THE GYMNASION IN THE HELLENISTIC EAST MOTIVES, DIVERGENCES, AND NETWORKS OF CONTACTS Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Leicester by Dorothea Stavrou BA (Ioannina), MA (King’s College London) School of Archaeology & Ancient History University of Leicester December 2016 ABSTRACT Dorothea Stavrou, The gymnasion in the hellenistic east: motives, divergences, and networks of contacts. This thesis is a socio-cultural study of the Greek gymnasion in the Hellenistic period: its development, the factors that underpinned its adoption, and the role of native educational practices in that process. Focusing on the Seleukid and Ptolemaic kingdoms, it presents a parallel study of the gymnasion in each. It investigates the motives behind its adoption, the differences between gymnasia, the networks of contacts that were constructed through them, and their impact on the opening up of the institution to non-Greeks. Chapter 1 sets out the research framework and presents the findings of recent scholarship on the gymnasion and on the participation of non-Greeks. It gives an account of the sources, the problems of the evidence, the methodology, and the research questions. Chapter 2 begins with an account of the types of cities and other settlements that fostered the institution of the gymnasion, highlighting how their diversity influenced its diffusion and maintenance. Next the military and cultural roles of the gymnasion are reviewed and conclusions drawn about the variety of educational programmes it offered and its role as a unifying element in elite society. Chapter 3 presents the network of interpersonal relations created in gymnasia. The first section presents rulers’ policy and demonstrates the variable picture of royal benefaction and communities’ reciprocation of royal goodwill. The next examines the internal community of the gymnasion, the roles of gymnasiarchs, and relations between various groups of participants. Chapter 4 examines the participation of non-Greeks and the impact of Greek education upon non-Greek communities. It proposes a new approach to the gymnasion, viewing it as a continuation of pre-existing concepts of education. It views the cultural borrowings and common educational elements among ancient civilizations as laying the foundation for a cultural bridge between Greeks and non-Greeks in the gymnasion. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I should like to express my deep gratitude to my thesis supervisor, Prof. Graham Shipley, for his continued and patient guidance. His encouragement and his valuable advice and suggestions throughout my studies contributed to the improvement of my work. His instructive comments prevented me from several mistakes and helped me evaluate my sources better. His constant support enabled me to complete this thesis. I also thank my second supervisor Dr Sarah Scott for her valuable and accurate comments. Besides my supervisors, I should like to thank Dr Ian Whitbread and Dr Jan Haywood for their insightful comments. I should like to thank Prof. N. Kennell for his valuable advice at the beginning of my research, Prof. K. Vlassopoulos who gave me a copy of his work, Dr S. Skaltsa and Dr M. C. D. Paganini who provided me with copies of their theses. I am most grateful for the constant support of my friend Dr S. Skaltsa. Her help was undiminished throughout my studies. I should like to express my appreciation to the Library services of the University of Leicester. I also thank the library staff of the British School at Athens, the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, and the Scuola Archeologica Italiana di Atene for providing me with essential resources for the completion of this thesis. I could not have done this work without the continuous inspiration of my family and friends. The caring attitude of my children Christianna and Giorgos and the patience and encouragement of my husband Manolis helped me to overcome many obstacles that occurred through my studies and made this thesis possible. For Manolis’s devotion and help all these years, and for his endless love and support, I dedicate my thesis to him. iii CONTENTS Abstract ii Acknowledgements iii List of tables vi List of figures vi List of maps vi List of abbreviations vii Maps xi Chapter 1. Introduction 1 1.1. Aims of the thesis 1 1.2. The Eastern Gymnasion: place and practice. A chronological and geographical setting 4 1.3. Outline of the data and Methodology 6 1.4. Recent scholarship and approaches 21 Chapter 2. The diffusion of the gymnasion in the Hellenistic East and its role in the eastern communities 28 2.1. Cities, settlements and populations in the Hellenistic kingdoms 28 2.1.1. Seleukid kingdom 28 2.1.2. Ptolemaic kingdom 34 2.1.3. Conclusion 38 2.2. The role of the gymnasion in the eastern Hellenistic communities 39 2.2.1. Military education in the gymnasia 40 2.2.2. Intellectual education 55 2.2.3. Religious festivals and the gymnasion 60 Chapter 3. Interpersonal relations in the gymnasia of the East 74 3.1. The kings’ attitude towards the gymnasia 74 3.1.1. The Ptolemies and their euergesiai towards the gymnasia 76 3.1.2. The Seleukids and their euergesiai towards the gymnasia 92 3.1.3. The benefactions of the Attalids towards the gymnasia—a brief account 98 3.1.4. Concluding thoughts about the royal benefactions towards the gymnasia 100 3.2. Internal dynamics of the gymnasia 104 3.2.1. Gymnasiarchs as benefactors of the gymnasia 105 3.2.2. Gymnasiarchs in the cities of Asia Minor 106 iv v 3.2.3. Gymnasiarchs in Egyptian territory 119 3.2.4. Gymnasiarchs in Ptolemaic military possessions outside Egypt 121 3.2.5. Concluding thoughts about social relations within the eastern gymnasia 128 Chapter 4. Non-Greeks and the Hellenistic gymnasion: native traditions and new practices in the East 130 4.1. The influence of Greek paideia and of the gymnasion in the non-Greek population of the East from fourth century BC onwards 131 4.1.1. Asia Minor 132 4.1.2. Syria and Phoenicia 144 4.1.3. Ptolemaic Egypt 165 4.1.4. The Near East 172 4.1.5. A brief account of the Greek educational legacy in the East after Seleukid rule 185 4.2. Native educational traditions 186 4.2.1. Introduction 187 4.2.2. Educational features and athletic training in pre-Hellenistic Egypt 187 4.2.3. Educational features and athletic training in pre-Hellenistic Mesopotamia 199 4.2.4. Educational features and athletic training in the pre-Hellenistic Persian empire 204 Conclusion to 4.2 206 4.3. Resistance to Greek education 209 4.3.1. Egyptians 210 4.3.2. Jews 215 Conclusion to 4.3 220 Conclusion 221 Appendix: Tables 233 Table 1. Kings’ benefactions and reciprocations 234 Table 2. Gymnasiarchs and citizens as benefactors of gymnasia 243 List of works cited 253 LIST OF MAPS Map 1. Greece xii Map 2. Asia Minor. xiii Map 3. Syria-Phoenicia and Cyprus. xiv Map 4. Egypt. xv LIST OF FIGU RES Fig. 1. Benefactions of gymnasiarchs towards the gymnasia during the 9 Hellenistic period (classification by century). Fig. 2. Timeline of benefactions of Hellenistic kings towards gymnasia. 11 Fig. 3. Royal houses and benefactions. 12 Fig. 4. Chronological distribution of royal benefactions towards gymnasia 100 during the Hellenistic period. Fig. 5. The allocation of royal benefactions towards the gymnasia. 104 Fig. 6. Domains of gymnasiarchs’ benefactions towards gymnasia. 113 Fig. 7. Honouring bodies and gymnasiarchs. 116 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Kings’ benefactions and reciprocations. 234 Table 2. Gymnasiarchs and citizens as benefactors of gymnasia. 243 vi LIST OF ABBREVIATION S The abbreviations follow OCD3 = S. Hornblower and A. 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