Kocain (Antalya) eirenarkhes, anteirenarkhes ile diogmites yazıtlarının yeniden değerlendirilmesi

Abstract

In 1926 the Italian scholar G. Moretti published a total of 28 inscriptions which he discoveredin 1919 in the Kocain Cave on Hisardağ / İndağı on the way to the village of Ahırtaş in theprovince of Antalya. These inscriptions are dedications by eirenarches, anteirenarches and di- ogmites. However, our studies on these inscriptions have shown that many were published inan incomplete or faulty manner.The Kocain Cave is located on Hisardağı / İndağı at an altitude of 1171 m. about 45 km.north of Antalya. The cave comprises a grand hall, which is 600 m. long, only 35 m. wide atthe mouth, 75 m. wide inside, and its ceiling reaches a ceiling of 50-60 m. in places. It was reg- istered as a first-degree archaeological / natural site. The cave houses a large cistern from theRoman period. In front of the cave are the remains of a building complex dated to the RomanImperial period (?). Inside the cave near the mouth is a mass of limestone rock with a suitablesurface engraved with inscriptions containing the names of numerous eirenarches, anteire- narches and their assistants diogmites. Probably due to the risks related to their duties, theseenforcement officers made votive offerings here.Rereading the inscriptions allows us to state the following tentatively: 1) Kocain Cavewas not a cult area for Meter Oreia. 2) Contrary to what is known to date, no ethnic of anyeirenarches, anteirenarches or any other person is mentioned in the inscriptions. Therefore,the enforcement officers who made offerings here could have come from only one city.3) Some officers were both eirenarches and anteirenarches, probably starting the position as ananteirenarches and finishing as an eirenarches. 4) As inferred from the inscriptions, sometimesthe diogmites also acted as anteirenarches. This is important for recording for the first time adiogmites acting in place of anteirenarches. 5) Some eirenarches or anteirenarches made theofferings together with the diogmites under their command. This can be explained as eitherthe definition of their duties was altered or the officers under their command changed. 6) Onlyone officer has the gens name Aurelius; none other has. This suggests that the inscriptionsshould be dated before A.D. 212. As known, banditry increased in Asia Minor after themid-2 nd century; therefore the cities of Asia Minor would have taken security measures.Therefore, eirenarches and other militia of the cities in Pamphylia and Pisidia would havefunctioned from a position of strength in the mid-2 nd century A.D.