IGII34 1773 Sacrificial regulation for the cult of Asklepios and associated deities at Piraeus

Sacrificial regulation for the cult of Asklepios and associated deities at Piraeus

IG II³ 4 1773 Date: Early iv BC (Face A); iv BC (Face B, C, D)

Face A (front)

Gods.^[1] Make preliminary (prothuesthai) sacrifices according to this: for Maleatas, three round cakes (popana); for Apollo, three round (5) cakes; for Hermes, three round cakes; for Iaso, three round cakes; for Akeso, three round cakes; for Panakeia, three round cakes; for the Dogs, three round cakes; (10) for the Hunters with Dogs, three round cakes.^[2]

Euthydemos of Eleusis, priest of Asklepios, erected the stelai (15) by the altars, on which (stelai) he first depicted the round cakes that are required to be preliminarily sacrificed.

Face B (left)

For Helios, (20) a propitiatory cake, a honeycomb. For Mnemosyne, a propitiatory cake, (25) a honey- comb. Three wineless altars.^[3]

Face C (TOP)

(30) Three wineless altars.

Face D (back)

Wineless.

Previous - SEG 64.30 (1) Next - SEG 66.116

References:

IG II³ 4 1773 (Translated text) (IG Online)

IG II² 4962 (PHI)

SEG 65.151

Syll.³ 1040

Sokolowski, LSCG 21

CGRN 54 (CGRN)

Translation by: Stephen Lambert, Feyo Schuddeboom, Chris de Lisle

Monument type: Block

Inscription type: Cult regulation

Findspot: Piraeus (Piraeus Museum 1622)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] In IG II² 47 we encountered Euthydemos priest of the healing god, Asklepios, in the Piraeus, successfully recommending to the Assembly preliminary offerings to be made in the context of the state festival of Asklepios in the Piraeus. Euthydemos also appears to have been the moving force behind this inscription which also stipulates preliminary offerings, and from which it seems that visual representations of one of the particular kinds of cake to be offered were also included (ll. 16-18, Lamont, however, cited below, interprets this passage as implying not visual depictions, but that E. "caused the rules for preliminary popana sacrifices to be represented on, or copied onto, stelai"). This time the context is obscure, but an attractive possibility is that the offerings were required prior to the rite of incubation, whereby someone seeking the help of Asklepios would spend a night in the sanctuary in the expectation that he or she would be "visited" by the god. For this and further discussion of the offerings see the notes in CGRN 54. On the Asklepieion at Zea in Piraeus, in general, see IG I³ 1081 with notes and J. Lamont, in M. M. Miles (ed.), Autopsy in Athens (2015), 37-50 and fig. 5.5 (= SEG 65.151, including photos of this inscription).

This is one of a number of short inscriptions, most, but not all, of which can be associated with the Asklepieia on the south slope of the Acropolis in the city and the Piraeus, specifying offerings required. See also IG II³ 4, 1775-1776 (Piraeus), IG II³ 4, 1747-1750, 1759 (city), IG II³ 4, 1788 (Halimous). [2] The gods named in ll. 3-10 are all otherwise linked to the cult of Asklepios. Apollo Maleatas was originally the main deity at the sanctuary at Epidauros, where he was overshadowed by his son Asklepios from the 5th century BC onwards. It is unusual to see him separated into two separate entities. If the offerings are linked with the incubation ritual, then Hermes is probably included (l. 5) in his capacity as bringer of dreams. Iaso, Akeso, and Panakeia were Asklepios' daughters. The hunters are probably Asklepios' sons Podaleirios and Machaon, who are depicted with their hunting dogs on IG II³ 4, 665. On the close association of dogs with Asklepios, which may have Mesopotamian and Egyptian roots, see F. Steger, Asclepius: Medicine and Cult, 2018, 18-20. [3] Helios and Mnemosyne, personifications of the Sun and memory respectively, might look forward to the point when the worshippers awoke from the incubation ritual and sought to retain a memory of any vision of Asklepios that their dreams had brought them. For "wineless" or "sober" offerings (nephalia), see AIUK 11 (Ashmolean), no. 2 with notes.

Added: 3 Jan 2018
Updated: 19 Aug 2025
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ID: AIO_1307