AIO 2847 Thyateira honours Hadrian

Thyateira honours Hadrian

AIO 2847 Date: 128-132 AD

Fragment a+c+d+f+g+i+j

Ἀγαθῆι τύ[χηι] [τοῦ θειοτάτο]υ Αὐτοκράτορος Κ[αίσαρος Τραϊανοῦ Ἁδριανοῦ Σεβαστοῦ]. Ἐ̣π̣[ειδὴ ἡ Θυα]τειρηνῶν πόλις, χ̣[άριν εἰδυῖα ἐπὶ ταῖς εὐεργεσίαις τοῦ] μ̣ε̣[γίστου Αὐτο]κράτορος Καίσαρο̣[ς Τραϊανοῦ Ἁδριανοῦ Σεβαστοῦ, σωτῆρος] (5)καὶ [εὐεργέτο]υ, πατρὸς τῆς πα[τρίδος, ἀρχιερέως μεγίστου, ὑπάτου, δι’] ὧν π̣[όλεις καὶ ἔθ]νη τῆς ἁπάσης Ἑ[λλάδος εἰς τὸ σεμνότατον τοῦτο Πανελ]- λήνι[ον κατεστήσα]το, πάντα ἃ Μεττ[ίου Μοδέ]σ̣του συ̣[στήσαντος ἐπέτυχεν(?) ἀνα]- γράψα[ι Ἀθήνησιν] ἐν Ἀκροπόλει β[ούλεται καὶ τ]ὰς δωρεὰς ὡσ[αύτως τὰς τοῦ] μεγίσ[του τῶν ἀείπ]οτε βασιλέων Αὐ̣[τοκράτορ]ος Καίσαρος Τραϊα[νοῦ Ἁδριανοῦ] (10)Ὀλυμπί[ου Πανελλ]ηνίου Διὸς · ἐφ' [οἷς πᾶσιν τ]ο̣ῦτο ἔδο⟨ξ⟩εν, ἀγαθ̣[ῆι τύχηι, τῆι Θ]- τε̣ιρην[ῶν] βο̣υ̣λ̣ῆ̣[ι καὶ] τ̣ῷ δήμῳ· τόδ̣[ε τὸ ψήφι]σμα ἐνχαράξαι λιθ[ίνη]ι σ̣[τήληι καὶ] σ[τῆ]- σαι ἐν [Ἀκρ]ο̣π̣όλει̣, [ἵνα] ἔκδηλον [γένοιτο τοῖς Ἕλ]λησι ἅπασιν ὅσων [δὴ τ]ετύ̣χ̣η̣κ̣ε̣ν̣ ἀπ̣ὸ τοῦ [μ]ε̣γί̣στου β[ασι]λέως, ὅτ[ι ἅμα τε κοι]νῇ πᾶν τὸ τῶν Ἑλλή̣[νων] ε̣ὐ̣εργέτ̣ησε̣ν̣ ὁ βασ̣ι̣λ̣ε̣ύ̣ς, σ̣υ̣ναγα[γὼ]ν ἐξ αὐ[τῶν ἐκεῖνο τ]ὸ συνέδριον, ὡς φ̣[ιλο]τ̣ε̣ιμία̣ν κοινήν̣, (15)εἰ̣ς̣ τ̣ὴ̣[ν λαμ]π̣ρ̣οτάτη̣[ν Ἀ]θην̣[αίων] π̣όλιν, τ̣[ὴ]ν̣ Εὐεργέτιν, καρπ[ὸν τῶ]ν Μυστηρίων ὁμ̣[οῦ πᾶσι διδοῦ]σ̣α̣ν, τὸ̣ [δὲ σεμνότα]τον Πανελ̣λήνιον, δι’ ὧν ἐψη̣[φίσατο, ὁ]μολογούν̣- [των τῶν Ῥωμαίων δόγματι] σ̣υ̣γ̣κ̣λήτου, κα[ὶ ἰ]δίᾳ τά τε ἔθνη κ̣[αὶ τὰς πόλεις τ]ούτου τοῦ τε̣ι̣- [μιωτάτου μετέδωκε συνεδρ]ίου · δῆλος δέ ἐσ[τ]ιν καὶ τὴν ἡμε̣[τέραν πόλιν ἀριζ]ήλως καὶ πολλά̣- [κις ὁ βασιλεὺς αὐξάνων κ]αὶ εὐεργετῶν, Τ[- - - - - -]ολ[- - - - - -]πων ἔτι τὴν (20)[- - - - - - - - -] εὐεργέτησε[- - - - - - - - - λα]μ̣βάνων ὑπὲρ [- - -] [- - - - - - - - -]ε̣ν παρὰ ΤΟΥ[- - - - - - τὴν] τ̣ῶν ὑδάτων ἀ[γω]- [γὴν - - - - - - - - -]ε̣ι παρα[- - - - - - - - - κατ]ὰ̣ τὰς ἁπάντων [- - - - - - - - - - - -]Ε. .[- - - - - - - - - - - -]

