DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45277#0080
lxxvi
INTRODUCTION.
TTPDTH. The precise signification of the title irpa>Tp has been a subject of
nearly as much discussion among archaeologists as the claim to possess it
was a matter of eager contention between rival cities in ancient times.
Among the towns which claimed the np ®tB.ov or primacy in their several
districts were Nicaea and Nicomedia in Bithynia, Ephesus and Smyrna in
Ionia, Pergamum in Mysia, and others. By Dio Chrysostom this strife was
ridiculed as a contention about a mere empty title signifying nothing, as is
evident from the following passage : ppAs 3e oiopeda, lav Ijuypapwplv irov
7T parrot, to TTparrelov e^etv' Trouw, avSpes NtKop.rfa'ls, Trpa>Tetov;—ov ri to o<f>eAos
lertv ; ov ti to epyov j a(f) ov rrorepov irXovatarrepot yevpeopeda rj p.et£oves p bvvara-
repoi; k. r. X. (Oral. xxxviii. 144.) In the words of an old Greek proverb
he also says 7repi ovov eKtas 8ta(j)epovTai, ‘ they quarrel about the shadow of an
ass.’ The most probable explanation is that rrpaiTp, like ej38opp rps ’Aetas,
applied to Magnesia, and rplrp twv IkA to Aspendus (Philostratus, F. Apoll. 1.
15), referred simply to the order of precedence of the various cities in the
grand processions with which the public games were opened. Thus when
Epthesus proudly styles herself p irparrp iraewv Kat peyteTp, povot TTparrot ’Aetas,
etc., and Smyrna rrpayrot ’Aetas KaXXet Kat peyeflei, we may infei’ that the refer-
ence is to the Kocva ’Aetas celebrated sometimes at Ephesus and sometimes at
Smyrna. Similarly when Mytilene is irpdrrp Alefiov, Samos srpaiTp ’lavtas,
Tralles npayrp ‘EXXaSoy, etc. (for other examples see Index IV, s. v. Trparrp),
it would appear that they were ‘ First ’ in the local Festivals called kolvcl
Aeel3ta>v, Koiva ’idrvarv, and kolvov Tps 'EXXdoo? ((7. I. Gr., 5852).
<DIAH SYMMAXOS PGMA1GN or FIISTH <t>IAH SYMMAXOS PG-
M Al GN, Civitas foederata, a title to which those cities only had a right
between whom and Rome a formal treaty existed by which it was stipulated
ut eosdem, qicos populus Romanus, amicos atque hostes habeant (Livy, 38. 8.
10). See Side (p. 587), and Sillyum (p. 388).
$1 AO PGM Al OS, Arnica Romanorum (Carrhae, p. 688), has perhaps a similar
signification.
(/3) Empty Titles.
API STH MEPI STH, Best and greatest. Nicaea, p. 443.
r[NGPI MOS (?)], Notable. Abila, p. 664; Gadara, p. 665.
ENAOHOS, Illustrious. Side, p. 587 ; Anazarbus, p. 598 ; Damascus, p. 662.
ENAOHOTEPA, More illustrious. Syedra, p. 612.
ENTIMOS, Honourable. Lalassis, p. 604.
ETHSHMOS, Distinguished. Neapolis Samariae, p. 678.
ESTI A OEGN, Home of the Gods. Germanicopolis, p. 433.
EYSEBHS, Holy. Zephyrium, p. 618.
EYSEBHS KAI EYTENHS, Holy and noble. Nicaea, p. 443.
0EIOS, Divine. Garrhae, p. 688.
AAMTTPOTATH, Most splendid. Side, p. 387.
MATPOS AT7OIKGN TfOAEGN, Mother of Colonies. IIer ad eta Bith.,
p. 443. See also MHTPOHOAIS.
MYSTIS, Initiated. Side, p. 587.
TTEIOS (?), Pius, after Antoninus Pius('l). Epihesus, p. 498.
SEMNH, Venerable. Syedra, p. 612.
