FDIII2 59 List of participants in the first Augustan <i>Dodekais</i> at Delphi

List of participants in the first Augustan Dodekais at Delphi

F.Delphes III 2 59 Date: 30/29-26/5 BC (30/29 BC?)

For Good Fortune of the Council and People of Athens. In the archonship of Antigenes at Delphi and of Architimos at Athens,^[2] the following held the Dodekais:^[1] the priest of Apollo Eukles son of Herodes of Marathon,^[3] the interpreter chosen by the Pythian oracle (exēgētēs puthochrēstos) from the Eupatridai Polykritos son of Polycharmos of Azenia,^[4] the interpreter (exēgētēs) (5)from the Eupatridai appointed by the People Diotimos son of Diodoros of Halai,^[5] the herald of Apollo and priest of Hermes Patroos of the Kerykes Gorgippos son of Eudemos of Melite,^[6] the sacred remembrancer (hieromnēmōn) Thrasykles son of Archikles of Lakiadai, the seers (manteis) Archikles son of Thrasykles of Lakiadai, Lysias son of Paramonos of Lakiadai.^[7]

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References:

F.Delphes III 2 59 (Translated text) (PHI)

Syll.³ 773a

Ameling, Herodes Atticus II 11

Choix de Delphes 278

Rutherford, State Pilgrims F1a

Kühn, Pythais-Prozession 352-53

Translation by: Hannes Freitag

Monument type: Block (Wall)

Inscription type: List of names (Dodekais)

Findspot: Delphi (Athenian Treasury, south wall, in situ) (Delphi Museum 620)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] This inscription is the first of six lists recording the participants in five iterations of the Dodekais, during the reign of Augustus, in which a group of Athenians sacrificed in the sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi. These inscriptions, which are similar in structure, wording, and participants (mostly religious officials), were inscribed on the southern façade of the Athenian Treasury at Delphi. On Attic inscriptions at Delphi, see IG II³ 4, 17 with notes, and on the Athenian Treasury, see F.Delphes III 2, 3 with notes. None of the inscriptions can be precisely dated, but a relative chronology can be established: (1) this inscription and its abbreviated duplicate, F.Delphes III 2, 60, (2) F.Delphes III 2, 61, (3-4) F.Delphes III 2, 64 and F.Delphes III 2, 62 (it is unclear which of these two came first), (5) F.Delphes III 2, 63. Follet dates the Augustan lists between 30/29 and 9/8 BC (Topoi 8, 1998, 250-53) while Schmalz argues for a more restricted timeframe from 30/29 to 17/6 BC (Eulimene 8-9, 2007/8, 21-22), but both of these remain speculative and the last Augustan Dodekais might date as late as 1 BC (see F.Delphes III 2, 63 with notes). They are followed by two more lists from the reign of Domitian (F.Delphes III 2, 65-66) and three lists at Delos from the second century AD (I Délos 2535, 2536, 2538).

The Augustan Dodekais is only known from these inscriptions. The word ‘Dodekais’ – derived from dodeka (‘twelve’) – has been interpreted in different ways, but most likely refers to a sacrifice of twelve victims – the most frequent etymology found in ancient lexicographers and scholia (e. g. Hesych. δ 2704, 2710-11; Schol. Hom. Il. 6.93). This is corroborated by descriptions of the Dodekais as ‘bull-headed’ (protoboia or bouproros) in F.Delphes III 2, 63 and 65-66 which seems to indicate that the ritual consisted of the sacrifice of a bull, followed by eleven smaller victims.

The ritual was performed by a relatively small number of religious officials: the priest of Apollo Pythios, two interpreters (exegetai, one chosen by the Pythian oracle, another appointed by the Athenian People, see n. 4), the herald of Apollo, the sacred remembrancer (hieromnemon, see n. 7), one or two seers, and a pipe-player. There may have been further participants who were not mentioned in the inscriptions because they had minor functions; no pipe-player is mentioned in this inscription, but one appears in all subsequent lists, so it is likely that one was present. Even so, the total number of participants appears not to have exceeded twenty people. Compared to the Hellenistic Pythais (on which see F.Delphes III 2, 3 with notes), the Dodekais was small and exclusive. Both the Dodekais and the Pythais were Athenian offerings to Apollo at Delphi with similar cult personnel (cf. F.Delphes III 2, 5-6), and were recorded side by side on the south wall of the Athenian Treasury, making the Dodekais appear as a successor to the Pythais. However, the Dodekais was a distinct ritual, attested epigraphically at Delphi in the fifth century BC (cf. CGRN 30; Rutherford, State Pilgrims, 306). This Classical Dodekais may have been an additional inspiration for the Augustan ritual.

