Wilson1992 E.216 Catalogue of ephebes, 165/6 AD

Catalogue of ephebes, 165/6 AD

Wilson, Ephebic Inscriptions E.216 Date: AD 165/6

For good [fortune], on the occasion of the victory of the most divine Emperors [Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus] Augusti Armeniaci, Parthici [Maximi, in the archonship of Sextus] of Phaleron (165/6 AD),^[1] the superintendent (kosmētēs) of the ephebes [Lucius Herennius Cornelius, also known as] (5) Attikos, of Azenia inscribed the names of [those who were ephebes under him, who were] the first who wore white, because of the [most brilliant benefaction] of the mighty (kratistou) high priest Tiberius Claudius Herodes [of Marathon.] The presiding committee (proedros) asked, who thought [that the ephebes should wear white on the] day on which the [cohort (stratia) marches] to Eleusis, and who did (10) not. No one raised (any objection). Herodes said, [“Ephebes, while I am here,] you will not lack white cloaks (chlamydōn)”.^[2] Superintendent of the ephebes: Lucius Cornelius, [also known as Attikos, of Azenia] Deputy superintendent (antikosmetes): Moschos son of Hermeros . . . , the trainer being (paidotribountos): Abaskantos [son of Eumolpos of Kephisia].^[3]

col. 1

(15) Controllers (sōphronistai)^[4] Aelius Paion of Pallene Demetrios (son of Demetrios) of Cholleidai Theodoros (son of Theodoros) of Steiria Leon son of Milichos of Besa (20) Amarantos son of Soterichos of Phaleron Herakleon (son of Herakleon) of Phlya Deputy controllers (huposōphronistai) Claudius Sokrates of Marathon Aphrodisios (son of Aphrodisios) of Athmonon (25) Claudius Nikostratos Milichos (son of Milichos) of Besa Soterichos (son of Soterichos) of Phaleron Eisidotos (son of Eisidotos) of Sounion Leader (hēgemōn) (30) -onos (son of -onos) of Piraeus Weapons trainer (hoplomachos) Onesimos son of Diomedes of Pallene Secretary and Deputy Secretary . . . also known as Herakleon (35) son of [Timokrates] of Thorikos . . . Erechtheis^I^[5] . . . of Kephisia

uncertain number of lost lines

. . . son of Dionysios of Kephisia (40) . . . son of Dionysios of Kephisia^[6] . . . son of Rouphos of Lamptrai Aigeis^II . . . of Gargettos . . . son of -nos of Gargettos (45) . . . of Diomeia . . . son of . . . of Philaidai . . . [son of Dionysios?] of Philaidai . . . son of Dionysios of Philaidai . . . (50) . . . son of . . . of Gargettos . . . son of . . . Myrrhinoutta . . . son of Telesphoros of Gargettos . . . of Phlya . . . of Diomeia (55) . . . of Gargettos

col. 2

Euschemon son of Si- Nikon son of Satyros . . . Demetrios son of Eb- Attikos (son of Attikos) of Gargettos (60) Alkamenes . . . Anthimos son of Aphr- . . . Marcianus Z- Pandionis^III Flavius Menandros . . . (65) Theodoros of Steiria Polydeukes . . . Tyrannos son of Sos- Leontis^[IV] Demetrios (son of Demetrios) . . . (70) Claudius Themison . . . Eirenaios (son of Eirenaios) . . . Eirenaios son of Me- . . . Philokrates (son of Philokrates) . . . Diokles son of Attikos . . . (75) Eutychides son of Attikos . . . Onesimos son of Eut- Tyrannos son of Pro- Zosimos (son of Zosimos) of Oion Megistodoros . . . (80) Epagathos son of Thallos . . . Protogenes (son of Protogenes) . . . Dositheos son of Men- Helenos son of Dionys- Zosimos son of Mena- (85) -odoros son of Myron . . . Artemidoros . . . Ptolemais^V Publius Laberius Secundus of Berenikidai Antonius Erastos of Phlya (90) Herakleon son of Herakleon of Phlya . . . Pithekos son of Apollonios Athenodoros son of Apelles Dionysodoros son of Asklepiades Pamphilos (son of Pamphilos) of Berenikidai (95) Menekleides son of Eisidotos Eisidoros son of Attikos of Phlya Dionysios son of Apollonios Sophron son of Epaphroditos of Berenikidai Dionysios son of Aphrodisios of Phlya (100) Apollonides (son of Menodoros) of Phlya Menodoros (son of Menodoros) of Phlya Themistokles son of Daphnos of Phlya Chrysippos (son of Chrysippos) of Phlya

col. 3

. . . Ph- (105) Artem- Kekropis^IX Rhodon . . . Dionys- Eunomos . . . (110) Anteros . . . Galbas . . . Lyko- Tryph- Eug- (115) Ap- Zo- E-

Below columns 2 and 3 Deputy trainer (hupopaidotribēs) Telesphoros son of Abaskantos the Milesian.^[7]

Below columns 1, 2 and 3 (120) Additional enrollees (epengraphoi)^[8]

col. 1

-pos son of -pos . . . son of Eirenaios uninscribed line . . .

col. 2

Philokles son of Diophantos (125) Olympikos son of Thallos Pomponius Antigonos uninscribed space

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Greek text

References:

