Notes on the Agonistic Institutions of Roman Corinth Geagan, Daniel J Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies; Spring 1968; 9, 1; ProQuest pg. 69 Notes on the Agonistic Institutions of Roman Corinth Daniel J. Geagan THE INSCRIPTIONS OF CORINTH as published by John Harvey Kent! have brought to light a certain amount of new information on the agonistic institutions, particularly the liturgical aspects, of Roman Corinth. Kent's primary goal of presenting the sources and minimizing the commentary prevented the thorough analysis which the documents deserve. The author's review of Kent's book2 did not contain any of this material, partially because of the limitations of time and space and partially because much of the material is better presented in a separate study. The agonothesia was one of the most burdensome liturgies in a Greek city during the period of Roman hegemony. In the western Roman colonies the expenses of games were borne by the magistrates.3 In the Greek cities, on the other hand, a liturgist entitled the agonothetes paid for and managed the contests, and for so doing gained the right to include the agonothesia in his cursus honorum. One would expect that the system prevalent in other Roman colonies was in use also at Corinth, and this fact may well explain the paucity of information about the civic agonistic institutions and the absence of agonothetai for games other than the Isthmia. But Corinth was peculiar in that besides civic games the traditional Isthmian games, conducted in accordance with Greek customs, also were under its control. The 1 Corinth VIII.3, The Inscriptions 1926-1950 (Princeton 1966), hereafter cited merely as KENT. So also A. B. West, Corinth VIII.2, Latin Inscriptions 1896-1926 (Cambridge [Mass.] 1931) and B. D. Meritt, Corinth VIII.l, Greek Inscriptions 1896-1927 (Cambridge [Mass.] 1931) will be cited merely as WEST and MERITT. Unless otherwise indicated, numerals following these citations refer to the inscriptions as numbered in these collections. 2 AJA 71 (1967) 422-24. 3 Lex coloniae Genetivae Iuliae s. Ursonensis, ch. 70, 71, 128, although the right to give games was not limited to the magistrates, ch. 126. See the texts of S. Riccobono in Fontes luris Romani Antejustiniani, I: Leges (Florence 1941) 177-98 and of A. d'Ors, EpigrafiaJuridica de la Espana romana (Madrid 1953) 167-280. Hugh Mason has recalled the passage in Apul. Met. 10.18 describing Truasus' promise of munera for the quinquennial magistracy at Corinth. 69 70 NOTES ON AGONISTIC INSTITUTIONS OF ROMAN CORINTH records of the agonothesiai are preserved in the honorary inscriptions, and many observations can be made.4 The contests conducted on the Greek system at Corinth were three: (1) the Isthmia and Caesarea, (2) the imperial contests named for the ruling emperor (Kent p.2S), and (3) the Asklepieia. The former two were celebrated at the Isthmian sanctuary and were the principal games at Corinth. Kent suggested that the agonothetes was probably elected by the Corinthian city council because the ornamenta of the agonothetes could be awarded by a vote of this council, but he neglected to note that the duoviral and aedilician also were awarded by decree of the council, although these offices were elective.5 Whether or not the council actually selected the agonothetes, it is likely that it was very influential in the choice, and it is possible that it may have had to stand surety for the expenses of the munera. Kent has already remarked on the great prestige of the agonothetes.6 He also observed that the agonothetes was expected to contribute personally to the expenses of the festival. In­ deed the nature of such a liturgy and the reason for the great prestige was the fact that the agonothetes financed the festival almost com­ pletely. This fact probably explains the cases of shared agonothesiai.7 At Athens8 it was not uncommon for an agonothetes to undertake some public work in conjunction with his service. One inscription from the first century B.C. indicates a similar benefaction at the Isthmia (Kent 153), although this was on the special occasion of the first games to be offered after the return of the Isthmia to Corinthian control. This agonothetes instituted new contests, restored the buildings of the Caesarea, and gave banquets to all of the colonists,9 as well as 4 For other commentaries on the agonistic institutions at Corinth see Kent pp.28-31, who includes a list of the known agonothetai, and West passim. In many instances the con­ clusions of both West and Kent have been incorporated into this discussion. 