Abstract
The ancient literary sources and inscriptions provide evidence of the existence in Hellenistic Asia Minor of rural populations held in subjection by cities. The Pedieis are one of the best-known among them. The author tries here, with reference to the Priene inscriptions (1), to examine the nature of their dependence and its significance. It is clear from IP 3 that the Pedieis possessed land and it has been inferred that they were tribute-bearers comparative to the Phrygians in Zeleia. In the Hellenistic period, however, the assessment of phoroi was levied upon citizens as well. We cannot understand exactly the condition of the Pedieis' dependence until we get more information about the difference between their status and that of citizens. The Pedieis had a separate corporate existence. They joined the people of Magnesia on the Maeander in attack on Priene (IP 14, 15, 16). As W. Ruge has pointed out, however, the inscriptions do not refer to the Pedieis as being the revolting subjects of Priene. We notice, moreover, the expression και τουζ αλλουζ Πεδιεζ. A satisfactory explanation of these facts, therefore, is that 'Pedieis' was a vague, general name used by the Prieneans for the native population who lived in the plain on the Maeander. On examining the inscriptions from Priene, we find that during this early period vague expressions such as κατοικουντεζ εν ταιζ κωμαιζ and οι απο τηζ χωραζ were used to indicate dependent populations. Since the last years of the second century B.C., however, fixed terms such as κατοικοι and παροικοι came into use. The word παροικειν in IP 16 does not necessarily indicate the existence of the class of παροικοι, for we have many examples in which the verb παροικεω is used to mean 'to live near' or 'to be a sojourner'. Even if there was such a class in this period, the inscription shows that the Pedieis would not become παροικοι obediently. The Pedieis were practically unassimilated into the social organization of Priene. Early Priene had many difficult problems negotiations with the successors of Alexander the Great, border disputes with other cities, the tyranny of Hieron, etc. and her political situation was unstable. The process of a fusion of the peoples in Priene could not advance rapidly.
