AgoraXV 301 Honours for the prytany treasurer of Antiochis

Honours for the prytany treasurer of Antiochis

Agora XV 301 Date: mid-1st century BC-mid-1st century AD

in pediment . . . (crowns) [the treasurer], [Marcus Fulvius] -os (son of -os)^[1] moulding [Since, having made an approach], the prytaneis of [Antiochis declare] that Marcus Fulvius (5)[-os (son of -os) of Besa, the treasurer], has given forethought (pronoian) [for money from his own resources] and has also taken care of the [shared] [benefits to the Council and] the prytaneis [of Antiochis themselves, displaying] all enthusiasm (prothumian), [and for this they call (on the Council)] to allow them to make (10)the dedication [of a painted image (ikonos) of him] in the Asklepieion, [bearing this inscription: "The] prytaneis of Antiochis [in the archonship of - and those with perpetual dining rights (aisitoi) [dedicated (this image of)] their own treasurer, [Marcus Fulvius -os (son of -os) of Besa], [on account of his friendship and enthusiasm and] forethought for money," (15)[for good fortune], the Council shall decide to praise [Marcus Fulvius -os (son of -os)] of Besa for his [enthusiasm] regarding the [people of] Besa's [deme and for] his skill (technēn) regarding the [rest of the prytaneis^[2] and] to crown him with a foliage [crown, with which it is traditional] to crown good (20)[men, and also to allow] the prytaneis and those with perpetual dining rights to make] the [dedication of the image] of him [in the Asklepieion], so that, when these things are done [and this] witness (marturias) [exists], those who even privately . . . shall became providers . . .

col. (right)

(25)S[o]kles son of Isidotos^[3] [Pa]r[a]monos son of Xen-

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References:

Agora XV 301 (Translated text) (PHI)

SEG 21.497

Translation by: Chris de Lisle

Images: Agora Excavations - (1)

Monument type: Stele

Inscription type: Decree (Council)

Findspot: Agora (Ag. I 6164)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] This is a prytany decree of the post-Sullan type, in which the Council permits the prytany and the aeisitoi ("those with perpetual dining rights," various magistrates and priests entitled ex officio to dine in the tholos every night) to make a dedication honouring their treasurer for successful completion of sacrifices on behalf of the community (see SEG 28.95 with notes). Over the first century BC, these decrees increasingly emphasise the treasurer's financial contributions rather than the communitarian aspects of the sacrifices (E. Muñiz Grijalvo in E. Muñiz Grijalvo, J. M. Cortés Copete, and F. Lozano, Empire and Religion, 2017, 21–44). In line with this, the decree stresses the treasurer's "forethought for money" (ll. 5–6, 14) but does not even mention the sacrifices (expected in ll. 6–7). Marcus Fulvius’ name indicates that he was a Roman citizen who had acquired Athenian citizenship. Although many Romans are attested as members of the Council in the post-Sullan period (Agora XV 272 with notes), Fulvius is the only one known to have served as prytany treasurer. [2] If ll. 16–18 are correctly restored, this is the latest reference to a deme as a decision-making institution by some margin. In the Classical and early Hellenistic periods, demes had played a key role in identity, administration, and religion at a local level and for Athens as a whole (see RO 46 with notes). Although many of the settlements that the demes centred on continued to exist, evidence for demes as institutions disappears around the second century BC. When the people of Acharnai dedicated IG II³ 4, 242 in the Augustan period, they did so as a “community” or “association” (koinon), not as a deme. Athenian citizens continued to inherit their demotic from their fathers and newly enfranchised citizens still received a demotic, which determined their tribe and served as proof of Athenian citizenship. It is possible that naturalised citizens chose their own deme (J. H. Oliver, AJP 71, 1950, 298, SEG 2.7 with notes), in which case Fulvius might be praised here because his choice of Besa had made him a member of the tribe Antiochis and thus eligible to serve as the tribe’s treasurer [CdL]. [3] Only a small portion of the rightmost column of the catalogue of prytaneis is preserved.

Added: 24 Sep 2023
Updated: 9 Oct 2023
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