IGII2 2343 Offering table of a <i>thiasos</i> of Herakles

Offering table of a thiasos of Herakles

IG II² 2343 Date: early 4th century BC

Around the edge of the table upper edge (1)(This is the table of) Simon of Kydathenaion, priest of Herakles and of an association (koinō) of members of the thiasos (thiasōtōn):^[1] left edge (2)Philonides, Euthynomos, Theophon, lower edge (3)Pythaios, Lysanias, Antitheos, Amphitheos, Hegemon, Archestratos,^[2] right edge (4)Melanopides, Melanopides, upper edge, upside down (4a)Theophanes,^[3] between the right and middle rectangular hollows (5)Telestes, between the right and middle rectangular hollows, upside down (5a)Apollodoros,^[4] between the middle and left hollows (6)Nausistratos.^[5]

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References:

IG II² 2343 (Translated text) (PHI)

Translation by: Liubov Eliseeva

Monument type: Cult table

Inscription type: Dedication (private, Herakles), List of names (thiasos)

Findspot: Athens (house of Prokopios Simos near Plateia Vathis) (EM 10652)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] This very well preserved cult table of Pentelic marble was probably found in 1883 during the construction of the house of Prokopios Simos near Plateia Vathis in the north of Athens; the exact location of this house is not known (G. E. Malouchou in A. P. Matthaiou, V. N. Bardane, Στεφάνωι στέφανος. Μελέτες εις μνήμην Στεφάνου Ν. Κουμανούδη, 2019, 68, 71–72). On the upper surface there are three rectangular hollows with curved corners, where worshippers could place offerings. The inscription runs all the way around the rim (Threatte I, 59) and into the spaces between the hollows. The names in lines 2-4a are separated from one another by a 3-dot interpunct or by being moved to the next line. In l. 1 the 3-dot interpunct separates the priest's name and demotic from his title and the community of thiasotai. At the end of the phrase there is another interpunct, possibly because the final part of the name "Theophanes" was inscribed in the remaining space of the line 1 (see below). U. Köhler in IG II preferred to date this inscription to the beginning of the 4th century BC rather than 5th century BC. Ch. Schubert noted that it could be dated to the time shortly after 403 BC (Perikles 1994, 82). Neither provide detailed justification for the date.

The inscription itself is a list of names in the nominative case, which is unusual (cf. Malouchou 2019, 70). It records members of a thiasos of Herakles – a type of cult association (see IG II² 2345, with notes). The list may represent all the members of the thiasos or only those members who contributed specifically for this dedication. The members of this association probably dined together as a form of a ritual practice (R. Parker, Athenian Religion, 1996, 334). The cult table may have been used to share food between worshippers as well as to make offerings to the deity (A. Verbanck-Piérard in R. Hägg, The Iconography of Greek Cult in the Archaic and Classical Periods, 1992, 85-106 with literature).

Only the priest is identified by his demotic. Some of the members of this cult association have names which match those of characters in Aristophanes' plays (Amphitheos, Ach. 45; Antitheos, Thesm. 898; Simon of Kydathenaion, Eq. 242) and of his dramatic rivals (the comic poet Philonides of Kydathenaion; Lysanias, cf. Nub. 1163). These may therefore have been his real-life acquaintances, as Aristophanes also came from Kydathenaion (S. Dow, American Journal Archeology 73, 1969, 234-35; D. Welsh CQ 33/1, 1983, 51-55; on this deme cf. Agora XVI 68). [2] The letter 'M' was inscribed on the same line as other letters of line 3, along the lower edge of the table, i.e., ΑΡΧΕΟΣΤΡΑΤΟΣΜ. However, the remaining letters of this name, -elanopides, were written on the next line (i.e., on the right edge). [3] The ending of the name "Theophanes" (-άνης) was inscribed in line with the first line of the inscription, but upside down, as it continues the direction of writing of line 4. There is an interpunct at the end of the name, possibly to separate the beginning of the inscription from the last name in the list (cf. Threatte I, 84); see above. [4] The name "Apollodoros" is written in line with the name "Telestes" (l. 5), but upside down. [5] The names inscribed in the space between the rectangular hollows are separated by being placed on a new line or by a change in the direction of writing.

Added: 24 Jul 2026
Updated: 24 Jul 2026
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ID: AIO_3707