Philanthropy in Anatolia Through the Ages
The First İnternational Sına & İnan Kıraç Symposium on Mediterranean Civilizations
March 26-29, 2019
Recai Tekoğlu - Taner Korkut
Euergesia Activities at Tlos
(26 MARCH, TUESDAY / SESSION III / 14:50-15:10)
Abstracts
As with the whole of Lycia, various-scale euergesia activities were identified at the
excavations in the ancient city of Tlos. These euergesia activities are considered under
various titles in this study. Being more in number, the euergesia activities containing
construction and repair works ranked first. It is especially remarkable that the
inscriptions related to construction and repair works for the theater are abundant.
These inscriptions reveal that the theater underwent constructions and restorations at
various times. Another structure that was reconstructed and repaired with the support
of benefactors is the city’s big bath building. The honorary inscription for Lykiarkh
Tiberius Claudius Ktesikles of Tlos, which was found at the entrance of the bath, indicates
that he had the arched exedra with dressing rooms built from its foundation. Another
inscription identified in the caldarium section of the big bath indicates that the bath was
renovated during Constantine’s reign as the “Constantine Bath”. On the other hand, the
philanthropy activities observed in the theater and big bath structures took place also
in the agora and gymnasium of the city, as documented again in the inscriptions. It is
understood that the second type of euergesia encountered in the inscriptions in Tlos is
social or public philanthropy (εὐεργέτης τοῦ δήμου). This type of philanthropy activities
consisted of handing out grains or money the public needed or raising funds in order to
cover the costs of religious festivals and events. For example, an honorary inscription
dedicated to Opramoas states that Opramoas donated his land that generated 1250 denarii
a year for the panegyris festival that was held once in five years. The inscription also
indicates that he handed out more than 1 denarius to those who were receiving wheat aid.
In the ancient city of Tlos, the third group of euergesia activities was distinguished by
either the verb “public benefactor” (ὁ εὐργέτης τοῦ δήμου), εὐργετεῖν or the word “gift,
donation” τὰ δωρεά.
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