IGI3 476 Erechtheion building accounts, 408/7 BC

Erechtheion building accounts, 408/7 BC

IG I³ 476 Date: 408/7 BC

. . . ^[1] the one with the spear, 60 dr.; Phyromachos (160)of Kephisia,^[2] the young man next to the breast-plate, 60 dr.; Praxias living in Melite,^[2] the horse and the man appearing behind it, striking it, 120 dr.; Antiphanes (165) from Kerameis, the chariot and the young man and the two yoked horses, 240 dr.; Phyromachos of Kephisia, the man leading the horse, 60 dr.; Mynnion (170) living in Agryle, the horse and the man whipping it and he added the stele afterwards, 127 dr.; Soklos living at Alopeke, the man holding the (175) bridle, 60 dr.; Phyromachos of Kephisia, the man leaning on the stick by the altar, 60 dr.; Iasos of Kollytos, the woman whom the child has (180) leant against, 80 dr.. Total for sculpture (hagalmatopoiko) 3,315 dr.; receipts 4302 dr. 1 ob. Expenses: the same. In the eighth prytany, of Pandionis^III. (185) Receipts from the treasurers of the goddess, Aresaichmos of Agryle and his fellow officials, 1,239 dr. 1 ob. Expenses: purchases: two boards (sanides) on which we write up (190) the accounts (logon), a drachma for each; 2 dr.^[3] Total for purchases, 2 dr. Stonework: for fluting the columns at the east^[4] by the altar: the third from the altar (195) of Dione, Ameiniades living in Koile, 18 dr.; Aischines, 18 dr.; Lysanias, 18 dr.; Somenes (slave) of Ameiniades, 18 dr.; Timokrates, 18 dr. The one next (200) to it in order, Simias living in Alopeke, 13 dr.; Kerdon, 12 dr. 5 ob.; Sindron (slave) of Simias, 12 dr. 5 ob.; Sokles (slave) of Axiopeithes, 12 dr. 5 ob.; Sannion (slave) of Simias, 12 dr. 5 ob.; Epieikes (slave) (205) of Simias, 12 dr. 5 ob.; Sosandros slave of Simias, 12 dr. 5 ob. The next to it in order, Onesimos (slave) of Nikostratos, 16 dr. 4 ob.; Eudoxos living in Alopeke, 16 dr. 4 ob.; Kleon, 16 dr. 4 ob.; Simon living in (210) Agryle, 16 dr. 4 ob.; Antidotos (slave) of Glaukos, 16 dr. 4 ob.; Eudikos, 16 dr. 4 ob. The next to it in order: Theugenes of Piraeus, 15 dr.; Kephisogenes of Piraeus, 15 dr.; Teukros (215) living in Kydathenaion, 15 dr.; Kephisodoros living in Skambonidai, 15 dr.; Nikostratos, 15 dr.; Theugeiton of Piraeus, 15 dr. For the person smoothing the orthostates by (220) the altar of the Thyechoos,^[5] Polykles of Lakiadai, 35 dr. For fluting the columns at the east, by the altar; the one by the altar of Dione, Laossos of Alopeke, 20 dr.; (225) Philon of Erchia, 20 dr.; Parmenon (slave) of Laossos, 20 dr.; Karion (slave) of Laossos, 20 dr.; Ikaros, 20 dr. The one next to it in order, Phalakros of Paiania, 20 dr., Philostratos of Paiania, 20 dr.; Thargelios (230) (slave) of Phalakros, 20 dr.; Philorgos (slave) of Phalakros, 20 dr.; Gerys slave of Phalakros, 20 dr. The one next to it in order: Ameiniades living in Koile, 20 dr.; Aischines, 20 dr.; Lysanias, 20 dr.; Somenes (235) (slave) of Ameiniades, 20 dr.; Timokrates, 20 dr. The one next to it in order: Simias living in Alopeke, 14 dr. 2 ob.; Kerdon, 14 dr. 2 ob.; Sindron slave of Simias, 14 dr. 2 ob.; Sokles slave of Axiopeithes, 14 dr. 2 ob.; (240) Sannion (slave) of Simias, 14 dr. 2 ob.; Epieikes (slave) of Simias, 14 dr. 1 ob.; Sosandros 14 dr. 1 ob. The one next to it in order: Onesimos, slave of Nikostratos, 18 dr. 3½ ob.; Eudoxos living in (245) Alopeke, 18 dr.; [Kleon, 18 dr. 2 ob.; Simon living in Agryle, 18 dr. 1½ ob.; Antidotos slave of Glaukos, 18 dr. 1½ ob.; Eudikos, 18 dr. 1½ ob.]^[6] Lines missing

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References:

IG I³ 476 (Translated text) (IG Online) (PHI)

Caskey, Erechtheum, fr. 17

OR 181B

Translation by: Stephen Lambert, Robin Osborne

Images: Acropolis Museum - (1, 2)
Agora Excavations - (1, 2, 3, 4)
Aleshire - (1)
Ohio - (1)
Wikimedia Commons - (1, 2, 3)