Fragment b+h

⟦. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .⟧ (25)[- - - - - - - - - - - -]Ε̣[- - - - - - - - -]ειν προσ[όδους?] [- - - οὐ μόνον ἐπιδείξας τὴν αὐτ(?)]ὴ̣ν μεγ[αλοφροσύνη]ν̣ 𐆖 μυριάδας εἴκοσιν χάριν [παρακομιδῆς σίτου καὶ παντοδαπῶ]ν̣ τροφῶ[ν καὶ πλείσ]τ̣ην τὴν περὶ τὸν πυρὸν ἀφθο- [νίαν παρασχὼν - - - - - - - - - τῆ]ς τοῦ μ[εγίστου βα]σ̣ιλέως φιλοδωρίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν [- - - - - - - - - - - -]ε̣ν, εὐ[μεν]ῶς αὐτὸς σχὼν πολλάκις, ἡνίκα (30)[- - - - - - - - - - - - βεβαιω]κ̣ὼς [δὲ ἡ]μ̣ῖν εἰς ἀεὶ τὴν τῶν ὅρων ἀμε- [τακίνητον ἀσφάλειαν καὶ τὴν φυλακὴν αὐ]τ̣ῶν [διὰ τ]ῆς τοῦ βασιλέως προνοίας, ἔτι δὲ [- - - - - - - - - - - - τοῖς ἄρχου]σ̣ι ἐπιτρέψας, αἰτήσασιν παρ’ αὐτοῦ, [- - - - - - - - - - - - χρήμα]τ̣α εἰς ἕτερον ἔργον καταλει- [φθέντα - - - - - - - - - ἠβουλήθη δὲ καὶ τοὺ]ς̣ τῆς γῆς φόρους ἴσους γενέσ- (35)[θαι - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

Fragment e

ΜΕ[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -] ΦΑΝ[- - - - - - - - - - - - ἐπρέσβευον καὶ τὸ τῶν Θυατειρηνῶν] ψήφ[ισμα ἀπέδοντο - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -] ΜΕΝ[- - - - - - - - - - - - καὶ Τι. Κλ. Μηνογένης Καικιλιανός, υἱός Τι. Κλ. Σωκράτους] (40)Σακε[ρδωτιανοῦ, ἱερέως τοῦ Καθηγεμόνος Διονύσου καὶ ἀρχιερέως τῶν Σεβαστῶν], καὶ Ἰου̣[λ. Μηνογενίδος, ἀγωνοθέτιδος καὶ στεφανηφόρου καὶ πρυτάνεως· ἐπεμελήθη δὲ] τῆς ἀ[ναγραφῆς καὶ τῆς ἐν Ἀκροπόλει ἀναστάσεως τῆς στήλης ὁ διὰ βίου ἀρχιερεὺς τῶν] Σεβα[στῶν καὶ ἱερεὺς τοῦ Καθηγεμόνος Διονύσου καὶ ἀρχιερεὺς τῆς Ἀσίας καὶ ἀγωνοθέτης] Τι. Κλ. Μ[ηνογένης Καικιλιανός].

