Kernos Revue internationale et pluridisciplinaire de religion grecque antique 17 | 2004 Varia Epigraphic Bulletin for Greek Religion 2001 Angelos Chaniotis and Joannis Mylonopoulos Electronic version URL: http://journals.openedition.org/kernos/1474 DOI: 10.4000/kernos.1474 ISSN: 2034-7871 Publisher Centre international d'étude de la religion grecque antique Printed version Date of publication: 1 January 2004 ISSN: 0776-3824 Electronic reference Angelos Chaniotis and Joannis Mylonopoulos, « Epigraphic Bulletin for Greek Religion 2001 », Kernos [Online], 17 | 2004, Online since 22 April 2011, connection on 16 September 2020. URL : http:// journals.openedition.org/kernos/1474 Kernos Kernos 17 (2004), p. 187-249. Epigraphie Bulletin for Greek Religion 2001 (EBGR 2001) With the 14th issue of the l<:pigrapbic Bulletin/or Greek Religion we present a selection of those epigraphie publications of the year 2001 whieh are connected with the study of Greek religion, but also contribute to the understancling of its cultural context (Oriental cuIts, Judaism, ancl Early Christianity); we have also fillecl some of the gaps from earlier issues (especially EBGR 1999 ancl 2000). As in earlier bulletins, we have inclucled a small selection of papyrologieal publications, especially with regard to the stucly of performative ritual texts (n'" 79 ancl 194), ancient mythology (nO> 79 and 114), divination (n° 85) ancl magie (n'" 85, 89-90, 108, 127). Despite some omissions, whieh we intend to cover in the next issue, we hope that the EBGR 2001 gives a representa­ tive pieture both of new discoveries and of new interpretations. In this issue we have summarizecl several regional C01"p01"a whieh were publishecl in 2000 ancl 2001: we now possess corpora for Rhamnous (n° 142), the Ionian Islands (n° 74), Samos (n° 75), Pannonia (n° 101), and Sicle (n° 132). We should also mention the corpus of the Greek-Latin bilingual inscriptions of Asia Minor (n° 94), a corpus of Greek hymns (nO 62), ancl t'No further volumes of the very useful corpus of the epi­ grams from the Greek East (n'" 120 ancl 121), which in the meantime has been completed with the publication of the fourth volume (R. MERIŒLI3ACH - J. STAUBER, Steinepigramme CIliS dem griecbiscben Osten. Band 4: Die Siidkiiste Kleinasiens, Syrien und Palaestina, Leipzig, 2002). Current research trends emerge fi'mll the other epi­ graphie publications. \\Te single out some of the highlights of this issue. Cult regulations (leges SaC1"ae) are the most important source of information for the study of rituals. The presentation of new Koan leges sacrae (cf EBGR 2000, 151) continued in 2001 with the publication of sL\: documents that concern the sale of priesthoods (n° 139). Another signifieant, but unfortunately fragmentalY find, comes from Olympia (n° 170, c. 500 BC), it seems to regulate the presence of foreigners in the sanctuary of Zeus and damages caused by livestock; the geographical data in a passage of this text probably ret1ect the itinerary used by the sponclophorai of Olympia who announced the sacred tl'Llce. \\Te also mention the new edition of a sacred law from the Cave of Pan at Marathon (n° 115) and a fragmentaq epigram whose composer asserts that he did not worship an anonymous god with luxurious offerings and sacrifices of bulls, but with verses, offerings of oak and incense, and the customary sacrifices (n° 120). A series of stuclies on the raIe of music in ancient cult and the valuable collection of Greek hymns (n° 62) will certainly increase the awareness of the aesthetic aspects of ancient t"ituals (see especially nO 12). A rather neglected phenomenon in the stucly of rituals is the effect of war on the regular performance of rituals; this is alludecl to in the honoralY decree for a military commander in Rhamnous, who "provided sacrificial animais for the sacrifice of the Nemesia and of (to) the king from his own resources, 188 A. CHANIOTIS, J. MYLONOPOlTLOS when the sacrifices had been neglected because of the war, sa that the Rhamnousians could show the proper conduct towards the goddesses" (nO 142). Rituals sometimes are only indirectly inferred from inscriptions. For instance, does the XcXQlÇ 0:1SlflVY]f16vEllTQç in a Karian inscription (n° 20) imply the regular commemo­ ration of gratitude through ritual actions (e.g., the crowing of a statue)? That the ritual of sacrifiee could be felt as a bond whieh connected two persans and was remem­ bered as a shared experience is demonstrated by an inscription written on the base of a statue of Polydeukion, Herodes Atticus' toster child; Herodes made the dedieation ta the goddess, "ta whom he used ta offer sacrifices together with him" (n° 142). With regard ta