CGRN 123

Contract of sale for the priesthood of the Samothracian Gods at Tomis

Date :

ca. 100 BC

Justification: letterforms (Stoian; Avram - Hălmagi). NB also the use of iota subscriptum.

Provenance

Tomis . Now in the Museum of Bucarest.

Support

Marble plaque, heavily broken to the left. There are inscriptions on two columns on the surface. Column I (not reprised here) is an extremely fragmentary honorific decree, which exhibits somewhat smaller but very probably contemporaneous lettering: Avram and Hălmagi (p. 18-19) think of the same hand. Column II is the sale of priesthood presented below.

  • Height: 34 cm
  • Width: 44 cm
  • Depth: 10 cm

Layout

Letters: 5-15 mm high (Stoian); the substantial variation is probably explained by conflating the measurements for column I (smaller) and column II (larger).

Bibliography

Edition here based on Stoian IScM II 1 (in Romanian), with ph. pl. 1. We only include column II of the inscription (see the description above). We adopt Sokolowski's restoration in lines 4-5 (rather than Ziehen's, adopted by Stoian), and that we omit Stoian's restoration in line 7.

Cf. also: Ziehen LGS II 84; Sokolowski LSCG 87; SEG 25, 755; Avram - Hălmagi 2020, with ph.

Further bibliography: Dimitrova 2008.

Text

Column II
[ἀγαθῇ τύχ]ῃ· ὁ πριάμενος τὴν ἱερω-
[σύνην τῶ]ν Μυστῶν Θεῶν τῶν ἐν
[Σαμοθρά]κῃ ἱερήσεται διὰ βίο[υ καὶ]
[Ἀπατου]ρεῶνος ἑβδόμῃ παρ[έξει εἰς]
5[τὰ ἱερ]ὰ σχίζας καὶ ἐγχέει [τὸν οἶ]-
[νον (?) τοῖ]ς μύσταις καὶ πομπε[ύσει]
[..c.4.. π]αρ’ αὐτοῦ· στεφανωθήσετ[αι δὲ]
[παρὰ] τῶν μυστῶν φιλοτιμίας ἕνε-
[κε]ν τῆς εἰς ἑαυτούς, ἐν ᾗ ἱερᾶται ἡμέ-
10ρᾳ· συνθύσει δὲ καὶ τοὺς λιβάνους ἐμ
πάσαις ταῖς συνόδοις μετὰ τοῦ προ-
υπάρχοντος ἱέρεω τῶν Μυστῶν καὶ
οἷς ἐπιβάλλει ἐκ τοῦ νόμου· ὑπάρχειν
δὲ αὐτῷ τὸν στέφανον εἰς τὸ κατ’ [ἀΐδι]-
15ον· ἐπρίατο τὴν ἱερωσύνην Τίμ[αιος (?)]
Στράτωνος χρυσῶν ἑπτά, χαλκ[ῶν]
ἑξήκοντα οὓς ἔδωκε παραχρῆ[μα].

Translation

Column II

[With good fortune]. The one who purchases the priesthood of the Mystai Theoi from [Samothrace] will serve as priest for life, and on the 7th of [Apatoureon], will provide the pieces of wood [for (5) the sacrifices] and pour [wine (?) a libation (?)] for the initiates, and will lead in a procession [...] at his own cost. He will be crowned [by] the initiates for his benefaction towards them, on the day when he acts as priest. (10) He will join in the sacrifices of incense in all the meetings together with the former priest of the Mystai Theoi, and in all the occasions prescribed by the law. He will obtain his crown in perpetuity. (15) Tim[aios (?)] son of Straton bought the priesthood for seven gold pieces and sixty bronze pieces, which he provided immediately.