Previous - Ameling, Herodes Atticus II 198
Translated text

References:

AIO 2847 (Translated text) (AIO)

IG II² 1090 (PHI)

IG II² 1087 (PHI)

IG II² 1088 (PHI)

SEG 41.67 (PHI)

SEG 47.163a (PHI)

SEG 47.163b (PHI)

Oliver, Marcus Aurelius 50

Ameling, Herodes Atticus II 218

TAM V,2 1180 (PHI)

Translation by: Chris de Lisle

Monument type: Stele

Inscription type: Decree (Other city, Thyateira)

Original location: Acropolis

fr. a - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 8383)
fr. b - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 9485)
fr. c - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 4944)
fr. d - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 9486)
fr. e - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 5832)
fr. f - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 9490)
fr. g - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 8381-2)
fr. h - Findspot: Acropolis, north slope, near Asklepeion (EM 4237)
fr. i - Findspot: Unknown (EM 2284)
fr. j - Findspot: Unknown (EM 5919)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] This decree of Thyateira is one of four inscriptions set up on the Athenian Acropolis by various communities to commemorate their admission to the Penhellenion following its creation in 131/2 AD (see SEG 69.89 for a full list; on the Panhellenion, see IG II³ 4, 215 with notes). Thyateira (modern Akhisar, Turkey) was a prosperous mid-level city on the Lykos river in Lydia, within the Roman province of Asia, but it received no honorific titles or special administrative functions until the third century AD. Unlike the other decrees, Thyateira focuses completely on the benefactions it had received from Hadrian (and perhaps another, see n. 2), making no reference to mythical kinship ties with the Greek mainland or past services to Rome, perhaps because, as a minor Macedonian foundation of the mid-Hellenistic period (Strabo 13.4.4), there was little that could be said. [2] If l. 7 is correctly restored as a name, which is uncertain, it might refer to Gaius Trebonius Proculus Mettius Modestus, suffect consul in 103 AD and proconsul of Asia in 119/20 (CIL III, 7003; I Eph. 1486) or his nephew Mettius Modestus, governor of Lycia in 130/1 AD (TAM II 421). Peppas-Delmousou and Follet suggest that the latter is thanked for supporting Thyateira’s application to the Panhellenion. Jones objects that Thyateira was not in Lycia and proposes that the decree took advantage of Thyateira’s admission to honour the elder Mettius for his acts as governor of Asia (see textual note). [3] That membership of the Panhellenion was a source of honour for communities is shown by decrees like this and by IRCyr. C 163, in which Cyrene contests the membership of a rival city before the emperor. The Panhellenion also offered opportunities for honour to individual Greeks through participation in the Panhellenia Games (see IG II³ 4, 613, 614, 628, 629, 630) and through service as one of their city's delegates to the Panhellenion (cf. OGIS 504-507 and Sardis VII 2, 319-320). [4] The Eleusinian Mysteries were one of the main sources of Athenian prestige in the Imperial period (cf. Aelius Aristides Panath. 128, 230, 257) and the Panhellenion was closely associated with the Eleusinian cult (see IG II³ 4, 215-218, I Eleusis 489). [5] Ll. 14-18 are the fullest account of the procedure by which the Panhellenion was established. The initiative is attributed to Hadrian, who then gets the assent of the Senate (cf. A. J. S. Spawforth, Chiron 29, 1999, 339–344). This contrasts with the briefer, later account of Cassius Dio, in which Hadrian “permitted the Greeks” to establish the Panhellenion (69.16.2). According to l. 14, the purpose of the Panhellenion was to be a source of honour (philotimia) shared by all Greeks. [6] Aside from his benefaction to the whole Greek world through the establishment of the Panhellenion (ll. 11-18), the decree praises Hadrian for benefitting Thyateira specifically (ll. 18-35). Similar praise appears in the decree of Synnada (SEG 69.89, ll. 7-16) and, in vaguer terms, in the decrees of Sardis and Magnesia (SEG 69.88, ll. 2-11; IG II² 1091, ll. 9-11). Hadrian has ordered works of water management (l. 21), made gifts in money and kind to secure the food supply (ll. 26-28), secured or settled Thyateira’s borders (ll. 30-31), allowed the Thyateirans to vary the terms of an endowment they had received (ll. 32-33, cf. I Eleusis 489 for a later parallel at Athens), and ordered a revision of the provincial land tax (ll. 34-35). Jones sees a shift at l. 28 from benefactions from Hadrian himself to acts carried out by Mettius Modestus on his behalf (see n. 2 and textual note). [7] The final lines are reconstructed as a clause naming the citizen responsible for erecting the stele (cf. SEG 69.88, ll. 12-14; SEG 69.89, ll. 42-45). Tiberius Claudius Menogenes Caecilianus belonged to a prominent Thyateiran family, honoured in several inscriptions (TAM V 2 976, 978-980); he may have erected this stele as Thyateira’s delegate to the Panhellenion. Dionysos Kathegemon ("the guider"), originally a Pergamene god, was the chief deity of Thyateira. High priests oversaw cults of the emperors; Menogenes held both the life-long high priesthood of Thyateira and the annual high priesthood of the province of Asia. Menogenes' mother had held several offices at Thyateira that primarily involved the expenditure of money (l. 41); it was common for women to do this in many Greek cities in the Imperial period (R. van Bremen, Limits of Participation, 1996), although not in Athens.

