Ancient Greek Inscriptions

According to the listed positions, this is a religious association worshiping Dionysus. Similar positions are found in an inscription of an association from Philippopolis (ca. AD 253-254, unpublished), associated with the cult of the Thracian Dionysus the Leader (Διόνυσος Καθηγημὼν Θρᾷξ); some of its members have rare names that coincide with the names of people from the Cellae association.

Although the association is private, the inscription begins with a formula typical for official inscriptions: "For the victory of the Emperor ...". The position of the sebastophantae, placed at the top of the list, also links the association to the cult of Roman emperors.

The date of the inscription is after May AD 241, when the wedding of Gordian III and Tranquillina took place. The victory formula probably refers to the period of Gordian III's Eastern Campaign (242-244) or immediately before it, when the Emperor, gathering his troops, visited both Thrace and Lower Moesia.

The Empress is incorrectly called Sabiniana instead of Sabina, which is found only in inscriptions from Thrace IGBulg 1384; IGBulg 1705; IGBulg 1706; SEG 34, 699.

The monument is referred to as τελαμών, literally "base for a stele", a word which inscriptions from Thrace and the Black Sea coast use as a synonym for stele.

The inscription mentions 56 members of the association, including 11 women. 55 have the names of Roman citizens, almost all with the Roman nomen Aurelius, which shows that they or their ancestors owe their citizenship to the Constitutio Antoniniana of AD 212. The Roman nomen is however abbreviated, and most participants who lack an office are named after the Greek model with a patronymic. Three of the members are probably from families with older Roman citizenships - two Claudii and one Iulia. Some of the members have Thracian names or patronymics. There are several cases where Mucianus appears, seemingly a Latin name, but it actually derives from the Thracian root Μουκ(α)-. Some of the Greek names used may refer to settlers from Asia Minor. Claudius Eutychianus (l. 13) has, in addition to the Greek surname Eutychianus, the unofficial Latin nickname Simplicius incorrectly written Συνπλίκις, influenced by Greek names with the prefix συν-. The man mentioned in l. 41 has a matronymic instead of a patronymic; this may suggest that his mother Herais had a higher social status or held an important position in the association (cf. l. 30, l. 31, l. 33). Some of the names in the list, such as Netiaze (l. 32), Kenthiaros (p. 37 and l. 41), Kelaidos (l. 48), Tates (l. 49) and Tataros (l. 51), are unknown from elsewhere.

There are 16 religious positions related to the practice of the cult, as well as two positions related to its administration - a legal representative (ἔκδικος, l. 20) and a curator (ἐπιμελούμενος, l. 6). For two of the members, positions outside the association are indicated - a member of the city council (βουλευτής, l. 7) and a beneficiarius (l. 11). It is evident from the title of the president of the association (σπειράρχης) that it was called σπεῖρα. The two σεβαστοφάνται (l. 11 and l. 12) wore and showed images of the imperial couple. Such a position is known only from inscriptions from Asia Minor, and in Thrace - except in this inscription - it is found only in the above-mentioned inscription from Philippopolis. The narthecophore carried a scepter from the stem of the plant narthex (Ferula communis). Ἀρχιβουκόλος (literally "chief shepherd") probably led a group of members of the association dressed as shepherds. Ἀρχιμύστης is the title of the chief mystes in the association. The position ἀρχιγάλλαρος, as well as the γάλλαρος found in other inscriptions (IGBulg 401; IG X.2.1 1077), is unclear; the assumption that they were related to the priests of Cybele γάλλοι is unconvincing. Curetes are probably associated with dances performed in armour. The position of ἐπιστημάρχης, literary "leader of knowledge", is not found elsewhere. Σημειοφόρος, literally "bearing sign / flag", bore a painted image of Dionysus or a symbol associated with the god. Κρανιάρχης, a position mentioned only here and in the inscription from Philippopolis, probably led some of the mystae holding a dogwood scepter (κράνεια). The "mother" of the association, ranked first among the female names, presided over the women in the association. The function of λυχνάπτρια, as the name suggests, was to "light the lamps" at certain moments of the ritual. Kistaphoros and liknaphoroi were women who carried boxes and baskets in which sacred objects were kept, inaccessible to the eyes of the uninitiated. The women in the association without special functions are defined by the common name "Bacchae" (βάκχαι). For more details on these positions, see Slavova 2002.