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 p795  Neocori

Unsigned article on p795 of

William Smith, D.C.L., LL.D.:
A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, John Murray, London, 1875.

NEO′CORI (νεωκόροι) signified originally temple-sweepers (Hesych. and Suid. s.v.), but was applied even in early times to priestly officers of high rank, who had the supreme superintendence of temples and their treasures (Plat. VI. p759; Xen. Anab. V.3 §6). Under the Roman emperors the word was especially applied to those cities in Asia, which erected temples to the Roman emperors, since the whole city in every such case was regarded as the guardian of the worship of the emperor. Accordingly we frequently find on the coins of Ephesus, Smyrna, and other cities, the epithet Νεωκόροι, which also occurs on the inscriptions of these cities. None of these cities, however, was allowed to assume this honour without obtaining the permission of the Roman senate, as we learn from inscriptions (Cf. also Tac. Ann. IV.55, 56). For further information on this subject, see Krause, ΝΕΩΚΟΡΟΣ, Civitates Neocorae sive Aedituae, Lips. 1844. [Aeditui]


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