5 Duoviral ornamenta were awarded by decree of the decuriones at Corinth; see Kent 152, 167, 168, West 105; so also the ornamenta of the aedilis, Kent 152, West 107. The evidence for these offices being elective must be sought outside Corinth. The Lex coloniae Genetivae Iuliae s. Ursonensis indicates election in comitia, ch. 101; ch. 132 regulates election expenses. The Lex municipii Malacitani (Riccobono, op.cit. [supra n.3] 208-19, and d'Ors, op.cit. [supra n.3] 311-41) ch. 51-54, gives explicit instructions on methods of election through comitia. B The ornamenta of the agonothesia could be listed in a cursus either before or after those of the quinquennalis (see infra n.30). 7 Kent 212 and Hesperia 28 (1959) no. 5, pp.324-26. 8 For the Athenian agonothesia under the Roman empire see D. J. Geagan, The Athenian Constitution after SuI/a, Hesperia Suppl. 12 (1967) 132-36. D At Athens the wealthy Herodes Atticus was accustomed to regale the populace with feasts, Philostratos, Vit.Soph. 2.1, p.235 Kayser. DANIEL J. GEAGAN 71 one other service the description of which is now lost. In return for his financial support the agonothetes received the privilege of managing the festival, even to the point of adding new contests (Kent 153) and possibly altering the sequence (Kent 154 and West 81). His name was used for the eponymous dating of victor lists,lo and from these we may conclude that for the Isthmian sanctuary he was the eponymous official, although the duoviri filled this function in the city. The agonothesia entitled its holder to honors not only in the sanctuary but also in the city. In conducting the games his authority extended even to the housing of visiting athletes (Kent 306). The same man seems always to have coupled the agonothesiai of the Isthmia and Caesarea, although they were separate contests.u The only exceptions12 to the use of the terminology 'the Isthmia and Caesarea' are West 68 (mid-first century after Christ), where C. Julius Spartiaticus was titled agonothetes of the "Isthmion· et . Caesa . Sebas­ teon," and Meritt 80 and 81, where Cn. Cornelius Pulcher was called 'agonothetes of the Caesarea Isthmia', although a dedication from Epidauros (IG IV 795) gives the more standard version. The agonothesia for this pair of contests is attested from the opening years of the first century after Christ through A.D. 181, and possibly the reign of Gordian (Kent pp.30-31). The institution of the Caesarea at Isthmia predated the restoration of the games to Corinthian control (Kent 153). There is only one document recording an agonothesia of the imperial games which does not also include that of the Isthmia and Caesarea (Kent 138), although other cursus of the same man do include both (IG IV 795, West 71). On the other hand, documents recording an agonothesia of the Isthmia and Caesarea but not that of the imperial games are common. These circumstances will be discussed below. The imperial games were named after the current emperor. Those attested include the Tiberea Caesarea Sebastea or Tiberea Augustea Caesarea under Tiberius (Kent 153 and 156), the Tiberea Claudiea 10 Meritt 14, 16, Kent 223. Even at the time when Corinthian civic documents were written in Latin, Greek remained the official language at Isthmia. Thus it continued to be used for the lists of victors; even in Latin documents the Greek genitive plural was merely transliterated when the names of games were recorded. 11 Kent 154, West 81, and the separate lists of victors, Meritt 15, 19. For the history of the Caesarea see West pp.64, 65. 12 With regard to Kent 173 see infra p.77 and Kent 212, p.73. 72 NOTES ON AGONISTIC INSTITUTIONS OF ROMAN CORINTH Caesarea Sebastea under Claudius (West 82 and 83), the Neronea or Neronea Caesarea13 under Nero, the Caesarea Vespasianea Sebastea (Kent 210) under Vespasian, the Caesarea Nervanea Traianea Sebastea (Kent 218,224, West 71) and after 102 the Caesarea Nervanea Traianea Sebastea Germanicea Dacea (IG IV 795, Kent 138, West 72, Meritt 77) honoring Trajan. These games do not continue into the reign of Hadrian, an emperor extremely popular elsewhere in the east. Possibly the foundation of the Panhellenia and the consequent shift­ ing of the center of Greek religious life from Corinth to Athens caused this.14 Kent has remarked that the Greater Isthmia, which occurred every fourth year, were made up of the Isthmia and Caesarea (p.28). He adds that within half a century after the return of the Isthmia to the control of Corinth, the imperial contests were added to the Greater Isthmia. It will be necessary to reexamine the evidence. The inscriptions may be divided into four groups. The first includes those honoring men who had been agonothetai not only of the Isthmia and Caesarea but also of the imperial contests. The earliest example is Kent 153, which cites the agonothesia of the Isthmia and Caesarea of the year 6 or 2 B.C., when the games were first celebrated under the newly restored Corinthian control. The man honored did not serve in the imperial games until sometime in the reign of Tiberius. The other examples occur in the reigns of Nero (Kent 158-163, West 86-90), Vespasian (Kent 210), and Trajan (IG IV 795, Meritt 77, West 71, 72, Kent 224).15 Kent 216 cannot be dated, and Kent 230, dated to the second quarter of the third century on the basis of letter forms, clearly separates the Caesarea and the Sebastea from the Isthmia and the Caesarea (restored). The second group is composed of honors for those who had been isagogeis of the imperial contests and agonothetai of the Isthmia and the 13 Kent 158-163, West S6-90, all commemorating Tiberius Claudius Dinippus, whose importance at Corinth at this time must have paralleled that of Tiberius Claudius Novius at Athens, see Geagan, op.cit. (supra n.S) 134-35; Kent 20S, 209 (restored). 