INTRODUCTION.
TTPDTH. The precise signification of the title irpa>Tp has been a subject of
nearly as much discussion among archaeologists as the claim to possess it
was a matter of eager contention between rival cities in ancient times.
Among the towns which claimed the np ®tB.ov or primacy in their several
districts were Nicaea and Nicomedia in Bithynia, Ephesus and Smyrna in
Ionia, Pergamum in Mysia, and others. By Dio Chrysostom this strife was
ridiculed as a contention about a mere empty title signifying nothing, as is
evident from the following passage : ppAs 3e oiopeda, lav Ijuypapwplv irov
7T parrot, to TTparrelov e^etv' Trouw, avSpes NtKop.rfa'ls, Trpa>Tetov;—ov ri to o<f>eAos
lertv ; ov ti to epyov j a(f) ov rrorepov irXovatarrepot yevpeopeda rj p.et£oves p bvvara-
repoi; k. r. X. (Oral. xxxviii. 144.) In the words of an old Greek proverb
he also says 7repi ovov eKtas 8ta(j)epovTai, ‘ they quarrel about the shadow of an
ass.’ The most probable explanation is that rrpaiTp, like ej38opp rps ’Aetas,
applied to Magnesia, and rplrp twv IkA to Aspendus (Philostratus, F. Apoll. 1.
15), referred simply to the order of precedence of the various cities in the
grand processions with which the public games were opened. Thus when
Epthesus proudly styles herself p irparrp iraewv Kat peyteTp, povot TTparrot ’Aetas,
etc., and Smyrna rrpayrot ’Aetas KaXXet Kat peyeflei, we may infei’ that the refer-
ence is to the Kocva ’Aetas celebrated sometimes at Ephesus and sometimes at
Smyrna. Similarly when Mytilene is irpdrrp Alefiov, Samos srpaiTp ’lavtas,
Tralles npayrp ‘EXXaSoy, etc. (for other examples see Index IV, s. v. Trparrp),
it would appear that they were ‘ First ’ in the local Festivals called kolvcl
Aeel3ta>v, Koiva ’idrvarv, and kolvov Tps 'EXXdoo? ((7. I. Gr., 5852).
<DIAH SYMMAXOS PGMA1GN or FIISTH <t>IAH SYMMAXOS PG-
M Al GN, Civitas foederata, a title to which those cities only had a right
between whom and Rome a formal treaty existed by which it was stipulated
ut eosdem, qicos populus Romanus, amicos atque hostes habeant (Livy, 38. 8.
10). See Side (p. 587), and Sillyum (p. 388).
$1 AO PGM Al OS, Arnica Romanorum (Carrhae, p. 688), has perhaps a similar
signification.
(/3) Empty Titles.
API STH MEPI STH, Best and greatest. Nicaea, p. 443.
r[NGPI MOS (?)], Notable. Abila, p. 664; Gadara, p. 665.
ENAOHOS, Illustrious. Side, p. 587 ; Anazarbus, p. 598 ; Damascus, p. 662.
ENAOHOTEPA, More illustrious. Syedra, p. 612.
ENTIMOS, Honourable. Lalassis, p. 604.
ETHSHMOS, Distinguished. Neapolis Samariae, p. 678.
ESTI A OEGN, Home of the Gods. Germanicopolis, p. 433.
EYSEBHS, Holy. Zephyrium, p. 618.
EYSEBHS KAI EYTENHS, Holy and noble. Nicaea, p. 443.
0EIOS, Divine. Garrhae, p. 688.
AAMTTPOTATH, Most splendid. Side, p. 387.
MATPOS AT7OIKGN TfOAEGN, Mother of Colonies. IIer ad eta Bith.,
p. 443. See also MHTPOHOAIS.
MYSTIS, Initiated. Side, p. 587.
TTEIOS (?), Pius, after Antoninus Pius('l). Epihesus, p. 498.
SEMNH, Venerable. Syedra, p. 612.