Part of a sacred law with sanctions imposed on the priestess and the citizens in the event of violation of stipulations regarding her remuneration
This inscription of the 2nd century BC conveys through time an excerpt of a Sacred Law from Ios which, among other things, establishes the framework for monitoring the citizens who offer sacrifices, but also the involved priests/priestesses who serve in one or more sanctuaries of the city. In addition, it hints at the remuneration of the priestess, one of the privileges she enjoyed depending on the sanctuary’s needs and operations, while it also refers to the rules by which the sanctuary is governed, the prohibitions associated with the cult ritual, and the imposition of fines in case of violation of those stipulated.
For the women of the time, and certainly not only for women of the Cyclades, priesthood was a form of profitable work that removed them from their private sphere and offered them the opportunity to take part in public life. A priestess had equal rights with a priest and was a prominent figure of the city, an active agent in the performance of rituals, while she was acknowledged as an archetype of female conduct.
Particularly important for its time, the inscription also contains information about the city of Ios, as well as the issue of public oversight of the activities of priests/priestesses.
