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Marble stele with a (broken) ledge on top and roughly cut on the back; damaged on the left side and broken on the right lower corner.
Lettering quite regular, with some spaces at the end of the lines.
Letters:
Lines 1-40:
Lines 41-42:
Space between letters:
Lines 1-40:
Lines 41-42:
Encoded for EpiDoc schema 8.17 on 14-09-2015 by S.G. Caneva.
Edition here based on Blümel - Merkelbach
Other edition:
Further bibliography:
The purchaser of the priesthood of Meter Phrygie shall hold the priesthood for life, being exempt of personal taxation and of (tax on owning) one slave. The city shall provide as a sacrificial animal: for Meter, a sheep, (5) for [Pan], a cock, for Hermes and Zeus, two lambs. The priestess shall receive from the city 40 drachmae for these animals, on the 1st of the month of Artemision; she shall receive the skins of the sacrificed (animals) and half of the perquisites; (the other) half (10) of the perquisites and the remaining meats shall be distributed to the women who are present. It will be provided: for the offering of a sheep, cakes made from a half-
L'acheteuse de la prêtrise de la Mère Phrygienne exercera la prêtrise sa vie durant, étant exempte d'imposition personnelle et de (la taxe sur la détention) d'un esclave. La cité fournira comme animal sacrificiel : pour la Mère, un mouton, (5) pour [Pan], un coq, pour Hermès et Zeus, deux agneaux. La prêtresse recevra de la cité, pour les animaux, 40 drachmes, le 1er du mois d'Artemision; elle recevra les peaux des (animaux) sacrifiés et la moitié des parts d'honneur; la moitié (10) des parts d'honneur et les viandes restantes seront distribuées aux participantes. Elle fournira pour un mouton des gâteaux d'un demi-setier (de froment), pour un agneau de lait deux chénices (de froment), pour le coq un chénice (de froment), les substances pour la fumigation, les grains d’orge, l’encens. De ce que les particuliers sacrifient, elle recevra la tierce (15) partie des parts d'honneur déposées. Que celles qui veulent être initiées soient initiées par la prêtresse publique avec un animal adulte; que l'initiée donne à la prêtresse la tierce partie des parts d'honneur déposées et la peau; que rien d'autre ne soit donné et que la prêtresse ne reçoive rien d'autre. Le sacrifice doit avoir lieu (20) le 12 du mois d'Artemision et que la prêtresse l'accomplisse comme cela est écrit. L'enceinte près du (lieu-dit) Blanc-et-Noir doit être à la disposition de la déesse; les particuliers doivent restituer les bâtiments à l'enceinte en question; s'ils ne (les) restituent pas (25) (l'année de la stéphanéphorie) de Lykonidès, ils seront redevables à la cité de 100 dr. chacun. Que celui qui le souhaite (les) dénonce pour la moitié (de l'amende) auprès des nomophylaques. Que la prêtresse fasse la quête et que les autres (participantes) la fassent avec elle le 4 du mois d'Artemision; que personne ne fasse la quête un autre jour; (30) si quelqu'un la fait, que les timouques l'en empêchent ou qu'ils payent 100 dr.; si quelqu'un fait la quête, qu'il soit redevable de 100 dr. Que la prêtresse soit introduite au prytanée; que la cité dépose en [...] un médimne de blé, un médimne d'orge, un kotyle de miel (35), un kotyle d'huile, un fromage pur; que la prêtresse [ne] les prenne [pas]. Elle sera consacrée à ses propres frais; elle versera la somme le [6 ?] du mois de Metageitnion; que les [...]scripteurs transcrivent l'acte de vente aux frais de la prêtresse; que [le préposé] (40) à l'administration financière fournisse la stèle (en la prenant) parmi celles qui se trouvent déjà dans le sanctuaire. Philitis fille d'Aristeas a acheté (la prêtrise) pour 430 dr., [le] dixième inclus.
