Onomastic, demographic, prosopographic evaluation on the Myrians in the light of funerary inscriptions (From the 3rd century BC to the 6th century AD)

ONOMASTIC, DEMOGRAPHIC, PROSOPOGRAPHIC EVALUATION ON THE MYRIANS IN THE LIGHT OF FUNERARY INSCRIPTIONS (FROM THE 3RD CENTURY BC TO THE 6TH CENTURY AD) The main purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the sociocultural history of the city of Myra and its sovereignty through funerary inscriptions. In this framework, around 215 funerary inscriptions, written in Ancient Greek and Latin, commemorating individuals from Myra, both in Myra and its settlements and outside the city, will be analyzed from onomastic, demographic and prosopographical perspectives. The geographical scope of the thesis is Canusium (Italy) in the west and Aspendos in the east, while the chronological boundaries are the period from the 3rd century BC to the 6th century AD. The grave inscriptions in Myra's tombs and teritorium have been studied together with other types of inscriptions in different thesis studies, but this thesis is a comprehensive study that deals with the main subject of the thesis only in the axis of grave inscriptions. The scope of the research includes the categorization of personal names in grave inscriptions as local, Persian, Greek, Latin, theophoric, mythological or historical; and the evaluation of the family relations and social status of individuals together with grave typologies. In this direction, the cities of origin of the people who settled in the city from outside and the settlements of Myrans residing abroad; the commercial and economic connections of the city, the genealogical trees that can be created through the inscriptions, intra-family marriages (endogamy), marital relations with neighboring cities (exogamy) and the marital orientations of different social groups will be analyzed. In addition, inferences will be made about the cults worshipped in the city based on the gods and goddesses mentioned in the grave inscriptions and the gods invoked in the cursing section. Information on the social roles of the individuals in the grave inscriptions, such as their official positions in the city, their professions, and their membership in associations, if indicated, will also be evaluated. The average household structure, including slaves and livestock, will be statistically analyzed on the basis of the kinship ties granted the right of burial, and the declarations of who was to be buried where will be discussed together with the grave typologies. The thesis will also examine the penal authorities, the amount of punishment, and the formulas of cursing in the inscriptions. Keywords: Myra and its sovereignty, Epitaphs, Prosopography, Onomastics, Penal authority and cursing