A New Inscribed Assos Sarcophagus from Alexandreia Troas and The Collegium of Shipwrights
This paper presents a new inscribed Assos-type sarcophagus found recently in a village close to the ancient city of Alexandreia Troas. A characteristic feature of the general decoration of Assos-type sarcophagi is the attention-grabbing shape of the large central panel positioned on each of the long...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | deu |
| Published: |
Akdeniz University
2019-11-01
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| Series: | Gephyra |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/gephyra/issue/49781/622040?publisher=nalan-eda-akyurek-sahin |
| Summary: | This paper
presents a new inscribed Assos-type sarcophagus found recently in a village
close to the ancient city of Alexandreia Troas. A characteristic feature of the
general decoration of Assos-type sarcophagi is the attention-grabbing shape of
the large central panel positioned on each of the long sides of the
sarcophagus. It is proposed that these large central panels may have been schematic
representations of rectangular or round funerary altars. Accordingly, the depiction of the funerary altar on
the sarcophagus is considered to be a new hybrid style of the practice in the
necropolis of Assos of erecting a funerary altar along with the sarcophagus. With this sarcophagus inscription dating to
the third century AD, the presence of the professional association of
shipwrights, which is known to have existed in a number of important harbour
cities in the western part of the Roman Empire, is attested for the first time in
the ancient city of Alexandreia Troas and Asia Minor in general. The epithet ἱερώτατος
labelling the collegium suggests that the association may have gained a privileged
position in the ancient city. The anonymous owner of the sarcophagus must have
been associated with the collegium of shipwrights at Alexandreia Troas
and, presumably, he was a shipwright. |
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| ISSN: | 1309-3924 2651-5059 |