IGII34 499 Choregic dedication from Salamis

Choregic dedication from Salamis

IG II³ 4 499 Date: Early 4th cent. BC

Diodoros son of Exekestides^[1] having been victorious with a chorus of boys (dedicated this). Paideas was director (edidaske) Telephanes was pipe-player (ēule), the Megarian,^[2] (5) Philomelos was archon (ērche).^[3]

Previous - Csapo and Wilson II, 272-4

References:

IG II³ 4 499 (Translated text) (IG Online)

IG II² 3093 (PHI)

Agelidis, Weihgeschenke 56

Csapo and Wilson II, 702-3

Translation by: Edmund Stewart

Monument type: Triangular Base

Inscription type: Dedication (choregic)

Findspot: Ambelaki, close to the shore (Lost)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] The stone was a three-sided base with concave sides and included four holes for fixing a tripod.

On choregic dedications from the Rural Dionysia see IG II³ 4, 498, n. 1. This inscription from Salamis provides rare evidence for choral (as opposed to dramatic) competitions in the Attic rural festivals. Csapo and Wilson see in the inclusion of such competitions a desire by the Salaminians to hold "a 'polis grade' event" (for choral competitions in the City Dionysia see IG II³ 4, 460, with notes). Little is known of the classical Salaminian Dionysia, although a fifth-century funerary relief of a young man, perhaps a member of a tragic chorus or an actor, looking at a mask has been discovered in the necropolis at Ambelaki (Clairmont, CAT no. 1.075 = Csapo and Wilson II, 700-702, no. 1). From at least the Hellenistic period the Athenians on Salamis exploited an association with Euripides, the most notable expression of which was the "cave of Euripides", in which the poet is said to have lived, and which was a site of cultural pilgrimage/tourism in the Roman period; see Csapo-Wilson II, 700, cf. SEG 47.282; Philochoros FGrH 328 F 219.

Diodoros is unknown but the tombstones of two men named Exekestides of the deme of Kothokidai have been found on Salamis (IG II² 6474 and 6475), one of whom also served as a syntrierarch before 353/2 (IG II² 1613, l. 183), and it is possible that Diodoros belonged to the same family (see APF 4719). [2] Telephanes may be identical with the pipe-player who helped Demosthenes prepare his chorus for the city Dionysia of 351/0 and whose tomb was situated near Megara on the road to Corinth (Dem. 21.17; Paus. 1.44.6; see Stephanis, Dionysiakoi Technitai, 1988, no. 2408; E. Stewart, Greek Tragedy on the Move, 2017, 217). [3] Salamis is unusual as it was not a deme, but instead a community (perhaps a cleruchy, cf. IG I³ 1 with notes), whose archon was elected by lot from all the Athenians. This official had responsibility for the local Dionysia and also gave his name to the year in Salamis, hence his inclusion here (see Ath. Pol. 54.8; M. Taylor, Salamis and the Salaminioi, 1997, 165-70, and Ch. Igelbrink, Die Kleruchien und Apoikien Athens im 6. und 5. Jahrhundert v. Chr., 2015, 152-75).

Added: 9 May 2022
Updated: 26 Sep 2022
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