Traduction

Colonne II

[À la bonne fortune]. L’acheteur de la prêtrise des Mystai Theoi de [Samothrace] sera prêtre à vie et, le 7 [Apatoureon], il fournira [pour (5) les sacrifices] des bûches, versera [du vin (?), une libation (?)] pour les mystes et conduira en procession [...] à ses frais. Qu’il reçoive une couronne [de la part] des mystes pour sa munificence envers eux, le jour où il exerce la prêtrise. (10) Il sacrifiera aussi de l’encens dans toutes les réunions avec le précédent prêtre des Dieux Mustai et dans toutes les occasions qui surviennent conformément à la loi. Que la couronne soit à sa disposition à jamais. (15) Tim[aios (?)] fils de Straton a acheté la prêtrise pour sept pièces d’or et soixante de bronze qu’il a versées comptant.

(traduction S. Lebreton)

Commentary

The document appears to be a standard contract for the sale of a priesthood (for similar contracts at Miletos, the metropolis of Tomis, cf. e.g. CGRN 39 and CGRN 138). The duration of the tenure of the priest is specified (line 3, as often, this is for life). As is also often the case in these contracts, lists of sacrificial provisions by the priest are specified (lines 4-7), though interestingly no special portions from the sacrifices are explicitly awarded to him, as was usually the case. Instead, his privileges are to consist in a crown and officiating at meetings (lines 7-15).

The overall context of the sale deserves to be clarified: was it issued by the city of Tomis or by some other group? Sokolowski supposed that the honorand of the decree in column I, perhaps a certain Diagoras (line 15 of col. I), may have been the founder of the cult of the Samothracian gods at Tomis, and that he thus could in some way have been designated as "the prior priest" (lines 11-12 here). But it would be surprising that the previous priest was still alive, given that the sale of priesthoods was normally for life (as indeed here). The date of foundation of the cult of the Samothracian Gods at Tomis is itself unclear (at nearby Histria, the cult was originally private and the priesthood was by descent: cf. IScM I 19, 3rd century BC). Stoian appeared to agree with this assumption of a founder of the cult called Diagoras and, following O. Kern (RE X, col. 1414), underlined that the νόμος alluded to in line 13 may have been the charter or the legislative act of foundation of the cult. Alternatively, the allusion to the νόμος may have been to a civic law or simply to customary rules. A clearer and more convincing relationship between the two columns is now affirmed by Avram and Hălmagi, who have read column I as an honorific decree of the council and assembly of Tomis. They interpret these civic honours as appropriately concerning the purchaser of this priesthood, a certain Timaios (?) the son of Straton (the Diagoras mentioned on the stone would then be a treasurer or other civic official). According to this explanation, the stone must have formed the front part of the base for the statue with which Timaios (?) was honoured after purchasing the priestly office; the decree was inscribed on this stone to the left (col. I) and a copy of the contract, recording the purchase, on the right (col. II).

Avram and Hălmagi's interpretation accords very well with the fact that the present inscription is not explicitly a decree or a law, but more a contract for a civic office which is essentially a liturgy. Indeed, the office of priest of the Samothracian gods is explicitly presented as a form of euergetism (φιλοτιμία, line 8) rather than as a source of benefits or of revenue in and of itself. No sacrificial or other perquisites are awarded. Instead, the priest provides a sum of money as an immediate payment, takes care of annual provisions of wood, liquids, as well as sacrificial animals, and acts as an officiant for commencing and inaugurating meetings (lines 10-12; cf. Sokolowski's commentary for the sacrifices of incense at the beginning of meetings). These duties occur in exchange for honours that were granted by the polis: a crown for his benefaction (of unspecified value, but which would have been detailed in the honorific decree in col. I), and a statue, below which these texts were inscribed (according to Avram and Hălmagi's reconstruction).

The gods honoured here are interestingly called by the allusive expression or paraphrase Mystai Theoi "who are in Samothrace". The reference is to the Kabeiroi, whose cult enjoyed a great popularity and was widely disseminated: see recently Dimitrova. For a comparison with the sale of a priesthood for the civic and initiatic cult of the Korybantes at Erythrai cf. CGRN 98. For Mystes as an epithet, see also Paus. 8.54.5 (Dionysus at Tegea) and Artem. 2.70 (Apollo).

