Ephebeia in southern Asia Minor: A new funerary inscription of an ephebos candidate from Antalya
Anatolian Studies, cilt.76, ss.21-44, 2026 (AHCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 76
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1017/s0066154626100763
- Dergi Adı: Anatolian Studies
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI), Scopus, Periodicals Index Online, L'Année philologique, Anthropological Literature, Index Islamicus, Linguistic Bibliography, MLA - Modern Language Association Database, MLA International Bibliography, Social Sciences Abstracts, Social Science Premium Collection (ProQuest), Humanities Source Ultimate (EBSCO)
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.21-44
- Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
- Akdeniz Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Abstract – This article presents a funerary inscription dated to the late second and early third centuries AD. It is currently held in the Antalya Necropolis Museum, but its exact provenance remains unknown. The text is carved on a richly decorated round altar, beneath a relief depicting a young man wearing a chiton and holding a torch in his left hand. The inscription identifies him as Glaukos, a foster child who died at the age of 17 during the enkrisis, the examination for admission to the ephebeia. This newly presented text provides two important new insights into the ephebeia of the Roman Imperial period. Firstly, it appears to be the first inscription to mention the age of admission. Secondly, it shows that candidates from gymnasium groups also underwent the enkrisis. The article further discusses the striking similarities between athletic and gymnasium training practices, which are also evident in the age limit for admission and torch races, and proposes a revised definition of enkrisis. Additionally, the article compiles and analyses inscriptions indicating the presence of epheboi and torch races in the regions of southern Asia Minor likely associated with this inscription: Lycia, Pamphylia and Pisidia. Lastly, the study examines the rationale for seeking the inscription’s most probable provenance in eastern Lycia or western Pamphylia.