IGXII61 264 Dedication to Apollo at Delphi by Athenian cleruchs on Samos

Dedication to Apollo at Delphi by Athenian cleruchs on Samos

IG XII 6, 1 264 Date: 334/3 BC

Gods, fortune.^[1] In the archonship of Ktesikles at Athens (334/3) of Neokles^[2] (5)on Samos, the Athenian People on Samos dedicated a golden crown bestowed as a prize of valour (aristeion)^[3] (10)to Apollo, weight of the gold: twenty Darics, a half Daric, a (15)half obol^[4] . . . . . .

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References:

IG XII 6, 1 264 (Translated text) (IG Online)

SEG 18.200

Syll.³ 276 A (PHI)

Choix de Delphes 51

Translation by: Nicolai Futás, Feng Liu

Monument type: Stele

Inscription type: Dedication (Apollo), Dedication (public) (Cleruchy Samos)

Findspot: Delphi (between the Sacred Way and the modern main road) (Delphi Museum 3867)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] This inscription belongs to a set of official dedications to Apollo at Delphi made by Athenian cleruchs on Samos, i.e. settlers living in a cleruchy (klerouchia), a specific type of colony established during the sixth, fifth and fourth centuries (see also IG XII 6, 1 263, 265; on Attic inscriptions at Delphi, see IG II³ 4, 17 with notes). In contrast to a formally independent colony (apoikia), cleruchies maintained close political ties to their mother city as the settlers not only kept Athenian citizenship with all privileges and obligations (cf. AIO 1672), but also continued to see themselves as part of the Athenian People as seen in ll. 5-7 (similar wording in IG II² 1437, l. 20; 1443, l. 89; IG II³ 1, 454, ll. 2-3). However, the differences between apoikia and klerouchia may have been less clear in practice.

