IGI3 40 Athenian relations with Chalkis

Athenian relations with Chalkis

IG I³ 40 Date: 446/5 (or 424/3?) BC

The Council and People decided. Antiochis^X (2) was the prytany. Drakontides was chairman.^[1]

Decree 1^[2] (2) Diognetos proposed: The Athenian Council and jurors shall swear an oath in the following terms: ‘I shall not expel the Chalkidians (5) from Chalkis, nor shall I lay waste the city, nor shall I deprive any individual of civic rights (atimoso) nor punish any with exile nor take any prisoner, nor execute (apokteno) any, nor confiscate the money of anyone not condemned in court, without the authority of the Athenian (10) People; and whenever I am a prytany member I shall not put anything prejudicial to the interests of an individual or the community to the vote without due notice, and any embassy that is sent I shall bring before the Council and People within ten days,^[3] as far as is possible; and I shall (15) maintain this while the Chalkidians obey the Athenian People.’ An embassy is to come from Chalkis and administer the oath to the Athenians with the commissioners for oaths and list the names of those who have sworn; and the generals shall take care that all (20) take the oath. The Chalkidians shall swear an oath in the following terms: ‘I shall not revolt (apostesomai) from the People of Athens by any means or device whatsoever, neither in word nor in deed, nor shall I obey anyone who does revolt; (25) and if anyone revolts I shall denounce him to the Athenians, and I shall pay to the Athenians whatever tribute I persuade them to agree, and I shall be the best and fairest (dikaiotatos) ally I am able to be and shall help and defend the Athenian (30) People, in the event of anyone wronging the Athenian People, and I shall obey the Athenian People’.^[4] All the Chalkidians of military age (hebontas) shall swear; and if anyone does not swear he is to be deprived of his civic rights (atimon) and his property is to be made public and (35) a tithe of it dedicated to Olympian Zeus. An embassy shall go from Athens to Chalkis with the commissioners for oaths and administer the oath in Chalkis and list those of the Chalkidians who have sworn. Uninscribed space

Decree 2 (40) Antikles proposed: for the good fortune of the Athenians, the Athenians and Chalkidians shall make the oath just as the Athenian people voted (ephsephisato) for the Eretrians, and the generals shall take care that this happens as quickly as possible. (45) As soon as possible the People shall choose five men to go to Chalkis to exact the oaths. And on the matter of hostages (homeron), they shall reply to the Chalkidians that for the moment the Athenians have decided to leave matters as they have been voted (ephsephismena); (50) but when it seems good to them, they will deliberate and make a reconciliation or exchange (diallagen) on terms which seem suitable (epitedeion) for the Athenians and the Chalkidians;^[5] and the foreigners in Chalkis — except those living there who pay no taxes to Athens (me telosin Athenaze), and anyone who has been given (55) tax exemption (ateleia) by the Athenian People — the rest shall pay taxes to Chalkis, just like other Chalkidians;^[6] and the secretary of the Council shall write up this decree and oath at Athens on a stone stele and set it down (60) on the acropolis at the expense of the Chalkidians; and let the Council of the Chalkidians write it up and set it down in Chalkis in the sanctuary of Zeus Olympios. These things shall be voted about the Chalkidians. Uninscribed space And as for the sacrifices (hiera) (65) for (huper) Euboea required or required about Euboea by the oracle (ek ton chresmon), three men chosen by the Council from their own number shall perform them as quickly as possible with Hierokles;^[7] and so that the sacrifices may take place as quickly as possible the generals shall jointly take care of them and provide the money for them.

Decree 3 (70) Archestratos proposed: in other respects as Antikles proposed, but the Chalkidians shall hold officials to account (euthunas)^[8] on their own behalf in Chalkis, just as the Athenians do at Athens, except where a penalty of exile, execution, or loss of civic rights (atimias) is involved; and on these matters there shall be appeal (75) to Athens to the court (eliaian) of the court presidents (thesmotheton) in accordance with the decree of the People; and as to the guarding of Euboea, the generals shall take care of that as best they can in the best interests of the Athenians.

Uninscribed space (80) O A T H

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Greek text

References:

IG I³ 40 (Translated text) (IG Online) (PHI) (AIO)

SEG 67.24

Syll.³ 64

ML 52

Fornara, Translated documents 103

Axon 445 (Axon)

AIO Papers 8 pp. 11-31 (AIO Paper)

OR 131

Translation by: Stephen Lambert, Robin Osborne

Images: Acropolis Museum - (1)
Aleshire - (1)
Ohio - (1)

Monument type: Stele

Inscription type: Decree 1 (Council/People?), Decree 2 (People), Decree 3 (Council/People?)

Original location: Acropolis

Findspot: Acropolis (Acropolis Museum 6509)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] For a fuller discussion of this inscription see AIO Papers 8, section 2 (SEG 67.24).

