Attalus III’ Pompe in Elaea

TITLE:
Attalus III’ pompe in Elaea
DATE:
138-133 BC
TEXT:
FRÄNKEL, M. (1895): Die Inschriften von Pergamon II, Berlin, num. 246 = OGIS I 332 = IvP I 246 
EDITION/TRANSLATION:

CANEVA, S. (2018): “Le retour d’Attale III à Pergame. Un réexamen du décret IvP I 246”, Epigraphica Anatolica 50, pp. 109-123 (French)

FRÄNKEL, M. (1895): Die Inschriften von Pergamon II, Berlin, num. 246 = OGIS I 332 = IvP I 246: 

KLAUCK, H.-J. (2000): The religious context of early Christianity. A guide to Graeco-Roman religions, Clark, London / New York, p. 276 (incomplete, English)

JONES, N. F. (1987): Public organization in Ancient Greece: a documentary study, American Philosophical Society, Philadephia, p. 355 (incomplete, English)

OGIS I 332 = IvP I 246

SCHNABEL, E. (2018): Jesus, Paul, and the Early Church: missionary realities in historical view, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, p. 337 (incomplete, English)
KEYWORDS:
Words used to mean procession:
πομπὴν (l. 15, πομπὴν ὡς καλλίστην, a splendid procession)

συμπομπευόντων (l. 16, vb. συμπομπεύω, “accompany in a procession”)
Words used to mean the cult images:
εἰκόνα (l. 9, εἰκόνα χρυσῆν; l. 23-24, ἐ̣[πὶ] δὲ τῆς εἰκόνος; l. 41-42, κ]α̣ὶ πολιτικῶν προσόδων δραχμὰς εἴκοσιν; l. 46, εἰκόνι <χρυσῆι>)

ἄγαλμα (l. 7, καὶ ἄγαλμα πεντάπηχυ τεθωρακισμένον; l. 21, ἐπὶ μὲν τοῦ ἀγάλματος; l. 45-46, καὶ ἀγάλμα̣[τι πενταπήχει)
Gods or other entities named:
Asklepios Soter (l. 8, 13)
Zeus Soter (l. 10, 12),
Description of the cult images:
εἰκόνα χρυσῆν (l. 9, 46), ἀγάλμα̣τι πενταπήχει (l. 7, 46):
Cultic image (ἀγάλμα): five cubits high, showing Attalus III in his armour as he tramples upon the spoils of war, set up in the temple of Asklepios Soter, so that he may be a temple-companion of the god (l. 7-9, καὶ ἄγαλμα πεντάπηχυ τεθωρακισμένον καὶ βεβηκὸς ἐπὶ σκύλων ἐν τῶι ναῶι τοῦ Σωτῆρος Ἀσκληπιοῦ, ἵνα ἦ[ι]σύνναος τῶι θεῶι, στῆσαι δὲ αὐτοῦ)
Statue (εἰκόν): a golden statue of the king on horseback erected on a marble plinth beside the altar of Zeus Soter, the most prominent place in the agora (l. 9-11, εἰκόνα χρυσῆν ἔφιππον ἐπὶ στυλίδος μαρμαρίνης παρὰ τὸν τοῦ Διὸς τ̣οῦ Σωτῆρος βωμόν, ὅπως ὑπάρχηι ἡ εἰκὼν ἐν τῶι ἐπιφανεστάτωι τόπωι τῆς ἀγορᾶς)
There were made also honorific inscriptions:
on the cultic image (ἀγάλματος), the inscription read: “The assembled people honours king Attalos Philometor Euergetes, son of the divine king Eumenes Soter, on account of his skill and bravery in war, because he overcame our enemies” (l. 21-23, γενέσθαι δὲ καὶ ἐπιγραφάς, ἐπὶ μὲν τοῦ ἀγάλματος “ὁ δῆμος βασιλέα Ἄτταλον φιλομήτορα καὶ εὐεργέτην θεοῦ βασιλέως Εὐμένου σωτῆρος ἀρετῆ[ς] ἕνεκεν καὶ ἀνδραγαθίας τῆς κατὰ πόλεμον, κρατήσαντα τῶν ὑπεναντίων”);