Since the three highest-ranking participants in the Dodekais belonged to highly influential families (see below), the Dodekais was probably reintroduced on their initiative. All display key characteristics of the Athenian elite at that time: personal wealth as well as an increased emphasis on descent and priesthoods (cf. I Eleusis 300 with notes and S. Lambert in M. Horster and A. Kloeckner (eds.), Civic Priests, 87-92). The revival of the Dodekais reflects the “archaising spirit” exhibited by the Athenians during that period (S. Aleshire in J. Richardson and F. Santangelo, Priests and State in the Roman World, 2011, 561); the Athenians emphasised their cultural heritage as a source of prestige (cf. Alcock, Graecia Capta, 1993, 225-26). Augustus’ veneration of Apollo and his interest in old cults might also have contributed to the reintroduction of the Dodekais (cf. Kantiréa, Les dieux et les dieux augustes, 48), not least because the first Dodekais took place soon after the battle of Actium. This might indicate that the Athenians revived a time-honoured ritual which they felt might conform to the new ruler’s tastes. A few years later, they erected erected an image of Augustus in the sanctuary at Delphi (on this and further Apolline honours for Augustus by the Athenians, see Choix de Delphes 213 with notes). [2] Architimos' archonship was probably 30/29 (cf. Follet, Topoi 8, 1998, 250-51; Choix de Delphes, 461-62; Athenian Onomasticon) or perhaps 26/5 BC (cf. Schmalz, Augustan and Julio-Claudian Athens, 240). [3] The priest of Apollo, the two interpreters, and the herald of Apollo were the same throughout all five Augustan Dodekaides. Eukles son of Herodes of Marathon is also known from two other texts inscribed on the Athenian Treasury, F.Delphes III 2, 58 (undated) and F.Delphes III 2, 57 (probably 42/1 BC, see Follet 1998, 255, 258), which record his participation as priest of Apollo in two sacred embassies to Delphi, probably in connection with the Pythian games (cf. Kühn, Pythais-Prozession, 187). Eukles belonged to a highly distinguished Athenian family and was active in Athens’ political life, serving as archon and hoplite general (see IG II³ 4, 12 and also Ameling, Herodes Atticus I, 1983, 11). The revival of the Dodekais in the reign of Domitian occurred during the tenure of his grandson, Tiberius Claudius Hipparchos as priest of Apollo Pythios (see F.Delphes III 2, 65). [4] On interpreters (exegetai), see IG II² 1035 with notes. They are here described as members of the Eupatridai, a term that probably refers to the elite or the genos-members of Athens in general, rather than a specific genos (cf. Parker, Athenian Religion, 323-24; Humphreys, Kinship in Ancient Athens, 715-16). Polykritos son of Polycharmos of Azenia came from an influential family and may have been related to Eukles by marriage. [5] Diotimos son of Diodoros of Halai came from an influential family and served as archon, as did his brother Theophilos. Around 37/6 BC, Diotimos was the subject of a consultation to Delphi by the genos of the Gephyraioi, to establish whether he could serve as Bouzyges and priest of Zeus in the Pallantion (SEG 30.85, ll. 10-12, 18-19). He also appears together with Gorgippos as a member of the Kerykes (and proposer) in I Eleusis 300. [6] Gorgippos son of Eudemos of Melite does not seem to have belonged to a particularly influential family. His father, Eudemos, is attested only as herald of the archon in 56/5 BC. Gorgippos himself was a Councillor twice and treasurer of the Council once (cf. G. Schmalz, Augustan and Julio-Claudian Athens, 2009, 263-64). Gorgippos’ intermediate social status seems to have been expressed visually through the formatting of the abbreviated copy of this list (see F.Delphes III 2, 60, note 2). [7] The sacred remembrancer (hieromnemon) was the Athenian representative on the council of the Amphiktyony, which managed the sanctuary at Delphi and the organisation of the Pythian Games (cf. IG II³ 1, 1288 and IG II² 1126 with notes). The fact that the sacred remembrancer is a different person in each Dodekais inscription suggests that this official was chosen annually (cf. C. Habicht, Hesperia 56, 1987, 68). Thrasykles was a successful playwright of tragedies, winning a competition in Athens in the year of this inscription. He was also honoured with a Delphian proxeny decree in this year (cf. F.Delphes III 2, 67). Though some of his ancestors are attested, none of them were archons or hoplite generals. Archikles son of Thrasykles of Lakiadai, polemarch in IG II² 1718, was either his father (cf. Traill in PAA 213385) or his son (cf. Schmalz 2009, 239-40; Athenian Onomasticon) and is probably identical with the seer named in l. 7, who also appears as seer in F.Delphes III 2, 61, l. 6). Lysias son of Paramonos of Lakiadai was also seer in F.Delphes III 2, 64 and 63, but is otherwise unknown.

Added: 3 Dec 2023
Updated: 3 Dec 2023
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