Thuc. 1.113-14 records that, after the Athenian defeat at Koroneia in spring 446 BC, and subsequent withdrawal from Boeotia, Euboea revolted. The revolt was put down by Pericles, who reached agreement with the other cities, but removed the population from Hestiaia, settling it with Athenians. This inscription belongs most plausibly in this context, though it can not be ruled out that it dates to 424/3, when, according to FGH 328 Philochoros F130, the Athenians campaigned against Euboea (not mentioned by Thucydides). The later date is argued for by H. Mattingly at CQ 52, 2002, 377-79, and in A. P. Matthaiou and R. K. Pitt eds., Athenaion Episkopos. Studies ... Mattingly, 2014, 11-18, cf. N. Papazarkadas in J. Ma et al. eds. Interpreting the Athenian Empire, 73-74, and cf. SEG 67.24.

According to Herodotos, in 506 BC Athens invaded Euboea, defeated the Chalkidians in battle and confiscated the land belonging to the hippobotai there (“horse-rearers”, a wealthy aristocracy, cf. Aristotle, Pol. 1289b 36-39 and F618), giving it to 4,000 Athenian settlers (“cleruchs”), adding the detail that they kept those hippobotai whom they captured in fetters, releasing them in due course for a ransom of two minai each. The fetters, says Herodotos were still to be seen on the acropolis in his time (Hdt. 5.77; for the Athenian victory dedication see IG I³ 501). Plut. Per. 23 narrates the Euboean revolt of 446 in terms similar to Thucydides, but locates the expulsion of the hippobotai in this context, probably misplacing in time the expulsion recorded by Herodotos. There is also a garbled recollection of Herodotos' narrative at Aelian, VH 6.1. Thucydides implies that in 446 there were expulsions only from Hestiaia and that seems consistent with the terms of the oath sworn by the Athenians at ll. 4 ff. of this inscription (applicable to Chalkis and Eretria). AIUK 4.2 no. 3 is usually taken to be the decree providing for the Athenian settlement in Hestiaia in 446 BC, though some scholars have thought that it too dates to 424/3. [2] This stele, labelled at the bottom OATH, may have belonged in a pair with another to the left, containing the text of a treaty between Chalkis and Athens and perhaps labelled TREATY (SYNTHEKAI). Part of an oath in identical wording is preserved as IG I³ 39, and is usually taken to be from the oath for Eretria (q.v. however for a different suggestion). Decrees containing interstate agreements sealed by oaths to the gods were especially appropriate to be inscribed and set up in the sacred heart of the city, the acropolis. [3] Seems to imply that the Assembly regularly met four times a prytany (i.e. every 9-10 days) at this period, as it did in the 4th century (Ath. Pol. 43.3). [4] In contrast to the oath in the decree about Erythrai, IG I³ 14, ll. 21-29, the wording in ll. 22-31 binds the Chalkidians to be loyal to Athens alone; there is no mention of its allies. On the other hand, unlike in Erythrai, Athens does not in this decree interfere in Chalkis' internal constitutional arrangements, perhaps because it was already a democracy. [5] Following the suppression of the revolt, Athens had apparently taken hostages from Chalkis to guarantee their good behaviour. Chalkis had now made an approach for them to be released or exchanged, which the Athenians here rebuff for the time being. On the meaning of diallagē in 51, "reconciliation" (i.e. between Athens and Chalkis), or "exchange", see Papazarkadas, SEG 67.24. [6] The first part of this obscurely worded provision seems to represent a concession to Chalkis: foreigners there are to be obliged to pay taxes to Chalkis. It goes on to specify, however, that exceptions are to be made for foreigners who are residents of Chalkis and therefore exempt from Athenian taxation, and for those who enjoy special privileges of tax exemption at Athens. Neither of these groups, it seems, is to be liable to Chalkidian taxes. We do not know enough of the background to see whether this represents a tax privilege at Chalkis for Athenian residents of Chalkis (including cleruchs?) and those specially favoured by Athens. It may be that taxes on trade are partly or mainly at issue, in which case, even if Athenian residents of Chalkis were tax exempt, Athenian citizen or metic traders with Chalkis who were not actually resident there would still be obliged to pay taxes to Chalkis on goods traded. [7] Apparently a specialist in oracles (chresmologos) from, or associated with, Hestiaia, referred to by Aristophanes, Peace 1047 (421 BC) and Eupolis Poleis F231 K-A (about the same time). His involvement here was perhaps connected in some way with the more radical measures taken by Athens against Hestiaia in 446. [8] We take euthynai here, as invariably in inscriptions in such contexts, to refer to the processes whereby officials were held to account. By the time of Antiphon 5.47 (ca. 420) it seems that Athens insisted that all cases arising in allied cities and involving the death penalty be referred to Athens.

Added: 20 Jan 2016
Updated: 22 May 2023
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