The Chronology of the Asylia Dossier from Kos Revisited in Light of Some Recent Epigraphic Discoveries

Year 2021, Volume: 7, 29 - 46, 31.12.2021

Altay Coşkun

https://doi.org/10.36991/PHILIA.202102

Abstract

While the Third Syrian War was raging, the Koans deployed substantial diplomatic efforts to have the asylia of their Asklepieion and the panhellenic penteteric games recognized throughout the Mediterranean world. In the 1950s, Günther Klaffenbach and Mortimer Chambers presented what was to become the consensus chronology: they saw the theoroi visit several royal courts and many more Greek poleis largely in summer 242 BCE, before the first games were held at Kos around May 241 BCE. This consensus has now been challenged by Dimitris Bosnakis and Klaus Hallof (Chiron 50, 2020, 287–326), who suggest dating the events one year earlier, based on six recently-found documents. These include a letter of king ‘Zigelas’ (sc. Ziaelas of Bithynia), dated to year 39 of an uncertain era. The present article tries to argue instead that the grant of asylia by several kings likely happened in 243, whereas the campaign in support of the Asklepieia unfolded from spring to autumn 242, before the first Asklepieia were held in 241 BCE. This chronological revision has important ramification for other aspects of 3rd-century BCE history, such as the biography of Antigonos Gonatas (whose basileia began in 283/82 BCE) and the start of the first dynastic era of Bithynia (281 BCE). Moreover, queen Laodike, the author of another new letter, should be identified with the wife of Antiochos Hierax, and further with the author of the anonymous royal letter earlier attributed to Seleukos II. The letter previously assigned to the Bosporan king Spartokos IV may rather be from Mithradates II of Pontos. The epigraphic evidence shows the Koans steadfast in their loyalty to Ptolemy III Euergetes, whereas the second letters from the courts of Nikomedeia and Sardeis may hint at a gradual shift of Ziaelas and Hierax towards Seleukos II.

Keywords

Kos, Asklepieia, asylia, theoroi, dynastic Bithynian eras, Ziaelas of Bithynia, Laodike (wife of Antiochos Hierax), Ptolemy III Euergetes, Antigonos II Gonatas, Spartokos IV of the Bosporos, Mithradates II of Pontos.

Thanks

I would like to thank my colleagues Mustafa Adak, Kostas Buraselis, Oleg Gabelko and Klaus Hallof for helping me complete my bibliography, and Riet van Bremen for her useful and critical feedback that helped me improve the final version of this article.

Yeni Epigrafik Belgeler Işığında Kos Asylia Dosyasının Kronolojisinin Tekrar Gözden Geçirilmesi

Abstract

Üçüncü Suriye Savaşı tüm şiddetiyle devam ederken, Koslular Asklepieion’larına asylia imtiyazı elde etmek, ayrıca tüm Akdeniz Dünyası’nca tanınan ve 4 yılda bir kutlanan panhelenik oyunlara sahip olmak için önemli diplomatik çabalar sarf etmişlerdir. 1950’lerde Günther Klaffenbach ve Mortimer Chambers, daha sonra üzerinde fikir birliği oluşacak şu kronoloiyi sunmuşlardı: Onlara göre theoroi MÖ 242 yazında, yani Kos’ta ilk oyunların kutlandığı İÖ 241 yılı mayıs ayı civarından önce, birkaç kraliyet sarayını ve çok sayıda Yunan polis’ini büyük oranda İÖ 242 yazında ziyaret etmişlerdi. Şimdiye kadar genel kabul gören bu kronoloji, yakın zamanda bulunan ve içlerinde Kral Zigelas’ın (Bithynia Kralı Ziaelas) bilinmeyen bir eranın 39. yılına tarihlenen bir mektubunu da bulunduğu altı belgeye dayanarak olayları bir yıl önceye çekmeyi öneren Dimitris Bosnakis ve Klaus Hallof (Chiron 50, 2020, 287-326) tarafından artık reddedilmektedir. Makalede bu görüşün yerine asylia imtiyazının bazı krallar tarafından muhtemelen İÖ 243’te tanındığı, buna karşın Asklepieia'yı desteklemek için yürütülen diplomatik girişimlerin ilk Asklepieia’nın İÖ 241’de düzenlenmesinden önce 242 yılı ilkbaharından sonbaharına kadar sürdüğü iddia edilmektedir. Kronolojideki bu düzeltme, başta Antigonos Gonatas’ın biyografisi (hükümranlığı İÖ 283/82’de başlar) ile Bithynia’nın ilk hanedanlık erasının başlangıcı (MÖ 281) olmak üzere İÖ 3. yüzyıl tarihinin diğer yönleri için de önemli sonuçlar doğurmaktadır. Ayrıca, yeni mektubun yazarı olan kraliçe Laodike, Antiokhos Hieraks’ın karısı ve daha önce II. Seleukos'a atfedilen anonim kraliyet mektubunun yazarı ile özdeşleştirilmelidir. Öte yandan daha önce Bosporos Kralı IV. Spartokos’a atfedilen mektup da olasılıkla Pontos Kralı II. Mithradates’e ait olmalıdır. Epigrafik kanıtlar Kosluların III. Ptolemaios Euergetes’e sadakatlerinde kararlı olduklarını gösterirken, Nikomedeia ve Sardeis saraylarından gelen ikinci mektuplar, Ziaelas ve Hieraks’ın yönlerini giderek II. Seleukos’a doğru çevirmeye başladıklarının işareti olarak değendirilebilir.

Keywords

Kos, Asklepieia, asylia, theoroi, Bithynia hanedanlık eraları, Bithynia Kralı Ziaelas, Laodike (Antiokhos Hieraks’ın eşi), III. Ptolemaios Euergetes, II. Antigonos Gonatas, Bosporos Kralı IV. Spartokos, Pontos Kralı II. Mithradates.

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