Line 4: Since Tomis was a colony of Miletos and is thought to have adopted its calendar in extenso, Apatourion will have been the 8th month, in late autumn or early winter. The 7th of Apatourion is not known to have featured any celebrations in the mother-city (though the seventh day was typically sacred to Apollo).

Lines 4-6: Ziehen's and Stoian's restoration [τὰ ξύλ]α̣ σχίζας seems quite redundant. According to Sokolowski's more suitable restoration, the wood is to be supplied at the priest's expense during all the sacrifices. The object of the next obligation for the priest is not completely clear, though it is obvious that the priest must provide a liquid of some sort to the initiates (perhaps simply a libation [σπονδήν], as Sokolowski restores), for instance wine (according to Stoian, doubtless a more costly liturgy in this case, if it entailed a supply of wine to all the initiates for the celebration).

Line 7: Stoian restores [κριῷ], though we would have excepted an accusative as the object of πομπεύω. As Sokolowski notes, the phrase implies that the new priest is to offer an animal (or several) at his own cost during the annual sacrifices, but the exact restoration of the animal remains elusive.

Lines 9-10: The reference of the day on which the priest will be crowned by the initiates seems to be to each day on which the priest will serve as priest. The clause εἰς τὸ κατ' [ἀϊδι]ον seems to be a further clarification of the repetitive nature of this act, during all the meetings and celebrations of the group (cf. the intervening clause in lines 10-13).

Lines 15-17: As with some other contracts of sale, the purchaser of the priesthood and the price obtained are appended to the document: cp. CGRN 175, lines 41-42, and CGRN 176 (Priene), lines 35-38. The final phrase suggests that the amount for the priesthood was provided in only one transfer, rather than in several instalments, as was often the norm (for instance, on Kos, e.g. CGRN 147, lines 136-140).

Publication

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike International License 4.0 .

All citation, reuse or distribution of this work must contain somewhere a link back to the DOI (https://doi.org/10.54510/CGRN123), as well as the year of consultation (see “Home” for details on how to cite or click “Export Citation” to create a reference for this specific file).

Authors

  • Jan-Mathieu Carbon
  • Saskia Peels
  • Vinciane Pirenne-Delforge

How To Cite

Brief citation of the Greek text : CGRN 123, lines x-x.

Reference to the file as a critical study of the inscription : Jan-Mathieu Carbon, Saskia Peels et Vinciane Pirenne-Delforge, "CGRN 123: Contract of sale for the priesthood of the Samothracian Gods at Tomis", in Collection of Greek Ritual Norms (CGRN), 2017-, consulted on November 21, 2024. URL: http://cgrn.ulg.ac.be/file/123/; DOI: https://doi.org/10.54510/CGRN123.

Full citation of the CGRN in a list of abbreviations or a bibliography is the following : Jan-Mathieu Carbon, Saskia Peels-Matthey, Vinciane Pirenne-Delforge, Collection of Greek Ritual Norms (CGRN), 2017-, consulted on November 21, 2024. URL: http://cgrn.ulg.ac.be; DOI: https://doi.org/10.54510/CGRN0. 

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	    				<author>Jan-Mathieu Carbon</author>
	    				<author>Saskia Peels</author>
	    		<author>Vinciane Pirenne-Delforge</author></titleStmt>
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		<provenance><p><placeName type="ancientFindspot" key="Tomis" n="Black_Sea"><ref target="http://pleiades.stoa.org/places/217016" type="external">Tomis</ref></placeName>. Now in the Museum of Bucarest.</p>
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				<div type="bibliography">
					<head>Bibliography</head>
					<p>Edition here based on Stoian <bibl type="abbr" n="IScM II">IScM II</bibl> 1 (in Romanian), with ph. pl. 1. We only include column II of the inscription (see the description above). We adopt Sokolowski's restoration in lines 4-5 (rather than Ziehen's, adopted by Stoian), and that we omit Stoian's restoration in line 7.</p>
					
