AIO 1304 Decree concerning the festival (of Hephaistos?)

Decree concerning the festival (of Hephaistos?)

AIO 1304 Date: 421/0 BC

[θ]ε[οί]. [Προκλε͂ς] Ἀτάρβο Ε[ὐονυμεὺς] [ἐγραμμάτ]ευε ἐπὶ Ἀρισ[τίονος ἄρχοντος (421/0)]. [ἔδοχσεν τε͂ι βολε͂ι καὶ το͂ι δ]έμοι· ℎιπποθοντὶ[ς ἐπρυτάνευε, Προκλε͂ς ἐγραμμά]- (5)[τευε, . . . . ⁸ . . . . ἐπεστάτε, Ἀρισ]τίον ρχε (421/0), ℎυπέ[ρβολος? εἶπε . . . . . . . . ¹⁵ . . . . . . .] [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ²⁹ . . . . . . . . . . . . . .]ι πεντετ[ερ . . . . . . . . . . . . ²³ . . . . . . . . . . .] [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ²⁸ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ν]ῦμ μὲν τε[. . . . . . . . . . . . . ²⁵ . . . . . . . . . . . .] [. . . . . . . . . ¹⁷ . . . . . . . .]ο[. . . . . . ¹¹ . . . . .]ΟΝΟΣΤ[. . . . . . . . . . . . . ²⁶ . . . . . . . . . . . . .] [. . . . . . . . . ¹⁷ . . . . . . . .]ν δε[. . . . . . ¹² . . . . . .]ΕΡΕ[. . . . . . . . . . . . . ²⁶ . . . . . . . . . . . . .] (10)[. . . . . . . . . ¹⁷ . . . . . . . .] μὲν Ι[. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ⁴⁰ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .] [. . . . . . . . ¹⁶ . . . . . . . . ἐ]ν τε͂ι ἀγορᾶ[ι . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ³⁴ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .] [. . . . . . . . ¹⁶ . . . . . . . . τ]οῖς δεμότεσι π̣[. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ³² . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .] [. . . . . . ¹² . . . . . . πεντέ?]κοντα καὶ ℎεκατὸν [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ²⁹ . . . . . . . . . . . . . .] [. . . . . . . . ¹⁶ . . . . . . . . τ]ε͂ς μοσικε͂ς καθάπε[ρ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ²⁸ . . . . . . . . . . . . . .] (15)[. . . . . . ¹¹ . . . . .] το͂ ℎε[φα]ίστο καὶ τε͂ς Ἀθεναία[ς . . . . . . . . . . . . . ²⁶ . . . . . . . . . . . . .] [. . . . . ⁹ . . . .] Ἀθεναίο[ι]ς̣ ℎόθεν χρὲ ἐχσαιρε͂⟨ν⟩ ἀργύ[ριον . . . . . . . . . . ¹⁹ . . . . . . . . .] [. . . . ⁷ . . . ℎι]εροποιὸ[ς δ]ὲ ℎοίτινες ℎιεροποιέσοσ[ι . . . . . . . . . . ¹⁹ . . . . . . . . . δι]- [α]κλε[ρο͂σαι] ἐκ το͂ν δ[. . .].