Wilson, Ephebic Inscriptions E.216 (Translated text) (AIO)

IG II² 2090 (PHI)

Translation by: Chris de Lisle

Monument type: Stele

Inscription type: List of names (ephebic)

Original location: [Diogeneion]

Findspot: Athens, St. Demetrios Katephores (EM 10042)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] Ephebic catalogues like this were erected annually from the late first century AD until the end of the ephebate in 267 AD. For the format, see AIUK 11 (Ashmolean), no. 10 and AIO Papers 12 sect. 1.3, and for the earlier history of the ephebate, see RO 89. An ephebic dedication, IG II³ 4, 421, also survives from this year. Invocation of emperors and their victories is common in Athenian inscriptions of the Roman period (see IG II² 1990. In this case, it refers to a specific victory – Lucius Verus’ sack of Ktesiphon and Seleukeia on the Tigris in late 165 AD, which brought an end to the Roman-Parthian war (161-165 AD). The title “Parthici Maximi” (l. 3) was added to the titulature of Lucius Verus and Marcus Aurelius as a result of this victory. At Athens, the change to the ephebes' cloaks (see n. 2) and the introduction of the Epinikeia (“Victory”) games for the ephebes were probably intended to celebrate this victory. The focus of these commemorative acts on the ephebate probably reflects the fact that it continued to be viewed as a form of military training in the Roman period, as it had been in earlier times. [2] For the armed ephebic procession to Eleusis, see AIUK 4.2 (BM), no. 17. The ephebic cloak (chlamys) was the defining symbol of the ephebate (cf. AIUK 11 (Ashmolean), no. 16). Traditionally, it was black – either in commemoration of Theseus’ black sails or in mourning for the Athenians’ murder of the mythical herald Kopreus. Tiberius Claudius Herodes, usually known as Herodes Atticus, was High Priest of the Athenian Imperial cult and the richest man in mid-second century Greece. He was also a prominent Roman senator (see AIUK 11 (Ashmolean), no. 15 with notes). The epithet “greatest” (kratistos) was used as a courtesy title for equestrians and senators, who had separate courtesy titles in Latin: vir egregius and vir clarissimus respectively. Herodes’ donation of cloaks to the ephebes is also mentioned in IG II² 3606, ll. 18-22, a poem he set up on his estate at Marathon, and in Philostratus Vit. Soph. 2.550. For the importance of the donation to his self-presentation, see AIO Papers 12 sect. 3.1. The brief vignette (ll. 8-11) is one of the only sources for the operation of the Athenian Assembly in the Imperial period. It indicates the continuation of Classical forms and institutions, like the presiding committee (proedros), and the formula for putting the question to a vote (cf. Demosth. 22.9; AIUK 4.2, pp. 9-10). In most cases where we have information, Assembly votes pass unanimously, see SEG 47.143a. For decrees of the Imperial period, see SEG 21.499. Herodes could address the ephebes directly because they were present at the Assembly, as observers and guards (Philostr. Vit. Soph. 2.550 with AIO Papers 12 sect. 3.1). [3] For the superintendent (kosmetes) and his deputy, see IG II² 3739 and AIO Papers 12 sect. 2.1. The deputy might be the historian Moschos of Halai, who dedicated IG II² 5506 (S. Follet Athènes, 1976, 215, n. 2), but there are other possibilities. For Abaskantos, the long-serving ephebic trainer, see IG II² 3737. The other ephebic instructors are listed at ll. 29-36, 118-19. [4] For the Controllers (sophronistai), see IG II² 2044 and AIO Papers 12 sect. 2.1. [5] The surviving portion of the catalogue gives the names of 74 citizen ephebes from six tribes. The other seven tribes are totally lost. This suggests a total cohort of around 150 citizen ephebes, which is at the high end of the spectrum for this period, but comparable to the 142 citizen ephebes in IG II² 2067 (154/5 AD). A few of the ephebes are attested later as members of the Council of 500 (ll. 59, 90, 94, 102), but most are otherwise unknown. The ephebes who had served as gymnasiarchs and agonothetai (see AIO Papers 12 sect. 2.3) do not seem to have been listed separately in this catalogue, which is unusual, but not unparalleled (cf. AIUK 4.3B (BM), no. 5). It is possible that they appeared in the lost upper portions of col. 2-3. [6] There are four sets of brothers in this catalogue. On such “ephebic twins,” see IG II² 1963 n. 2. [7] Telesphoros served as deputy trainer (hypopaidotribes) under Abaskantos from 162/3 or 163/4 until the latter’s death or retirement in 169/70. It is very likely that he was Abaskantos’ illegitimate son or freedman. This supports the idea that “Milesians” were a status group rather than actual migrants from Miletos (see IG II² 1996 n. 9). [8] On the “additional enrollees” (epengraphoi), see IG II² 2017 and AIO Papers 12 sect. 4.1. The list of additional enrollees probably continued on the lost portion of the stone. On complete ephebic catalogues from the mid-second century AD, there are usually more than a hundred additional enrollees (see AIO Papers 12 sect. 1.3).

Textual note: Wilson's text, which AIO follows, differs from that of the IG at ll. 13, 28, 44, 53, 56, 58, 72, 76, 79, 80, 83, 84, 86, 89, 104, 109, 121.

Added: 14 Jan 2021
Updated: 29 Mar 2024
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