14 This connection is based on a suggestion of J. H. Oliver per litteras. There were also contests called the Caesarea Sebastea: Kent 213, 230, and possibly 216, West 6S. The last can be dated to the reign of Claudius. The others have been dated variously on the basis of letter forms. Kent 230 has the conjunction and the definite article before each word and may indicate something a bit different, especially in view of the late date assigned to it by Kent. Iii But see pp.79-S0 infra. DANIEL J. GEAGAN 73 Caesarea. The isagogeiai are attested for games under Tiberius (Kent 156) and Trajan (Kent 218).16 Of two other inscriptions, in one case the games to which the isagogeia pertained are not named (Kent 212), and in the other the games are called merely the Caesarea Sebastea (Kent 213). The third group includes those who were merely agonothetai of the Isthmia and Caesarea. The first of these occurs under Augustus (Kent 150), two under Tiberius (Kent 154 and West 81), and one under Claudius (West 67), while two others are not dated (Kent 198 and 222). The fourth group honors those who were isagogeis of the imperial contests but never filled an agonothesia. Three of these occurred during the reign of Claudius (West 82, 83, Kent 173),17 and one in the reign of Nero (Kent 208). The imperial contests are attested as early as Tiberius. In later years one agonothetes of the Isthmia and Caesarea alone is attested to the reign of Claudius, and another had already served as isagogeus, a lesser distinction, under Trajan. If we suppose that the imperial contests, when they were introduced, were introduced in con­ junction with the 'Greater Isthmia', composed of the Isthmia and Caesarea, how can we account for the continued occurrence of the Isthmia and Caesarea without reference to the imperial contests? May not the Isthmia and Caesarea have constituted the 'Lesser Isthmia' from that time? Indeed there is no certain reference to the Isthmia alone (i.e. the Lesser Isthmia according to Kent's scheme) during the whole Roman period except Kent 212 of the late first century after Christ, and this is peculiar because of the shared agonothesia.18 It is clear that the imperial contests were introduced under Tiberius at the latest. Can a more definite occasion be suggested for this event? Kent 153 honors a man who first produced the Isthmia after they had 16 See infra, p.74. 17 See infra p.77. 18 This is not the only example of a shared agonothesia. A metrical statue base in honor of Nikias (0. Broneer, Hesperia 28 [1959] no. 5, pp.324-26) was erected by the synagonothetai. This coupled with Kent 212 suggests a multiplicity of agonothetai. On the other hand there is the evidence of the eponymity of the agonothetes at the Isthmia and the fact that these are the only two sources indicating a multiple agonothesia; all of the other sources indicate a single agonothetes for all of the Isthmian contests (see infra n.19). The answer to the problem is probably to be found in the fact that the men most likely to merit a dedication were sufficiently wealthy to bear the burden of a whole year, while in many years two or more less distinguished citizens might band together to share the burden. Although there might have been a multiplicity of agonothetai, they probably served a single agonothesia. 74 NOTES ON AGONISTIC INSTITUTIONS OF ROMAN CORINTH returned to Corinthian control, and in so doing mounted a memor­ able festivaL Apparently later he served as agonothetes of the imperial contests under Tiberius but without being agonothetes also of the Isthmia and Caesarea in the same year. This is the only attested instance of this occurrence.19 May not the Corinthians have conferred the same honor of initiating a festival on the same man in expectation of a second festival as memorable as the first? In the imperial contests the agonothetes was assisted by an isagogeus,20 who might go on to become agonothetes of the Isthmia and Caesarea, but not of the imperial contests. Among the preserved docu­ ments honoring isagogeis, in only two cases is the dedicator's identity preserved, in Kent 173 his wife (restored), and in Kent 156 the hiero­ mnemones of the Caesarea. In neither case does the dedication appear to have been made solely because of the isagogeia. Kent has already recognized that the proper name of this official was