During the fifth and early fourth century BC, the relationship between Athens and Samos was chequered: Samos was part of the Delian League (Hdt. 9.106; Diod. 11.37.1), but attempted to secede in 440/39 BC, which was prevented by the Athenians following a nine-month siege (Thuc. 1.115-17; Plut. Per. 24-28; see also AIO 1135 with notes). Samos remained loyal to Athens throughout the Peloponnesian War, serving as the most important Athenian naval base in the latter phase of the war, and playing a decisive role in the resistance to the oligarchic coup of 411 BC (Thuc. 8.72-76; Andok. 2.11-12). For their loyalty, even after the destruction of the Athenian fleet at Aigospotamoi by Lysander in 405 BC, the Athenians rewarded the Samians collectively with citizenship (cf. AIO 796 with notes). After 405 BC Samos was conquered by the Spartan commander, Lysander, who expelled the pro-Athenian government and returned the city “to the former citizens,” presumably the Samian oligarchs whom Pericles had exiled in 440/39 (Xen. Hell. 2.3.6-7). Even after the victory over the Spartans near Knidos in 394 BC (cf. AIUK 4.2 (BM, Decrees) no. 7), Samos seems to have been ruled by a pro-Spartan oligarchic government (cf. Xen. Hell. 4.8.23). This is probably why it did not join the Second Athenian League in 378/7 BC (cf. RO 22 with notes). In 366/5 BC, the island was besieged and captured by the Athenian general Timotheos in response to the establishment of a Persian garrison (Dem. 15.9; Isocr. 15.111; Dein. 1.14; Nep. Timoth. 1.2). The Athenians then drove a large part of the Samians from the island (Aristot. F 611, 35 [Rose]; Krateros FGrH 342 F 21), established the cleruchy and dispatched settlers either in 365/4 or shortly thereafter, in 361/0, and in 352/1 BC (cf. scholia to Aischin. 1.53; Philochoros FGrH 328 F 154; Diod. 18.18.6). The cleruchy had its own archons, Council, and People (IG II³ 1, 454, 474; IG XII 6, 1 253, 262). Athens regularly sent officials to the cleruchy, but it is unclear exactly which officials these were (Ath. Pol. 62.2). At least for the later phase of the cleruchy, there is epigraphic evidence that a general elected in the Athenian Assembly was specifically appointed for Samos (IG II² 1628, ll. 17-18, 109-110, 119-120). After the Athenians were defeated in the Lamian War (322 BC), Perdikkas returned the island to the exiled Samians, and Athens lost the cleruchy for good (Diod. 18.18.9; AIUK 2 (BSA), pp. 5-6). For the history of the Athenian cleruchy on Samos see Hansen and Nielsen, eds., Inventory of Archaic and Classical Greek Poleis, 2004, 1098; C. Igelbrink, Die Kleruchien und Apoikien Athens im 6. und 5. Jahrhundert v. Chr., 2015, 282-90. [2] Neokles might be the father of the philosopher Epicurus, who was born in 342/1 BC and raised in the Athenian cleruchy on Samos (Strab. 14.1.18; Diog. Laert. 10.1; Cargill, 1995, 327 no. 988). The family moved to Samos from the Attic deme of Gargettos after 365 BC. [3] The golden crown dedicated to Apollo is referred to here as an aristeion (“prize of valour” or “prize of victory”; cf. IG XII 6, 1 263, l. 5), a term often mentioned in a military context (e.g. Dem. 22.72). It has been suggested that this dedication should therefore be assigned to the category of “spoils from a victory over another group, Greek or non-Greek” (I. Rutherford, State Pilgrims and Sacred Observers, 2013, 113). However, golden crowns were dedicated as aristeia at Delphi, Athens, and Delos without any apparent connection to military victories (W. K. Pritchett, The Greek State at War, vol. 2, 1974, 276-80). Neither the literary nor the epigraphic evidence shows a uniform use of the term. It appears that the cleruchs’ dedications at Delphi are not associated with a military context, especially since they may have been made at regular intervals (see below). IG XII 6, 1 263, l. 12 mentions theoroi (“religious delegates”), members of a religious delegation (theoria), dispatched from their polis to attend religious festivals abroad (on the institution of the theoria see IG II³ 4, 18 with notes). Although the term survives only in IG XII 6, 1 263, it is likely that all three inscriptions were dedications by theoroi sent to Delphi from the Athenian cleruchy on Samos to attend the Pythian Games. This Panhellenic festival was held in late August in the third year of each Olympiad, i.e. 362, 358, 354, 350, 346, 342, 338, 334, 330, and 326 BC. This inscription dates to a year of the Pythian Games (334/3 BC), for IG XII 6, 1 265 this is highly probable (331/0 or 330/29 BC), and it is plausible, though unprovable for IG XII 6, 1 263. The dates of these inscriptions suggest that these religious delegations from the Athenians on Samos were limited to a short period in the late 330s and 320s BC. After their defeat at Chaironeia in 338 BC, the Athenians approached Philip II and Alexander the Great several times to have their claims over Samos confirmed, fearing that they might lose control over the island (cf. Diod. 18.56.7; Plut. Alex. 28.1). In this context, the cleruchs may have wished to display their special bond with Athens to a Panhellenic audience and to ensure the goodwill of Apollo Pythios in order to strengthen their ties to Athens. This could also have been emphasised through the choice of material: IG XII 6, 1 265, at least, is made of “Pentelic” marble from Attica (J. Bousquet, BCH 83, 1959, 152). [4] The crown's value is given in Persian Darics. This is not characteristic of Samos nor the Athenian cleruchy on Samos, but rather a common feature of the epigraphic record in Delphi (e.g. F.Delphes III 5, 58, ll. 5-6 of 331 BC). J. R. Melville-Jones discusses the evidence from Delphi systematically and concludes that “Daric” probably does not mean Persian Darics but gold coins regardless of origin, including Athenian gold staters (likely in this case) and Macedonian gold staters issued by Philip II (RBN 125, 1979, 25-36 = SEG 29.458). In any case, it should not be assumed that there is a political message behind this.

Added: 5 Jun 2023
Updated: 8 Jan 2024
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