AIUK42 no. 16 Decrees honouring ephebes and their superintendent, 40/39 or 39/38 BC

Decrees honouring ephebes and their superintendent, 40/39 or 39/38 BC

AIUK 4.2 (BM, Decrees of Council and Assembly) no. 16 Date: 40/39 or 39/38 BC

Fragments ab

^[1] Decree 1 (Honours for sacrifices)^[2] . . . proposed: concerning the report which the superintendent of the ephebes, - son of -enides of Marathon, makes about the sacrifice that he made with the ephebes in the city hall, the entry-sacrifices for Hestia and the other gods for whom it was traditional, on behalf of the Council and the People and children and women and the friends and allies, (5) and that with all the victims the sacrifices turned out fine and salutary; for good fortune, the Council shall decide, to accept the good things that took place at the sacrifices which he made for the health and preservation of the Council and the People and children and women and the friends; and to praise the superintendent - son of -enides of Marathon and the ephebes and crown each of them with a foliage crown for their piety towards the gods and their zeal and love of toil throughout the year, (10) in order that, these things being brought to pass, the Council may be seen to be honouring them worthily of the honour they deserve.

Decree 2 (Honours for superintendent of ephebes)^[4] -on son of Anthesterios of Ikarion proposed: since those who were ephebes in the archonship of Nikandros (41/0 or 40/39)^[3] and their fathers, having made an approach, make clear that their superintendent - son of -enides of Marathon has given them the proper supervision . . . first having sacrificed the proper sacrifices . . . [on behalf of] (15) the preservation of the ephebes, and having conducted himself in other matters in a manner worthy of . . . his election [by the People] and the dignity of his office . . . . . . arrangements concerning the - of the ephebes . . . . . . to have shown equal good-will to all, and in guiding them towards the finest pursuits, and to attend the schools of the philosophers and orators and grammarians, (20) and to be present at whatever lectures were given by others, and took care of the weapons drill and the cavalry drill in a very thoughtful manner . . . also in the demonstrations at the sacred contests which . . . in the - which the laws and the fatherland prescribed . . . they did not let themselves down in anything, nor in . . . (25) on behalf of the fatherland honour and . . . showing himself throughout the whole year . . . they invite, crowned . . . the People shall permit them, having requested . . . this inscription; the Council . . . in (30) the archonship or Nikandros (41/0 or 40/39)^[3] . . . the decree on a stone stele . . . the Council shall decide that the presiding committee allotted to preside at the forthcoming Assembly shall put these matters on the agenda . . . . . . . . .

Fragment c

[in order that, these things being brought to pass, the Council may be seen to be paying proper attention to the] training of the ephebes and to be honouring good men.

Decree 3 (Honours for ephebes and their officers)^[4] (35) - son of Anthesterios of Ikarion proposed: since the ephebes in the archonship of Nikandros (41/0 or 40/39)^[3] from the first age of manhood have established themselves as good men, spending their time (?) . . . and have made for their superintendent and their tutors (?) . . . readily doing what is in the interests of the city . . . shirking no exertion both as regards their own self-control . . . (40) and being present at the schools of the philosophers and orators and grammarians and whatever lectures were given by others, and concerning their exercises in grammar and their athletics in arms and their love of toil in cavalry training . . . they have performed in a manner befitting to themselves, and at the sacred contests . . . expeditions suitable to themselves across the country . . . (45) the gods with sacrifices and honours magnificently . . . worthily of themselves and the fatherland, both in the processions and of all the religious ceremonies which were traditional . . . . . .

Fragment d

. . . they made the dedication of the books . . . to devote themselves in everything else (50) . . . conducting themselves solemnly and with love of honour and magnificently; for good fortune, the Council shall decide, that the presiding committee allotted to preside at the forthcoming Assembly shall put these matters on the agenda, and submit the opinion of the Council to the People that it seems good to the Council to praise the ephebes of the archonship of Nikandros (41/0 or 40/39)^[3] and crown them with a gold crown for the discipline which they displayed and their zeal for the finest of pursuits, (55) and to announce the crown at the competition for new tragedies of the Dionysia . . . and the generals and the treasurer of the stratiotic fund shall take care of the announcement of the crown; and to praise also their tutors and their trainer, . . . and their secretary Alexandros son of Alexandros of Halai, and the . . . and their weapons trainer, throughout the year (60) . . . having held office with the ephebes, and to crown each of them with a foliage crown for the conduct which they displayed; and to permit them also to dedicate a painting . . . and to inscribe this decree with the others on a stele and [stand it in whatever place -] of Marathon [may choose], in order that, these things being brought to pass, the Council and the People may be seen to honour those young men who from the first age of manhood devote (65) themselves to the finest pursuits, and that others may also become zealous for the same. . . . ?

