r. 117-138 AD). Hadrian's titulature shows that these letters were all written after 128 AD and Document VIII can be dated precisely to 137 AD (see n. 2). On the relationship between Hadrian and Athens generally, see IG II² 5185 with notes. Face B includes up to seven documents from the reign of Antoninus Pius (138-161 AD, see n. 4). The lettering of the two sides is different, showing that they were inscribed at different times.

An inscribed theatre seat (IG II³ 4, 1901) states that "the Dancer" was Antinoos, the young lover of Hadrian, who was deified throughout the Roman Empire after he drowned in Egypt in 130 AD. The name identifies Antinoos with Dionysos, for whom “the Dancer” was a literary epithet (Plut. Tab. Talk 5.6). This association of the Dancer seems similar to the Artists of Dionysos (on whom, see IG II² 1320 and AIUK 4.3A (BM Decrees) 9, with notes), but must be distinct, since the latter appears in another letter from Hadrian from the same period as these letters (SEG 33.139). It plays a role in the organisation of a festival which includes processions (A l. 17), choruses (B, l. 42), and performance of dithyrambs (B, ll. 50-53). The use of future tense in A, l. 17 suggests that the festival was still being established. The association also maintains a cult statue (B, l. 32), has some connection with the Eleusinian cult (A, l. 52) and celebrates a birthday (A, l. 57, see note 3). Perhaps all of these activities are part of the Athenian cult of Antinoos. Worship of Antinoos was also connected with the Eleusinian cult and the ephebes, who celebrated festivals in his honour in the city of Athens and at Eleusis (cf. IG II³ 4, 566, AIUK 11 (Ashmolean), 10, cf. R. R. R. Smith, Antinous: Boy made God 2018).

The inscriber, Attalos Andragathos, was originally from Synnada in Phrygia, but spent many years in Athens, where he played a central role in securing membership in the Panhellenion for his hometown (cf. Sardes et Synnada 2 with notes). He received Athenian citizenship and was archon in 140/1 AD (Byrne, Roman Citizens of Athens 2003, 508). His priesthood of the Harmony of the Greeks was perhaps based at Plataia (Geagan TAPA 103, 1972, 156-160, cf. IG II² 1352; SEG 28.364). He seems to have been central to the dispute discussed in the dossier (cf. A, ll. 42-48; B, ll. 49, 60). [2] Most of the documents on Face A are letters from Hadrian, some very short, marked off from one another by a small carved leaf. Document I (ll. 7-13) is authored by someone else – perhaps it recorded the decision of the association to inscribe the dossier – and Document V (ll. 34-42) must be from an imperial official, probably a governor, since it refers to the emperor in the third person. There seem to be two key themes: the arrangement of the new festival(s) administered by the association and a dispute. In Document V, this dispute is forwarded to someone, who will act justly (Hadrian?). In Document VI, Hadrian strongly confirms Attalos Andragathos' pre-eminent position within the association (A, ll. 42-48), suggesting that his role in the association was at the heart of the dispute (cf. B, ll. 49, 60). This might be related to IG II² 1348, a letter from Hadrian or Antoninus Pius to the artists of Dionysos dealing with a dispute regarding the Eleusinia and Hadrianeia festivals [3] Commemoration of the Emperor's birthday or the anniversary of his accession was a common feature of Imperial cult (cf. Agora XVI 336 and Agora XV 460), but in this case it might be the birthday of Antinoos rather than Hadrian. [4] Face B, which was not inscribed at the same time as Face A, records a continuation of the dispute or a new dispute after Hadrian's death. Document XIII reports a successful embassy by one Sal-, perhaps to request imperial intervention (ll. 12-16). Document XIV laid out the association's complaint in forceful terms (ll. 16-24). Document XV presents Attalos Andragathos' testimony, perhaps while serving as hoplite general (ll. 24-42). In Document XVI, Andragathos is mentioned in the third person and the tone is very positive, so this might be a judgement in favour of him (ll. 43-57), while Document XVII praises Andragathos personally (ll. 58-63, cf. the praise of Herodes Atticus at the end of a later judgement by Marcus Aurelius in SEG 29.127, ll. 87-94).

Added: 17 Aug 2024
Updated: 17 Aug 2024
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ID: AIO_2893