| TITLE: |
| Artemidorus of Knidus’ pompe (Artemidoreia) |
| DATE: |
| “Artemidoros together with his father had obtained the grant of freedom and exemption from taxation for his city from Caesar, shortly after the battle of Pharsalos in 48 BC.40 The inscription then should be dated shortly after 48 BC, when Artemidoros was still alive” (Strubble 2004, p. 324) |
| ACTUAL LOCATION: |
| British Museum number 1859,1226.764 |
| TEXT: |
| Greek Inscriptions in the British Museum 4.1.787 (blue marble block; 19 lines of Greek inscription) (The inscriptions have been republished by W. Blümel as IK Knidos 51-55 and 59): |
| EDITIONS/TRANSLATIONS: |
Greek Inscriptions in the British Museum 4.1.787 = IK Knidos 59
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| KEYWORDS: |
| Words used to mean procession: |
ταφᾶι δαμοσίαι καὶ ἐνταφᾶι(IK 59 l. 9, “a public funeral and burial”)
πομπὰν (IK 59 l. 16) |
| Words used to mean the cult images: |
εἰκόσι (IK 59 l. 2)
εἰκόνα χρυσέαν (IK 59 l. 12)
βωμὸν (IK 59 l. 15, an altar) |
| Gods or other entities named: |
| Ἀρτάμιτι τᾶι Ἱακυνθοτρόφωι [κ]αὶ Ἐπιφανεῖ (IK 59 l. 13-14, Artemis Hiakynthotrophos and Epiphanes) |
| Description of the cult images: |
Gold and marble statues of Artemidorus (IK l. 2-3, 12)
The gold one next to (IK 59 l. 12, σύνναον) the temple of Artemis Hiakynthotrophos and Epiphanes |
| Procession’s route: |
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| Frequency with which the procession takes place: |
| Every four years (IK 59 l. 17, πενταετηρικὸν) |
| Performers: |
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| References to the public attending the procession: |
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| Rites related to the procession: |
| Sacrifices (IK 59 l. 16 θυσίας), Petropoulou 2008, p.87: “Artemidorus was to be (…) offered sacrifices like those offered to gods; undoubtedly, this must mean that the sacrifices offered to him would not be just of the ‘cthonian’ (or heroic) type. (…) they were individual cults, and as such they are explained in the context of the cultic shift occurring in the first century BC, when the collective cults of benefactors was superseded by the cult of individuals (which was soon to be superseded by the cult of the emperor). Scholars usually assume that, from the reign of Augustus onwards, such individuals were mostly offered ‘chthonian’ (or else ‘heroic’) and not divine sacrifices” |
| Allusions to conduct or forms of reverence: |
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| Other remarkable elements: |
Artemidorus of Knidos (Ἀρτεμίδωρος) was a native of the city of Knidos in Caria, southwest Anatolia, whose name was found on an inscription at Knidos by Sir Charles Thomas Newton; that Artemidorus was honored in this way could be due to the tax remittance granted by Caesar (friends of his son Theopompus) to the Knidians as a reward for his families’ adherence (vd. Plut. Caes. 48). Artemidoros may have used his influence in Rome to obtain further privileges for Knidos, perhaps after the battle of Actium; at any rate, exceptional honours were voted for him in in his lifetime as we can see in the inscriptions
The inscription tells us that Artemidorus will receive a crown of olive (IK 59 l. 1, [χρυσ]<έ>ωι θαλλοῦ στεφάνωι), three crowns of gold (IK 59 l. 2, [χρ]υσέοις στεφάνοις τρισί), three bronze statues (IK 59 l. 3, [χα]λκέαις τρισὶ), and anonther three made of marble and gold (IK 59 l. 2-3, μαρμαρίναις [τρι]σὶ καὶ χρυσέαις τρισί); Artemidorus also will receive the right of wearing crowns and precedence at all public games for him and his descendants (IK 59 l. 5, στεφαναφορίαις καὶ προεδρίαις); when Artemidorus departs from life, he was honoured with a public funeral and burial in the city in the most prominent place within the gymnasium (IK 59 l. 8-11). Artemidoros will be priest for life of Artemis Hiakynthotrophos and Epiphanes (IK 59 l. 15, ἱερεὺς [ὑ]πάρχει διὰ βίου).
The people of Knidus also honoured him with god-like honours (IK 59 l. 16, τιμαῖς ἰσοθέοις) and set up an altar for him (IK 59 l. 15, βωμὸν); the festival was called Ἀρτεμιδώρεια (IK 59 l. 18)
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| BIBLIOGRAPHY: |
BÖMMER (1952), RE: s.v. Pompa. Herrscher, Vol. XXI.2, p. 1965, n.276
BRUNS-ÖZGAN, CHR. (2009): “Eine feine Familie: Theopompos von Knidos und seine Nachkommen,” Epigraphica Anatolica 42, pp. 103-134
CHANIOTIS, A. (2011): “Epigraphic bulletin for Greek religion”, Kernos 9
COHEN, G. M. (2006): The Hellenistic settlements in Syria, the Red Sea basin, and North Africa, University of California Press, Lon Angeles, pp.112-113
HAMILTON, W. J. (1842). Researches in Asia Minor, Pontus, and Armenia, Ch. XXXIII, London
STRUBBE, J. (2004). ” Cultic honours for benefactors in the cities of Asia Minor”. In: Roman Rule and Civic Life: Local and Regional Perspectives, Brill, Leiden / Boston
THÉRIAULT, G. (2003): “Évergétisme grec et administration romaine: la famille cnidienne de Gaios Ioulios Théopompos”, Phoenix 57, pp. 232-256
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