AIO 2551 Decree of Euonymon honouring an official

Decree of Euonymon honouring an official

AIO 2551 Date: Late 4th cent. BC

. . . proposed: since [Ktesi?kleides]^[1] [having been allotted? to] office^[2] managed [the common resources well and with love of honour (philotimōs)] [and made the sacrifices] to the gods [and] (5)[heroes?], the demesmen of Euonymon shall [decide] [to praise Ktesi?]kleides . . . [and ] crown him [with a gold crown] [of 1000 or 500] drachmas for his excellence (aretēs) and justice (dikaiosunēs) [towards the deme (dēmon) of] (10)[Euonymon; and the demarch in office] at any time shall give [him a seat of honour (proedrian)] at the competition (agōni)^[3] . . . . . . and to inscribe this decree . . . . . . -ras-^[4] . . . (15) . . . and [stand it] . . . . . . . . .

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Greek text

References:

AIO 2551 (Translated text) (AIO)

SEG 57.125

Csapo and Wilson II, 120-21

Russo, Ripartizioni, D40

Translation by: Stephen Lambert, Matthew Hewitt

Monument type: Stele

Inscription type: Decree (deme Euonymon)

Original location: [Theatre of Euonymon]

Findspot: Theatre at Trachones (= ancient Euonymon) (NM 16325)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] Textual Note. AIO largely follows Csapo and Wilson's text, which is itself based on the editio princeps of G. Steinhauer, Arch. Eph. 146, 2007, 43-7 (SEG 57.125). We have, however, added "?"s where restorations are particularly uncertain, and omitted some more speculative ones altogether, especially towards the end. We have also regularised the line length at stoich. 29 (Csapo-Wilson assumed 27-30 letters to the line). | 1 and 6 On the uncertain restoration of the honorand as Κτησικλείδης see below. | 6 fin. [τὸν δήμαρχον] Stein., or [τὸν ταμίαν] ? Cs-Wil. | 8 in. Χ (1000) or 𐅅 (500) AIO (cf. SEG 36.186, with note), Χ eds. | 14 Θεόφ]ρασ[τον Stein., thinking of the Athenian archon of 313/2 BC (the like-named archon of 340/39 BC could not be excluded), but, if it is a name it might be that of the demarch of Euonymon rather than the Athenian eponymous, and -ρας- might be e.g. Θ]ρασ[υ-, ἄνδ]ρας, ἱε]ρὰς, cf. below n. 4.

On the Attic demes see RO 46, with notes. This fragmentary decree was discovered in the fill of a retaining wall, at the site of what was formerly the theatre of the large and prosperous deme Euonymon (bouleutic quota 10 in the 4th century BC, IG II³ 4, 54, 3-13, Agora XV 42, 2-12; IG I³ 515, of 408/7 BC, is apparently not a full list of the prytany), of the tribe Erechtheis. Although the erection clause is not preserved, it can be assumed that this decree was originally set up in the theatre, which was a common location for deme decrees. Prior to the discovery of this inscription, the site of ancient Euonymon, lying 7 km south of the city of Athens (modern Trachones), had been identified on the basis of funerary inscriptions commemorating members of the deme discovered there (e.g. IG II² 6195). For discussions of the deme, see A. Moreno, Feeding the Democracy, 2007, 60-6; Humphreys, Kinship, 814-20.

The large and rectangular theatre has been excavated 200m east of the area identified as the deme’s centre. It still awaits full publication, and attempts to date it have been inconclusive. Tzachou-Alexandri identifies two phases of construction, suggesting a date in the early 4th cent. for the first (two sets of privileged seating (proedria) have also been identified, which may have corresponded to these two building phases, see below and Csapo and Wilson II, 115-17). On the other hand, the theatre’s rectangular shape has been adduced in support of a 5th cent. construction date, implying either an earlier dating for the "first phase", or that that phase was preceded by an even earlier phase of construction (see H. R. Goette in Pöhlmann ed., Studien zur Bühnendichtung und zum Theaterbau der Antike 1995, 16-17; Tzachou-Alexandri, Arch. Eph. 146, 2007, 13; Csapo and Wilson 113-4). The theatre attests to the staging of local theatrical festivals at Euonymon (on the staging of Rural Dionysia in general see IG II³ 4, 498; Csapo and Wilson, 112-4 on Euonymon). The size of the theatre, with an estimated capacity of 2,600-3,750, suggests that Euonymon may also have hosted other demes [or perhaps simply visitors from outside the deme? SDL] at its festivals (see H. R. Goette, in Csapo et al. eds., Greek Theatre in the Fourth Century BC, 2014, 98; Csapo and Wilson, 118).

Among the finds from the theatre are two 4th-cent. BC statues of Dionysos, the first statues of a god to be discovered in a Classical theatre (cf. Tzachou-Alexandri 2007), and possibly linked to a dedicatory inscription by the prominent demesman Olympiodoros, also found at the site (IG II³ 4, 968). In addition, several inscribed theatre seats have been excavated, seemingly recording the bestowal of privileged seating (proedria) (Csapo and Wilson II, 115-17). This decree has been dated roughly to the late 4th century BC, on the basis of lettering (though see n. 4). Many elements have been heavily restored, with varying degrees of certainty, on the basis of other similar decrees. In any case, it attests to the use of the theatre as a space for the bestowal of public honours (see IG II² 1210 for a parallel from Anagyrous).

From the letters extant in l. 6, Steinhauer proposed Ktesikleides as the most likely name of the honorand, since it is the only suitable name attested for a demesman of Euonymon (as cleruch and councillor on Samos, ca. 352-347 BC, IG XII 6, 261, l. 42-3 and IG XII 6, 262, l. 11; Traill, PAA no. 586990). It is quite possible, however, that the honorand had a different name in -kleides, and was perhaps a relative of the cleruch. [2] That the office (arkhē) performed by the honorand was the demarchy is not unlikely, despite the unusually indirect mode of reference to it. The demarch dealt regularly with finances and the performance of sacrifices (Csapo and Wilson, 121). An alternative would be treasurer (tamias). [3] The competition (agōn) in question is most likely in tragedy or comedy at the Rural DIonysia. [4] The restoration of the final few lines is particularly uncertain. The name of Theophrastos has been restored from the extant three letters, i.e. the Athenian archon of 313/2 BC, but there are many possibilities (see above, Textual Note).

Added: 30 Sep 2022
Updated: 16 Oct 2024
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ID: AIO_2551