Monument type: Plaque

Inscription type: Account

Fragment XIII - Findspot: Acropolis (Acropolis Museum EM 6667)
Fragment XIV - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 6667α)
Fragment XIX - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 6667ζ)
Fragment XIX A - Findspot: Acropolis (Ag. I 4851)
Fragment XV - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 6667γ)
Fragment XVI - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 6667β)
Fragment XVI - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 2504)
Fragment XVII - Findspot: Acropolis (Acropolis Museum EM 6667δ)
Fragment XVII - Findspot: Acropolis (Ag. I 5394)
Fragment XVIII - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 6667ε)
Fragment XX - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 6714)
Fragment XXI - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 6713)
Fragment XXI A - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 12903)
Fragment XXII - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 6669)
Fragment XXIII - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 6666)
Fragment XXIV - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 8879)
Fragment XXV - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 12733)
Fragment XXV - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 8711α)
Fragment XXV A - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 12797)
Fragment XXV B - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 12776)
Fragment XXV C - Findspot: Acropolis (Ag. I 4519)
Fragment XXV D - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 4495)
Fragment XXV E - Findspot: Acropolis (Ag. I 5497)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] In IG I³ 474 we saw a review being conducted of the state of the Erechtheion on the resumption of building work in 409/8 BC. Here, in IG I³ 476 (of which we translate fr. 17 col. 1, ll. 158-248), we are in the seventh and eighth prytanies of the following year and see the work to finish off the building in full swing, with the sculptors making the figures which were fixed (with lead, also purchased in this year) to the frieze-blocks of Eleusinian stone to create a frieze running around the exterior of the central building, continuous except where it was interrupted by the north porch which had a separate, slightly taller, frieze. The Eleusinian stone, of a blue-grey colour, provided a naturally-coloured, fade-free, backdrop for the frieze, avoiding the need to paint the background as was normal practice. More than a hundred fragments from the Erechtheion frieze survive, but it is not possible to reconstruct their subject or their original arrangement. Other work undertaken in 408/7 includes fluting columns, constructing the ceiling, putting up and taking down scaffolding, payments to sawyers and joiners, encaustic painting of architectural mouldings, smoothing of orthostates, making of ceiling-coffer lids and models for coffer decoration and purchase of gold leaf (see also note 3, below). [2] The surviving fragments of the frieze sculpture are of high quality, but only two of the nine sculptors named here can be tentatively identified: Phyromachos may be the "Pyromachus" who was responsible for a sculpture of Alcibiades driving a chariot mentioned by Pliny NH 34.80, and Praxias may be the man mentioned by Pausanias 10.19.4 as working at Delphi in the fourth century. Phyromachos of Kephisia, Antiphanes of Kerameis, and Iasos of Kollytus are Athenians, while the other six, Agathanor, Diokles, two sculptors named Mynnion, Praxias and Soklos are metics living in the demes of Agryle, Alopeke, Kollytos and Melite. These are all demes within or close to the city, as, unsurprisingly perhaps, are the demes of residence of all the other metic workers bar one (Semachidai). [3] Apart from these sanides, wooden writing boards, provision is also made elsewhere in these accounts for purchase of sheets of papyrus (chartai) for recording the working accounts: 2 sheets for 2 dr. 4 ob. at IG I³ 475, ll. 289–91; an unspecified number of sheets for 3 dr. 3 ob. at IG I³ 477 ll. 1-2. These records presumably served as a basis for the inscriptions; it is unclear whether there was any signficance in the distinction between papyrus and wooden boards, or whether, in either case, these records were archived, or were used in the processes of accounting to which the epistatai, like all other officials, will have been subject at the end of their year of office. [4] This work took place in the east portico of the Erechtheion, near one end of which there apparently stood an altar of Dione (Caskey, 412). [5] Cf. IG I³ 474 n. 10. [6] The Erechtheion accounts offer the most detailed picture from fifth century BC Greece of the labour force working on a building project, and our best evidence for wage-rates. ‘Architects’ (or better ‘master-builders’ or ‘clerks of works’) seem to have been appointed, who oversaw the whole project, and these had annual contracts. Philokles of Acharnai was "architect" in 409/8 (IG I³ 474 l. 3), Archilochos of Agryle "architect" in 408/7 (IG I³ 476 ll. 2–4). The architect and the labourers, both skilled and unskilled, were employed either on a day-wage of 1 dr. or on piece-rates that seem to be computed on the basis of that wage. It is unclear whether there was a premium for skill; and citizens, metics and slaves (whose pay will formally have gone to their masters) were paid at the same rate for the same job. Slaves are found as masons and carpenters, but not as sculptors, woodcarvers, painters, gilders or makers of wax models. In most cases the slave works with and at the same profession as his master (except that the architect Philokles has two slaves who are carpenters), suggesting professional specialist teams. With the exception of the "architects" and the undersecretary, all the roles taken by citizens are also taken by metics (who will have included freed slaves), though metics also supply some skills not here represented by citizens. Some individuals work at more than one trade; both carpenters and masons appear also as general labourers, though no one appears as both carpenter and mason. One sculptor also produces wax models, as does one woodcarver, while another woodcarver, Manis, appears also as carpenter, joiner and labourer. All the labourers are male, but one female metic, ‘Satyra living in Skambonidai’, appears in 405/4 as supplying something, probably oil (AIO 7 no. 1, l. 40). In the fourth century BC, Corinthians, Argives, Athenians, Parians and men from Stymphalos and Tegea were all involved in building the temple of Asklepios and the tholos at Epidauros (Burford, The Greek Temple Builders at Epidauros, 201–6), confirming that major building projects generally relied on access to labour from outside the city concerned.

Added: 20 Jan 2016
Updated: 6 Aug 2024
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