					<p>Cf. also: Ziehen <bibl type="abbr" n="LGS II">LGS II</bibl> 84; 
						Sokolowski <bibl type="abbr" n="LSCG">LSCG</bibl> 87; 
						<bibl type="abbr" n="SEG">SEG</bibl> 25, 755; 
						<bibl type="author_date" n="Avram - Hălmagi 2020">Avram - Hălmagi 2020</bibl>, with ph.</p>
					
					<p>Further bibliography: <bibl type="author_date" n="Dimitrova 2008">Dimitrova 2008</bibl>.</p>
				</div>
	    		
	    			<div type="edition">
	    				<head>Text</head>
	    				<ab subtype="column" n="II">Column II
	    					
<lb xml:id="line_1" n="1"/><name type="epithet" key="Agathe"><w lemma="ἀγαθός"><supplied reason="lost">ἀγαθῇ</supplied></w></name> <name type="deity" key="Tyche"><w lemma="τύχη"><supplied reason="lost">τύχ</supplied>ῃ</w></name>· ὁ <w lemma="πρίαμαι">πριάμενος</w> τὴν <name type="personnel"><w lemma="ἱερωσύνη">ἱερω
	    				
<lb xml:id="line_2" n="2" break="no"/><supplied reason="lost">σύνην</supplied></w></name> <supplied reason="lost">τῶ</supplied>ν <name type="epithet" key="Mystes"><w lemma="μύστης">Μυστῶν</w></name> <name type="deity" key="unclear"><w lemma="θεός">Θεῶν</w></name> τῶ<unclear>ν</unclear> <w lemma="ἐν"><unclear>ἐ</unclear>ν</w>
	    					
<lb xml:id="line_3" n="3"/><placeName key="Samothrace"><w lemma="Σαμοθράκη"><supplied reason="lost">Σαμοθρά</supplied><unclear>κ</unclear>ῃ</w></placeName> <name type="personnel"><w lemma="ἱεράομαι">ἱερήσεται</w></name> <w lemma="διά">διὰ</w> <w lemma="βίος">βίο<supplied reason="lost">υ</supplied></w> <supplied reason="lost">καὶ</supplied>
	    					
<lb xml:id="line_4" n="4"/><name type="month"><w lemma="Ἀπατουριών"><supplied reason="lost">Ἀπατου</supplied>ρεῶνος</w></name> <w lemma="ἕβδομος">ἑβδόμῃ</w> <w lemma="παρέχω">παρ<supplied reason="lost">έξει</supplied></w> <w lemma="εἰς"><supplied reason="lost">εἰς</supplied></w>
	    				
<lb xml:id="line_5" n="5"/><supplied reason="lost">τὰ</supplied> <name type="genericOffering"><w lemma="ἱερός"><supplied reason="lost">ἱερ</supplied><unclear>ὰ</unclear></w></name> <name type="vegetal"><w lemma="σχίζα">σχίζας</w></name> καὶ <name type="liquid"><w lemma="ἐγχέω">ἐγχέει</w></name> <supplied reason="lost">τὸν</supplied> <name type="liquid"><w lemma="οἶνος"><supplied reason="lost">οἶ</supplied>
	    					
<lb xml:id="line_6" n="6" break="no"/><supplied reason="lost">νον (?)</supplied></w></name> <supplied reason="lost">τοῖ</supplied><unclear>ς</unclear> <name type="group"><w lemma="μύστης">μύσταις</w></name> καὶ <w lemma="πομπεύω">πομπε<supplied reason="lost">ύσει</supplied></w>
	    				