This recently published contract (διαγραφή) for the sale of the priesthood of the Meter Phrygie is part of a group of similar and contemporary inscriptions from Priene (CGRN 176 and CGRN 177). After a brief mention of the (fiscal) privileges of the priestess (lines 2-3), more detail is given about her duties and prerogatives during the principal sacrifice of the 12th of Artemision (lines 19-21). This annual ceremony seems to have included both publicly funded sacrifices to the main gods in the cult (lines 3-8) and also private ones (the latter might also occur at other times, of course). In this context, the contribution of the priestess is also specified (various complements in the form of cakes, grain and incense), as is the distribution of portions between herself and the other women taking part in the rites (lines 8-15). Initiations, apparently exclusively concerning women, are also discussed (lines 15-19). The precinct of the goddess is designated and constructions are erected within it (lines 21-27). The contract also discusses collections (lines 27-32), the entry into office and consecration of the priestess (lines 32-37), the act of purchase itself and the publication of the
In comparison to CGRN 176 (priest of Dionysus Phleos) and CGRN 177 (Poseidon Helikonios), this contract of sale bears witness to a greater control by the city on this cult and its agents (notably through fines and magistrates). In this sense, its content is closer to that of the regulation of the cult of Sarapis and Isis at Priene: cf. CGRN 157. One might explain this by the fact that certain priesthoods at Priene, particularly those dealing with foreign or other highly specific cults, such as the female initatory cult of Meter here, necessitated a closer integration with the standard framework of the Greek
Lines 2-3: For the exemption from personal taxation, ἀτέλεια τοῦ σώματος, cf. CGRN 176, line 6. The other exemption implies that the city of Priene collected tax on slaves owned; see Blümel - Merkelbach and cf. esp.
Lines 3-4 : On the first of Artemision, i.e. 11 days before the ceremony, the city will give 40 drachmae to the priestess, who is in charge to buy the animals for the sacrifice. This amount should thus be roughly equivalent to the sum of the prices of the four animals: the sheep for Meter will have been the most expensive offering, probably costing around 20 drachmae (by comparison with Attic evidence), with the other three animals (especially the cock) comprising the rest (but costing less). The rest of the supplies are provided at the expense of the priestess (lines 11-13; cp. CGRN 176, lines 10-13). She receives the skins, and half of the portions from the public sacrifices, but only a third of the usual perquisites from private ones.
Line 5: For the restoration of the god Pan (rather than e.g. Attis) here, cf. Wiemer - Kah, p. 5-6. The god had an altar in Priene (
Lines 11-13: This list of complementary supplies for the sacrifice, to be provided by the priestess, is similar to the one found in the cult of Dionysus in Priene, cf. CGRN 176, lines 10-12.
Lines 15-19: Cf. CGRN 138 (cult of Dionysus at Miletos), lines 18-20, for an other regulation concerning female initiations.
Line 16: On the sense of τέλειος as 'adult', and sacrificial animals reaching their maturity or full development (τελείωσις), cf. Brulé - Touzé.
Lines 21-27: By virtue of this decision, the city appears to reassign the precinct of the goddess, but it is difficult to know if it was previously located in the same place or somewhere else. The place in question is known, probably locally, as the “White-and-Black”; any 'magical' connotations of this toponym (Wiemer - Kah, followed by Blümel - Merkelbach) seem dubious. The θαλαμαί, which private people shall re-erect in the sanctuary in an expedient manner (within the year), under penalty of a fine, are dedicated other structures previously kept in the sanctuary, possibly
Line 27: On
Lines 27-32: On collections, cf. esp. CGRN 118 (Halikarnassos), lines 26-28. Here, the collection is limited to a single yearly occasion, namely the 4th of Artemision, i.e. 8 days before the sacrifice to the goddess.
Lines 30-32: About the
Lines 32-36: Since this clause apparently refers to the “introduction” of the priestess into the prytaneion, perhaps a form of official introduction into the wider body of civic magistrates, the passive εἰσαγέ[σθω] (Hamon) is more suitable than εἰσαγέ[τω] (Wiemer - Kah, followed by Blümel - Merkelbach). The precise character of this ceremony remains to be elucidated, but it is in any case distinct from the consecration or "initiation" of the priestess (line 36); on the latter, see Pirenne-Delforge, and cf. here e.g. CGRN 85 (Kos), line 1. In lines 33-34, Wiemer - Kah restore [ἀναλώ]ματα, “expenditures” (followed by Blümel - Merkelbach). As Hamon points out, it would seem unusual that the
Line 35: For 'pure' cheese, cf. the discussion at CGRN 6 (Miletos), line 4.
Line 37 : Since there is not much room left on the stone, [ἕκτῃ] was tentatively suggested as the shortest possibility by Wiemer - Kah, p. 13.
Lines 39-40: For the official called
Lines 41-42: The price obtained is thus 391 dr. (the selling price) + 39 dr. (for the tenth); cf. Wiemer - Kah, p. 20. Compare this to the 12002 dr. + 1200 dr. 1 ob. 3 ch., obtained for the sale of the priesthood of Dionysus Phleos. About the tenth or tithe, and other modalities of payment at Priene, cf. CGRN 176, lines 30-35.