τον ℎένα ἐκ τε͂ς φυλε͂ς ἐκ το͂ν̣ [. . . . . . . . . . ¹⁹ . . . . . . . . . α]- [ρ]χοι δ[ιακλ]εροσάντ[ον μ]ετὰ το͂ν τε͂ς βολε͂ς· διακλεροσ[. . . . . . . . . . ¹⁹ . . . . . . . . .] (20)ον τε͂ς βολ[ε͂]ς· ℎοι δὲ λ[αχ]όντες μισθοφορόντον καθάπερ [. . . . . . . . . ¹⁷ . . . . . . . . ἐ]- πιμέλοντα[ι] τούτον· ℎ[ο]ι δὲ κολακρέται ἀποδιδόντον αὐτο[ῖς τὸ ἀργύριον. δια]- κλεροσάτο δὲ καὶ ℎε β[ολ]ὲ σφο͂ν αὐτο͂ν ℎιεροπ[οι]ὸς δέκα ἄνδρ[ας ℎένα ἐκ τε͂ς φυλ]- ε͂ς ℎεκάστε[ς]. δο͂ναι δὲ [κ]αὶ τοῖς μετοίκοις τρε͂[ς] βοῦς, τούτον τ[ο͂ν τριο͂ν δὲ ℎοι ℎ]- ιεροποιοὶ [νε]μόντον [α]ὐτοῖς ὀμὰ τὰ κρέα. τε͂ς δὲ πονπε͂ς ℎόπος [ἂν ℎος κάλλιστα] (25)πενφθε͂ι ℎο[ι ℎι]εροπ[οι]οὶ ἐπιμελόσθον, καὶ ἂν τίς τι ἀκοσμε͂[ι, κύριοι ὄντον αὐ]- τοὶ μὲν ζεμ[ιο͂ν μέ]χρ[ι πε]ντέκοντα δραχμο͂ν καὶ ἐκγράφεν ἐς [. . . . . . ¹² . . . . . . ἐὰ]- [ν] δέ τις ἄχσ[ιος ι μέζον]ος ζεμίας, τὰς ἐπιβολὰς ποιό[ντ]ον [ℎοπόσας ἂν δοκε͂ι κ]- [α]ὶ ἐσαγόν[τον ἐς τὸ δικασ]τέρι[ο]ν τὸ το͂ ἄρχοντος. τὸς δὲ βοῦ[ς . . . . . . ¹¹ . . . . . σάλ]- πινγος [προσαγαγε͂ν πρὸς τ]ὸν βομόν· ℎοίτιν[ε]ς δὲ ἀρο͂νται Ε̣[. . . . . . ¹² . . . . . . ℎοι] (30)ℎιεροποιο[ὶ . . . . . ⁹ . . . .] διακοσίος ἐχς Ἀθε[ν]αίον. τὲν δὲ λ[ανπάδα . . . ⁵ . . τε͂ι πε]- [ν]τετερίδι [. . . . ⁷ . . . ℎεφ]αιστίοις. ποιόντο[ν δ]ὲ [ℎ]οι ℎιεροπ[οιοὶ . . . . . . ¹¹ . . . . .] [τὲ]ν λανπάδ[α τιθέναι καὶ] τὸν ἄλλον ἀγο͂να γίγνεσθαι καθά[περ . . . . . . ¹² . . . . . .] [. . . .]ν θέας̣ [ℎοι γυμνασίαρχ?]οι ποιο͂σι· καὶ τὸ λοιπόν, ἐὰν δοκε͂[ι . . . . . . . ¹³ . . . . . .] [. . . Π]οσει[δο͂νι . . . . . ⁹ . . . .]ντον ℎοι ℎιεροποιοὶ καὶ το͂ι Ἀπόλ[λονι . . . . . ⁹ . . . .] (35)[. . . ⁵ . .]ν· ℎ[οι δὲ γυμνασίαρ]χοι ℎοι ℎειρεμένοι ἐς τὰ Προμέθια̣ [. . . . . . . ¹³ . . . . . .] [. . . ⁶ . . .]τ̣[. . . . . . . ¹³ . . . . . .]ος ℎελόσθον. τὸν δὲ βομὸν το͂ι ℎεφαί[στοι . . . . . ⁹ . . . .] [. . . . . . . . . . ²⁰ . . . . . . . . . .]το ποιεσάτο ℎε βολὲ καθότι ἂν αὐτε͂[ι δοκε͂ι . . . . ⁷ . . .] [. . . . . ¹⁰ . . . . . καὶ . . . ⁶ . . .]θαι καθ’ ἑμέραν ἐν τε͂ι τελευταίαι πε̣[. . . . . . . ¹³ . . . . . .] [. . . . . . . . . . ¹⁹ . . . . . . . . .]αν καὶ ἀναγορεύεν καθότι ἂν κριθε͂ι ℎ̣[ο ἀγὸν ℎέκαστο]- (40)[ς· . . . . . . . . ¹⁵ . . . . . . . ℎιερ]οπ[ο]ιοὶ καὶ ℎοι ἀγονισταί. τὸς δὲ κρ[ιτὰς . . . . . ⁹ . . . .] [. . . . . . . . ¹⁵ . . . . . . . · ἐπιμελόσθον?] δὲ το̣͂ν ἄθλον τε͂ς ἀναγραφε͂ς ℎ[οὶ ℎιεροποιοί?] [. . . . . . . ¹⁴ . . . . . . . εἶπε· τὰ μὲν ἄλλα καθά]περ τε͂ι βολε͂ι· ἀναγράφ[σαι δὲ τὸ φσέφι]- [σμα τόδε ἐστέλει λιθίνει καὶ καταθε͂ναι ἐ]ν το͂ι ℎιερο͂ι· ℎο δὲ [γραμματεὺς τε͂ς] [βολε͂ς ἐπιμελέσθο τε͂ς ἀναγραφε͂ς· καὶ ἀποδόντο]ν̣ [τὸ ἀ]ργύρ̣[ιον ℎοι κολακρέτα]- (45)[ι - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