<lb xml:id="line_7" n="7"/><gap reason="lost" quantity="4" unit="character" precision="low"/> <w lemma="παρά"><supplied reason="lost">π</supplied><unclear>α</unclear>ρ’</w> <w lemma="αὐτός">αὐτοῦ</w>· <name type="adornment"><w lemma="στεφανόω">στεφανωθήσε<unclear>τ</unclear><supplied reason="lost">αι</supplied></w></name> <supplied reason="lost">δὲ</supplied>
	    				
<lb xml:id="line_8" n="8"/><w lemma="παρά"><supplied reason="lost">παρὰ</supplied></w> <unclear>τ</unclear>ῶν <name type="group"><w lemma="μύστης">μυστῶν</w></name> <w lemma="φιλοτιμία">φιλοτιμίας</w> <w lemma="ἕνεκα">ἕνε
	    				
<lb xml:id="line_9" n="9" break="no"/><supplied reason="lost">κε</supplied><unclear>ν</unclear></w> τῆς <w lemma="εἰς">εἰς</w> <w lemma="ἑαυτοῦ">ἑαυτούς</w>, <w lemma="ἐν">ἐν</w> ᾗ <name type="personnel"><w lemma="ἱεράομαι">ἱερᾶται</w></name> <w lemma="ἡμέρα">ἡμέ
	    					
<lb xml:id="line_10" n="10" break="no"/>ρᾳ</w>· <name type="sacrifice"><w lemma="συνθύω">συνθύσει</w></name> δὲ καὶ τοὺς <name type="vegetal"><w lemma="λίβανος">λιβάνους</w></name> <w lemma="ἐν">ἐμ</w>
	    				
	    	<lb xml:id="line_11" n="11"/><w lemma="πᾶς">πάσαις</w> ταῖς <name type="group"><w lemma="σύνοδος">συνόδοις</w></name> <w lemma="μετά">μετὰ</w> τοῦ <w lemma="προϋπάρχω">προ
	    					
<lb xml:id="line_12" n="12" break="no"/>υπάρχοντος</w> <name type="personnel"><w lemma="ἱερεύς">ἱέρεω</w></name> τῶν <name type="epithet" key="Mystes"><w lemma="μύστης">Μυστῶν</w></name> καὶ
	    					
<lb xml:id="line_13" n="13"/>οἷς <w lemma="ἐπιβάλλω">ἐπιβάλλει</w> <w lemma="ἐκ">ἐκ</w> τοῦ <w lemma="νόμος">νόμου</w>· <w lemma="ὑπάρχω">ὑπάρχει<unclear>ν</unclear></w>
	    					
<lb xml:id="line_14" n="14"/>δὲ <w lemma="αὐτός">αὐτῷ</w> τὸν <name type="adornment"><w lemma="στέφανος">στέφανον</w></name> <w lemma="εἰς">εἰς</w> τὸ <w lemma="κατά">κατ’</w> <w lemma="ἀΐδιος"><supplied reason="lost">ἀΐδι</supplied>
	    					
<lb xml:id="line_15" n="15" break="no"/>ον</w>· <w lemma="πρίαμαι">ἐπρίατο</w> τὴν <name type="personnel"><w lemma="ἱερωσύνη">ἱερωσύνην</w></name> Τίμ<supplied reason="lost">αιος (?)</supplied>
	    					
<lb xml:id="line_16" n="16"/>Στράτωνος <w lemma="χρυσός">χρυσῶν</w> <w lemma="ἑπτά">ἑπτά</w>, <w lemma="χαλκός">χαλ<unclear>κ</unclear><supplied reason="lost">ῶν</supplied></w>
	    					
<lb xml:id="line_17" n="17"/><w lemma="ἑξήκοντα">ἑξήκοντα</w> οὓς <w lemma="δίδωμι">ἔδωκε</w> <w lemma="παραχρῆμα">παραχρῆ<supplied reason="lost">μα</supplied></w>.
	    			