Greek text

References:

AIUK 4.2 (BM, Decrees of Council and Assembly) no. 16 (Translated text) (AIUK) (AIO)

IG II² 1042 (PHI)

GIBM I 39

Wilhelm, Attische Urkunden VI, 185 no. 9; 259-61 no. 35.10 (ll. 10, 38-39, 41)

AIO 924 (AIO)

AIO Papers 11, 1-6 (1042) (AIO Paper)

AIO Papers 11B no. 3, Fig. 6 (AIO Paper)

Henderson, Springtime, T9.15

Translation by: Stephen Lambert

AIO Images: 1

Monument type: Plaque

Inscription type: Decree (Council and People)

Fragment a - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 7606)
Fragment b - Findspot: Athens (house in area of Church of St Demetrios Katephores) (BM 1864,0220.21)
Fragments c - Findspot: Unknown (Unknown)
Fragments d - Findspot: Athens (eastern part) (Lost)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] Fragment b of this inscription (containing the left side of ll. 4-32) was acquired in Athens by Lord Strangford, British ambassador to the Porte at Constantinople from 1820-1825, and acquired by the British Museum after his death (cf. AIUK 4.2, no. 3).

The ephebate was a system of “national service” for young Athenian males. On its earlier history see RO 89 and IG II³ 4, 329, with notes. Since the third century BC (Chremonidean War) it had been customary for the Assembly to inscribe a decree honouring the entire year-class of ephebes (see IG II³ 1, 917, 957, 981, 986, 1003, etc.). This practice was maintained until the Augustan period, after which rosters of ephebes continued to be inscribed, but were no longer accompanied by decrees. Our inscription belongs to the latest phase of the inscribed decrees, following the sack of the city by Sulla in 86 BC. Four others are extant from this period: IG II² 1039; IG II² 1040+1025; IG II² 1041; IG II² 1043. For discussion of the post-Sullan ephebic monuments see E. Perrin-Saminadayar, in S. Follet ed., L’Hellénisme d’époque Romaine: noveaux documents, nouvelles approches (2004), 87-103. For photographic documentation see AIO Papers 11B. For decrees of the Council and People in this period see I Rhamnous 423 with notes. This inscription lacks a roster, but the others show that the number of ephebes at this period was ca. 100-150 a year, broadly comparable to the generation before the Sullan sack. Since at least 123/2 BC citizen ephebes had been joined by foreigners, including Romans, and this also continued to be the case after 86 BC. This development was probably connected with the participation of the ephebes in the classes of philosophers and rhetoricians, first attested in the same year. The ephebate had become, in effect, a higher education, both physical and academic, for elite youths from both Athens and internationally. Cf. IG II² 1039, n. 10. The monument was probably set up originally in the area of the Agora, cf. IG II² 1039 n. 3. For more detailed discussion of the decree see AIUK 4.2 (BM, Decrees of the Council and Assembly), no. 16. [2] Our inscription contains three decrees. The first is based on a report from the superintendent (kosmetes) and honours the ephebes for the due performance of the customary sacrifices, specifically the “entry-sacrifices”, eisiteteria, which marked the beginning of the ephebic year; cf. IG II² 1043, ll. 7-8, and contrast the reference in IG II² 1039, ll. 5-6, to the “exit sacrifices” (exiteteria) to Athena Polias which marked the end of the ephebes’ year of service (cf. n. 4 to that inscription). The first decree is a decree of the Council rather than the Assembly, but the other two are probouleumatic decrees of the Assembly; cf. IG II² 1039, n. 3. [3] Conventionally allocated to 41/0 BC, but Byrne dates this archon to 40/39 BC (Athenian Onomasticon s.v. Nikandros). Like the other decrees of this type, they will have been passed in the year following the ephebes' year of service. [4] Decree 2 is based on a report from the ephebes and their fathers and honours the kosmetes. Decree 3 honours the ephebes and their trainers and tutors for the performance of the generality of their duties. The academic character of the ephebic training at this period is reflected in the wording of decree 2, honouring the kosmetes for guiding the ephebes not only “to attend the schools of the philosophers and orators and grammarians”, but also lectures on other topics (19-20) (repeated in similar wording honouring the ephebes themselves in decree 3, ll. 40-41). The academic side of the curriculum is also reflected in the reference to generic “tutors” (paideutai), alongside the kosmetes at l. 37, and alongside the trainer (paidotribes) at l. 57, and the reference to the ephebes’ exercises in grammar alongside their military and cavalry training at ll. 41-42. It is also reflected in the reference to “the dedication of books”, l. 48. This is one of a number of references since 117/6 BC (IG II² 1009, ll. 7-8) to book “dedications” (i.e. apparently donations), sometimes specified as of 100 books, and sometimes as being for the Ptolemaion (in the agora), which seems to have functioned as the ephebes’ library. Cf. IG II² 1041, ll. 23-24 (with note); C. Pélékidis, Histoire de l’éphebie attique (1962), 263-64; M. Haake, Der Philosoph in der Stadt (2007), 45.

Added: 1 Jul 2019
Updated: 2 Jul 2023
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