divination we draw attention ta an interesting case of necromancy and a possible case of a Homeromanteion (n° 121). Among the new finds whieh add ta our knowledge of piety and individual reli­ gious feelings l mention the epigram of Iulia Hagne l'rom Hadrianoi whieh shows the woman's devotion ta the local cuIts; the epigram states that she died abroad, leaving behind the god of her fatherland (n° 120). A soldier serving in the garrison at Didymoi in Egypt (c. AD 180-192) reports in graffiti written on two tiles: "1 hem'd in my dreams that l should make the banquet for lord Sarapis; and l made it in expression of grati­ tude for goad fortune" and "1 made the banquet for good fortune, in accordance with a dream" (n° 45). The piety of soldiers, persans continually exposed ta dangers, certainly needs more attention (see now nO' 50 and 142). Dedicatot-y inscdptions usually take the lion's share with respect ta the expres­ sion of personal piety. Among the many new texts we draw attention ta a dedieation l'rom Korkyra (nO 76 = IG IX 12 4, 844) whieh clearly reveals how the principle of do ut des worked: al'ter a seaman had dedieated ta Zeus the image of a ship and was blessed by the god with safety, not only did he dedieate a larger image of a ship, but he also promised ta dedieate a third one, this time made entirely of gold, should the god also grant him wealth. Less numerous are inscriptions whieh refer ta the lack of piety; in this issue we have two cases of theft of sacred property in inscriptions l'rom Delos and Samos (n'" 34 and 75). Already in the preface of EBGR 2000 we called attention ta the phenomenon of sacred manumission and the dedication of pet'sons (slaves, alumni, family members) ta sanctuaries, two important ritual practiees and expressions of personal piety that are almost exclusively documented through inscriptions. In addition to new manumission records l'rom the Kabeirion of Lemnos (n° 14), we should mention two important imterpretative essays on the significance of the consecration of children and slaves in Macedonia and Phlygia (n'" 124 and 153). Ancient doctrines and rituals associated with the 'Ot'phics' have recently attracted a lot of attention. This year's issue includes an important new find, this time l'rom Amphipolis (n° 118), with a new formula (SÙ0:y~ç lSQcX ~lov6ŒOU BiXXXtOU 81f1D and a new edition of the lemalle l'rom Hipponion (n° 162). We also mention an article of D. JORDAN ("Written Instructions for the Deacl: An Example ti'om Mordovia", ZPE 134 [2001], p. 80, with an adclendum in ZPE 137 [2001], p. 34), in whieh he points ta a modern parallel ta the Orphie leaves: a present-clay funermy lament l'rom Mordovia, whieh gives instructions to the deceasecl for his last journey. The agonistic cultuœ especially of the Hellenistie and Imperial periods is one of the cammon themes of the EBGR. It is basieally with epigraphie fincls that the various aspects of agons can be clarified, such as undecided vietories and vietories without competiton (n'" 42-43) or the acclamations in the stadion during the athletie competi­ tions (nO 150), The continuaI publication of new evidence for gladiatorial shows in the Epigraphie Bulletin 2001 189 Greek East calls for a new comprehensive study that woulcl update 1. ROBERT'S classi­ cal work on glacliators in the Roman East. In this context we single out a new letter of Hadrian to Aphroclisias, in which the emperor shows his clisapproval of glacliatorial shows (n° 152: "I concecle that you shoulcl take money from the high priests insteacl of glacliatorial shows; not only clo l concecle but l praise your proposai") ancl a new Interpretation of a relief clepicting women gladiators (n° 38; see also n'" 87, 123, 152, and 160). In recent issues of the BBGR we have often presentecl eviclence for clivinities that were regarclecl as patrons of justice and retribution. \V'e mention a new attestation of the cult of 'Just Gocls' (Theoi Dikaioi) in Kibyra (n° 39) and an appeal to theodicy: the epigram for Menophantos, who hacl been murclerecl, implores Dike ancl Zeus to console his parents by avenging his death (n° 120). The study of ancient magic continues to flourish (cf n'" 15-16, 55-56, 71, 76, 85, 89-90, 108, 127, 132, and 141). There are some interesting new finds, especially curse tablets (n'" 29, 71, ancl 185) ancl a new text apparently dosely relatecl to the 'prayers for justice' (n° 29). One shoulcl note the first clefixio from Crete, which is unique also in another respect: it is written on a splinter of green steatite (n° 71). Among the new stuclies we single out a study on the use of nails in magic (n° 16). The use of hand­ books in ancient magic has long been known (cf BBGR 2000, 58); D.