Textual note: AIO largely follows the text of C. Jones Chiron 29 (1999), 1-20 (= SEG 47.163b), which modifies D. Peppas-Delmouzou and S. Follet, BCH 121 (1997), 291-309 (= SEG 47.163a), but at ll. 26-31, AIO retains the more conservative text of Peppas-Delmouzou and Follet, where Jones proposes: ἐκδηλοτάτην ποιούμενος τ]ὴ̣ν μεγ[αλοφροσύνη]ν 𐆖 μυριάδας εἴκοσιν χάριν |[σειτωνίας ἐχαρίσατο τῇ πόλει, ὡς ἄλλω]ν̣ τροφῶ[ν καὶ πλείσ]την τὴν περὶ τὸν πυρὸν ἀφθο|[νίαν περιγενέσθαι ἡμεῖν διὰ τῆ]ς τοῦ μ[εγίστου βα]σ̣ιλέως φιλοδωρίας· ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ||[αὐτὴν εὔνοιαν Μέττιος Μόδεστος ἐπέδειξ]ε̣ν, εὐ[μεν]ῶς αὐτὸς σχὼν πολλάκις, ἡνίκα |[αἰτιῶν τινων ἐπενεχθεισῶν ἀδί]κ̣ως [ἐφ’ ἡ]μ̣ῖν εἰς ἀεὶ τὴν τῶν ὅρων ἀμε|[τάθετον διάθεσιν ἐβεβαίωσε διαι]τ̣ῶν [ἐκ τ]ῆς τοῦ βασιλέως προνοίας ("making most clear his munificence, Hadrian donated] a hundred and twenty thousand denarii for [the grain fund (seitōnias) to the city, so that we had, of other] provisions [and especially] regarding wheat, abundance, [through] the greatest king's love of giving (philodōrias), but also the [same good will (eunoian) Mettius Modestus displayed], himself acting kindly many times, at the time when, [some charges having been laid unjustly against] us, [he made firm] forever our borders' [unchangeable arrangement, mediating from] the king's foresight").

Added: 21 Jan 2024
Updated: 14 Apr 2025
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ID: AIO_2847