Previous - AIO 1303 Next - AIO 1318
Translated text

References:

AIO 1304 (Translated text) (AIO)

IG I³ 82 (IG Online) (PHI)

SEG 47.60

Sokolowski, LSCG 13

Koerner, Gesetzestexte 10 (on ll. 24-28)

Traill, PAA 902050

Makres, IG I³ 82 Revisited, 185-188

Wijma, Embracing the Immigrant, 86-94

CGRN 43 (CGRN)

Translation by: Stephen Lambert, Feyo Schuddeboom

Images: Aleshire - (1, 2, 3)

Monument type: Stele

Inscription type: Decree (Council and People), Decree (People) (ll. 42-44)

Fragment a - Findspot: Athens (Church of St. Demetrios Katephores) (EM 6597)
Fragments b-d - Findspot: Athens (Kapnikarea Church) (EM 6597)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] This inscription makes new arrangements for a festival, usually taken to be the Hephaistia on the basis of ll. 15, 31 and 36, and circumstantial indications noted below (see also the notes to CGRN 43 and Parker, Polytheism, 471-72). Our text largely follows that of Makres, who has carried out a fresh autopsy and removed the more speculative restorations included in IG I³. She suggests that the festival might have been the Theseia, mainly on the basis of the reference to "demesmen" in l. 12 and the references connecting demesmen with electoral processes in the Theseion at I Eleusis 85, ll. 27-28 and Ath. Pol. 62.1. There are, however, other possible explanations for the reference to "demesmen" here (compare for example the distribution of meat by deme at the Little Panathenaia provided for at IG II³ 1, 447, ll. 52-53), there is no reference to Theseus or the Theseia in the surviving text and while, as Makres shows, the indications that this inscription concerns the Hephaistia are not absolutely conclusive, they remain persuasive (e.g. link between Hephaistos and torch races, l. 32, noted by Hdt. 8.98.2; bull-lifting, ll. 29-30, connected with Hephaistos on a red figure kylix of ca. 500 BC, F. T. van Straten, Hiera kala (1995), 111-12 [Florence, Museo Archeologico Etrusco 70999 - see Beazley archive]; this decree dated to same year as work started on statues for Hephaisteion, IG I³ 472, l. 5). Makres notes that, apart from this inscription, two others relating to Hephaistos were found in the area of the church of St. Demetrios Katephores (north slope of Acropolis, "on west side of Kyrrhestou St., where Erechtheos St. is located", Makres n. 22), IG I³ 472 (accounts for statues of Hephaistos and Athena for the Hephaisteion) and IG II³ 1, 306. She suggests that this may have been the location of the Theseion, for which there are other indications that it might have been in this area (Makres n. 25), and in which she speculates that Hephaistos was also worshipped. There is no reference to Theseus in either of these two inscriptions, however, and alternative explanations for the common findspot might be considered, e.g. that they were originally located in the Hephaisteion by the Agora and removed together the relatively short distance to the area of St. Demetrios' church in the context of later building works (cf. my remarks, ZPE 154, 2005, 127-28 = IALD, 52-53). [2] From this year Athenian decrees begin regularly to name the eponymous archon, which makes them easier to date than is typically the case with earlier decrees. The measure should perhaps be connected, more or less closely, with the completion (which cannot be precisely dated) of the Hephaisteion, the temple above the agora which stands to this day (on the statues for it see n. 1), and perhaps represents a deliberate effort at relaxation and diversion, a celebration of the beginning of the period of the Peace of Nikias which followed the Archidamian War, in the tribulations of which