	    				</ab>
	    			</div>
	    			<div type="translation" xml:lang="eng">
					<head>Translation</head>
					<p>Column II</p>
	    				
<p>[With good fortune]. The one who purchases the priesthood of the Mystai Theoi from [Samothrace] will serve as priest for life, and on the 7th of [Apatoureon], will provide the pieces of wood [for (5) the sacrifices] and pour [wine (?) a libation (?)] for the initiates, and will lead in a procession [...] at his own cost. He will be crowned [by] the initiates for his benefaction towards them, on the day when he acts as priest. (10) He will join in the sacrifices of incense in all the meetings together with the former priest of the Mystai Theoi, and in all the occasions prescribed by the law. He will obtain his crown in perpetuity. (15) Tim[aios (?)] son of Straton bought the priesthood for seven gold pieces and sixty bronze pieces, which he provided immediately. 
 					</p>
				</div>
				<div type="translation" xml:lang="fre">
					<head>Traduction</head>
					<p>Colonne II</p>
					
<p>[À la bonne fortune]. L’acheteur de la prêtrise des Mystai Theoi de [Samothrace] sera prêtre à vie et, le 7 [Apatoureon], il fournira [pour (5) les sacrifices] des bûches, versera [du vin (?), une libation (?)] pour les mystes et conduira en procession [...] à ses frais. Qu’il reçoive une couronne [de la part] des mystes pour sa munificence envers eux, le jour où il exerce la prêtrise. (10) Il sacrifiera aussi de l’encens dans toutes les réunions avec le précédent prêtre des Dieux Mustai et dans toutes les occasions qui surviennent conformément à la loi. Que la couronne soit à sa disposition à jamais. (15) Tim[aios (?)] fils de Straton a acheté la prêtrise pour sept pièces d’or et soixante de bronze qu’il a versées comptant.	
					</p>
					<p>(traduction S. Lebreton)</p>
				</div>
					<div type="commentary">    
						<head>Commentary</head>    
						
<p>The document appears to be a standard contract for the sale of a priesthood (for similar contracts at Miletos, the metropolis of Tomis, cf. e.g. <ref target="http://cgrn.ulg.ac.be/CGRN_39">CGRN 39</ref> and <ref target="http://cgrn.ulg.ac.be/CGRN_138">CGRN 138</ref>). The duration of the tenure of the priest is specified (line 3, as often, this is for life). As is also often the case in these contracts, lists of sacrificial provisions by the priest are specified (lines 4-7), though interestingly no special portions from the sacrifices are explicitly awarded to him, as was usually the case. Instead, his privileges are to consist in a crown and officiating at meetings (lines 7-15).</p>
						
<p>The overall context of the sale deserves to be clarified: was it issued by the city of Tomis or by some other group? Sokolowski supposed that the honorand of the decree in column I, perhaps a certain Diagoras (line 15 of col. I), may have been the founder of the cult of the Samothracian gods at Tomis, and that he thus could in some way have been designated as "the prior priest" (lines 11-12 here). But it would be surprising that the previous priest was still alive, given that the sale of priesthoods was normally for life (as indeed here). The date of foundation of the cult of the Samothracian Gods at Tomis is itself unclear (at nearby Histria, the cult was originally private and the priesthood was by descent: cf. <bibl type="abbr" n="IScM I">IScM I</bibl> 19, 3rd century BC). Stoian appeared to agree with this assumption of a founder of the cult called Diagoras and, following O. Kern (<title>RE</title> X, col. 1414), underlined that the νόμος alluded to in line 13 may have been the charter or the legislative act of foundation of the cult. Alternatively, the allusion to the νόμος may have been to a civic law or simply to customary rules. A clearer and more convincing relationship between the two columns is now affirmed by Avram and Hălmagi, who have read column I as an honorific decree of the council and assembly of Tomis. They interpret these civic honours as appropriately concerning the purchaser of this priesthood, a certain Timaios (?) the son of Straton (the Diagoras mentioned on the stone would then be a treasurer or other civic official). According to this explanation, the stone must have formed the front part of the base for the statue with which Timaios (?) was honoured after purchasing the priestly office; the decree was inscribed on this stone to the left (col. I) and a copy of the contract, recording the purchase, on the right (col. II).</p>
						