on the statue (εἰκόνος), the inscription read: “The assembled people [honours] king Attalos Philometor Euergetes, son of the divine king Eumenes Soter, on account of his skill and prudence, so advantageous in matters of state, and because of his generosity to the people” (l. 23-26, ἐ̣[πὶ] δὲ τῆς εἰκόνος “ὁ δῆμος βασιλέα Ἄτταλον φιλομήτορα καὶ εὐεργέτην θεοῦ βασ[ιλέ]ως Εὐμένου σωτῆρος ἀρετῆς ἕνεκεν καὶ φρονήσεως τῆς συναυξούσης τὰ πράγ̣[μα]τα καὶ μεγαλομερείας τῆς εἰς ἑαυτόν”) 
Procession’s route:
From the prytaneion to the temple precinct of Asklepios and of the king (l. 15-16, ἐκ τοῦ πρυτανε[ί]ου εἰς τὸ τέμενος τοῦ Ἀσκληπιοῦ καὶ τοῦ βασιλέως)
: each year (l. 14-15, κατ’ ἐνιαυτὸν) on the eighth day of the month, on which he entered Pergamon (l. 13-14, τὴν δὲ ὀγδόην, ἐν ἧι παρεγένετο εἰς Πέργαμον, ἱεράν τε εἶναι ε̣[ἰ]ς ἅπαντα τὸν χρόνον); cf. “une procession annuelle du pryta-née au sanctuaire d’Asklépios, suivie par un banquet des magistrats” (Caneva 2018, p. 111)
Frequency with which the procession takes place
Each year (l. 14-15, κατ’ ἐνιαυτὸν) on the eighth day of the month, on which he entered Pergamon (l. 13-14, τὴν δὲ ὀγδόην, ἐν ἧι παρεγένετο εἰς Πέργαμον, ἱεράν τε εἶναι ε̣[ἰ]ς ἅπαντα τὸν χρόνον); cf. “une procession annuelle du pryta-née au sanctuaire d’Asklépios, suivie par un banquet des magistrats” (Caneva 2018, p. 111)
Performers:
the priest of Asklepios (l. 15, τοῦ ἱερέως τοῦ Ἀσκληπιοῦ) and the customary persons taking part (l. 15, συμπομπευόντων τῶν εἰθισμένων), the archons (l. οἱ ἄρχοντες)
References to the public attending the procession:
Rites related to the procession:
sacrifice (l. 17, θυσίας); when the sacrifice has been offered and has produced good omens, the archons shall gather in the temple (l. 17-18, παρασταθείσης θυσίας καὶ καλλιερηθείσης συναγέσθωσαν ἐν τῶι ἱερῶι οἱ ἄρχοντες)
Allusions to conduct or forms of reverence:
The eighth day of the month, on which he entered Pergamon, is to be sacred for all time (l. 13-14, τὴν δὲ ὀγδόην, ἐν ἧι παρεγένετο εἰς Πέργαμον, ἱεράν τε εἶναι ε̣[ἰ]ς ἅπαντα τὸν χρόνον)
Other remarkable elements:
This inscription, which was found near Elaea, provides vivid evidence of the god-like honours given to some Hellenistic kings during their lifetime including the procession of Attalos III Philometor Euergetes, who bequeathed his state to the Romans in his will. The procession and everything else was paid with the fund of the Asklepieion (l. 19, ἀπὸ τοῦ πόρου τοῦ Ἀσκληπιείου)
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Bömmer (1952), RE: s.v. Pompa. Herrscher, Vol. XXI.2, p. 1965, n.279

CHANIOTIS, A. (2003): “The divinity of Hellenistic rulers”. In: Erskine (ed.), A Companion to the Hellenistic World, Blackwell, Oxford 2003, pp. 431-445

KLAUCK, H.-J. (2000): The religious context of early Christianity. A guide to Graeco-Roman religions, Clark, London / New York, p. 276

JONES, N. F. (1987): Public organization in ancient Greece: A documentary study, American Philosophical Society, Philadephia, p. 355

NOCK, A. D. (1930): “Σύνναος θεός”, Harvard Studies in Classical Philology 41, p.23

SCHNABEL, E. (2018): Jesus, Paul, and the Early Church: missionary realities in historical view, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, p. 337