DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4679#0238
212 VI. COLOSSAI AND THE ROADS TO THE EAST.
§ 2. People and State. As to the population, the foundation,
and the earliest constitution of Colossai, we have no evidence. The
process whereby it was changed from a Phrygian to a Greek city
is also unknown. The change may have been produced suddenly
by a refoundation and colonization by some of the Greek kings
(though there is not the slightest evidence J that this occurred), or,
as is more probable, it may have come about gradually through the
spread of Greek education, the example of Greek cities in the neigh-
bourhood, and the growth of Greek feeling in the city.
One inscription, which unfortunately is defective and of uncertain
date, gives a list of offices filled by a distinguished citizen of Colossai:
it includes strategos, agoranomos, boularch, grammateus, tamias,
ephebarch, eirenarch, nomopliylax, paraphylax, superintendent of
the distribution of oil (this duty was ordinarily performed by the
gymnasiarch; probably Colossai had no gymnasium), superintendent
of works, superintendent of the public estates, ehdikos. Most of these
offices are described under Laodiceia. The boularclws, or leader of the
senate, is probably only an honorary term, denoting the first on the
list of senators (princeps senatus) '2; but he may perhaps have been
an official in the municipal senate of the Greek type. The elcdikos
mentioned by Pliny {ad Traj. no) at Amisos in a.d. 113 was, as
Mr. Hardy says, ' a public prosecutor in financial matters3'; but it
is doubtful whether ekdikoi were usual in Asia so early as that. In
the later centuries they became very important, representing in their
city the central authority judging cases below a certain amount, and
performing other duties. But the term underwent great change of
meaning; and its sense must always be estimated according to the
period when it is used.
Coins mention both Archon4 and Grammateus as magistrates
(Ch. II § 17). Little that is characteristic occurs on the coins, which
are not common. The Ephesian Artemis and the Laodicean Zeus are
the most frequent types.
The origin of the name is unknown. A connexion with Koloe,
the name of a lake beside Sardis and of a city in the upper Kayster
valley (now called Keles)5, is probable. The form of the name seems
1 Had there been any colony rjlanted Arrian Diss. Epict. Ill 7, 19, and Dittcn-
by a Greek king, the name of the city berger Syll. Inscr. Gr. no. 246).
would probably have been altered. 3 Waddington's note on this Colossian
2 Similarly as M. Th. Eeinach re- inscription, 1693 b, and on 1176.
marks, the Ephebarch is merely a title i M. Waddington quotes an archon
like princeps juventutis, and not an office K E P AflC in his Voyage Numism. p. 20.
(Rev.Ht. Gr. 1893 p. 162, where he quotes 6 Inscriptions of this city, as for-
§ 2. People and State. As to the population, the foundation,
and the earliest constitution of Colossai, we have no evidence. The
process whereby it was changed from a Phrygian to a Greek city
is also unknown. The change may have been produced suddenly
by a refoundation and colonization by some of the Greek kings
(though there is not the slightest evidence J that this occurred), or,
as is more probable, it may have come about gradually through the
spread of Greek education, the example of Greek cities in the neigh-
bourhood, and the growth of Greek feeling in the city.
One inscription, which unfortunately is defective and of uncertain
date, gives a list of offices filled by a distinguished citizen of Colossai:
it includes strategos, agoranomos, boularch, grammateus, tamias,
ephebarch, eirenarch, nomopliylax, paraphylax, superintendent of
the distribution of oil (this duty was ordinarily performed by the
gymnasiarch; probably Colossai had no gymnasium), superintendent
of works, superintendent of the public estates, ehdikos. Most of these
offices are described under Laodiceia. The boularclws, or leader of the
senate, is probably only an honorary term, denoting the first on the
list of senators (princeps senatus) '2; but he may perhaps have been
an official in the municipal senate of the Greek type. The elcdikos
mentioned by Pliny {ad Traj. no) at Amisos in a.d. 113 was, as
Mr. Hardy says, ' a public prosecutor in financial matters3'; but it
is doubtful whether ekdikoi were usual in Asia so early as that. In
the later centuries they became very important, representing in their
city the central authority judging cases below a certain amount, and
performing other duties. But the term underwent great change of
meaning; and its sense must always be estimated according to the
period when it is used.
Coins mention both Archon4 and Grammateus as magistrates
(Ch. II § 17). Little that is characteristic occurs on the coins, which
are not common. The Ephesian Artemis and the Laodicean Zeus are
the most frequent types.
The origin of the name is unknown. A connexion with Koloe,
the name of a lake beside Sardis and of a city in the upper Kayster
valley (now called Keles)5, is probable. The form of the name seems
1 Had there been any colony rjlanted Arrian Diss. Epict. Ill 7, 19, and Dittcn-
by a Greek king, the name of the city berger Syll. Inscr. Gr. no. 246).
would probably have been altered. 3 Waddington's note on this Colossian
2 Similarly as M. Th. Eeinach re- inscription, 1693 b, and on 1176.
marks, the Ephebarch is merely a title i M. Waddington quotes an archon
like princeps juventutis, and not an office K E P AflC in his Voyage Numism. p. 20.
(Rev.Ht. Gr. 1893 p. 162, where he quotes 6 Inscriptions of this city, as for-