<p>Avram and Hălmagi's interpretation accords very well with the fact that the present inscription is not explicitly a decree or a law, but more a contract for a civic office which is essentially a liturgy. Indeed, the office of priest of the Samothracian gods is explicitly presented as a form of euergetism (φιλοτιμία, line 8) rather than as a source of benefits or of revenue in and of itself. No sacrificial or other perquisites are awarded. Instead, the priest provides a sum of money as an immediate payment, takes care of annual provisions of wood, liquids, as well as sacrificial animals, and acts as an officiant for commencing and inaugurating meetings (lines 10-12; cf. Sokolowski's commentary for the sacrifices of incense at the beginning of meetings). These duties occur in exchange for honours that were granted by the <foreign>polis</foreign>: a crown for his benefaction (of unspecified value, but which would have been detailed in the honorific decree in col. I), and a statue, below which these texts were inscribed (according to Avram and Hălmagi's reconstruction).</p>			
						
<p>The gods honoured here are interestingly called by the allusive expression or paraphrase Mystai Theoi "who are in Samothrace". The reference is to the Kabeiroi, whose cult enjoyed a great popularity and was widely disseminated: see recently Dimitrova. For a comparison with the sale of a priesthood for the civic and initiatic cult of the Korybantes at Erythrai cf. <ref target="http://cgrn.ulg.ac.be/CGRN_98/">CGRN 98</ref>. For Mystes as an epithet, see also Paus. 8.54.5 (Dionysus at Tegea) and Artem. 2.70 (Apollo).</p>

<p>Line 4: Since Tomis was a colony of Miletos and is thought to have adopted its calendar <foreign>in extenso</foreign>, Apatourion will have been the 8th month, in late autumn or early winter. The 7th of Apatourion is not known to have featured any celebrations in the mother-city (though the seventh day was typically sacred to Apollo).</p>
						
<p>Lines 4-6: Ziehen's and Stoian's restoration [τὰ ξύλ]α̣ σχίζας seems quite redundant. According to Sokolowski's more suitable restoration, the wood is to be supplied at the priest's expense during all the sacrifices. The object of the next obligation for the priest is not completely clear, though it is obvious that the priest must provide a liquid of some sort to the initiates (perhaps simply a libation [σπονδήν], as Sokolowski restores), for instance wine (according to Stoian, doubtless a more costly liturgy in this case, if it entailed a supply of wine to all the initiates for the celebration).</p>
						
<p>Line 7: Stoian restores <supplied reason="lost">κριῷ</supplied>, though we would have excepted an accusative as the object of πομπεύω. As Sokolowski notes, the phrase implies that the new priest is to offer an animal (or several) at his own cost during the annual sacrifices, but the exact restoration of the animal remains elusive. </p>
						
<p>Lines 9-10: The reference of the day on which the priest will be crowned by the initiates seems to be to each day on which the priest will serve as priest. The clause εἰς τὸ κατ' [ἀϊδι]ον seems to be a further clarification of the repetitive nature of this act, during all the meetings and celebrations of the group (cf. the intervening clause in lines 10-13).</p>
						
<p>Lines 15-17: As with some other contracts of sale, the purchaser of the priesthood and the price obtained are appended to the document: cp. <ref target="http://cgrn.ulg.ac.be/CGRN_175/">CGRN 175</ref>, lines 41-42, and <ref target="http://cgrn.ulg.ac.be/CGRN_176/">CGRN 176</ref> (Priene), lines 35-38. The final phrase suggests that the amount for the priesthood was provided in only one transfer, rather than in several instalments, as was often the norm (for instance, on Kos, e.g. <ref target="http://cgrn.ulg.ac.be/CGRN_147/">CGRN 147</ref>, lines 136-140).
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