citizens and metics alike had shared. The extent to which international participation was envisaged is unclear from the surviving text. The other major decree making provisions for a festival in classical Athens, IG II³ 1, 447, also belongs to a period of peace following conflict, viz. the war with Philip II of Macedon that had culminated in defeat at the battle of Chaironeia, the focus there being the Little Panathenaia, a more domestic celebration than the quadrennial Great Panathenaia. [3] The proposer of this decree is usually taken to be Hyperbolos the leading Athenian politician of the years following the death of Kleon, who was extensively satirised by the comic poets and described dismissively by Thucydides 8.73 on the occasion of his ostracism (see Davies, APF, 13910; Traill, PAA, 902050). There is nothing otherwise to make the famous Hyperbolos an especially likely proposer of this measure, however, and Makres correctly points out that five other names in Hype- are attested in Attica. [4] This reference and the similar reference to the penteteris (quadrennial celebration) at l. 31 unfortunately lack context, but they may suggest that the measures provided for in this decree were to apply specifically to (perhaps they introduced) a quadrennial celebration of the Hephaistia, a "Great Hephaistia" (though no such quadrennial festival is apparently mentioned by Ath. Pol. 54.7; it is possible that arrangements made now, i.e. in this decree, did not endure). Compare the Panathenaia, in which the core elements of the festival, sacrifices and procession, took place annually (the "Little Panathenaia" which is the subject of IG II³ 1, 447), enhanced every four years by international competitions, the "Great Panathenaia". The intelligible sections of the decree relate to funding (ll. 15-16), appointment of apparently two sets of hieropoioi to manage the festival (ll. 17-23), arrangements for distribution of some of the sacrificial meat to metics (ll. 23-24), for the orderly conduct of the procession (ll. 24-28), for the sacrifices themselves, including the rite of bull-lifting (ll. 29-30), provisions for the torch-race and the rest of the competitions (ll. 30-32). There follow mysterious references to Poseidon and Apollo (perhaps some future expansion of rites is envisaged), to the Promethia (l. 35), an obscure festival otherwise known only for its torch-races organised by tribe (Lys. 21.3, Isai. 7.36), then after some further very fragmentary text, the festival is wrapped up with the arrangements for announcing results and prizes (ll. 39-41). Finally, in a rider to the original decree, proposed in the Assembly, provision is made for inscribing the decree itself "in the sanctuary", i.e. the sanctuary of the relevant deity, in this case probably the Hephaisteion. While most Athenian decrees were set up on the acropolis at this period, those relating to specific cults were commonly set up in the sanctuary of the relevant cult. [5] Makres, 190-91, is attracted by the suggestion of H. B. Mattingly, AJP 95 (1974), 280-85, that the reference here is to a fund of Athena and Hephaistos connected with coinage into which surplus silver is to paid at OR 155, clause 6, and which, she notes, is also a focus of attention in the unpublished law of 354/3 relating to coinage, SEG 54.114; 56.26. [This law has now been published, see M. Richardson, Hesperia 90 (2021), 685-746]. [6] Conventionally restored as "jurors" (d[ika]ston), Makres notes that such a reference would be unexpected in this context and supports rather a suggestion of A. P. Matthaiou, d[ido]nton, "donors".

Added: 3 Jan 2018
Updated: 29 Mar 2024
Feedback

ID: AIO_1304