A study on the Cretan hápax prokormos, with a particular attention
to the meaning of its first prepositional member, and an exam of the
structure of the document on which it appears, a Goromiam decree of
manumission, of 3rd C B. C, leads to the conclusion that in the Lan-
guage of goroinian chancellely from the hellenistic period, this Cretan technical term appoints a certain official dependent on the college of kosmoi and operating as their representative, perhaps filfilling the fiinctions of a secreto'', in certain civil acts, as in this particular case, in the release of private slaves.
