AIUK42 no. 16 Decrees honouring ephebes and their superintendent, 40/39 or 39/38 BC

Decrees honouring ephebes and their superintendent, 40/39 or 39/38 BC

AIUK 4.2 (BM, Decrees of Council and Assembly) no. 16 Date: 40/39 or 39/38 BC

Fragments ab

Decree 1 (Honours for sacrifices) [- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - εἶπεν· ὑπὲρ ὧ]ν ἀπανγέλλει ὁ κοσμητ[ὴς τῶν ἐφήβων] [- - - - - - - - - - - - ος -ενίδου Μαραθώνιος ὑπ]ὲρ τῆς θυσίας ἧς ἔθυσε̣[ν μετὰ τῶν ἐφή]- [βων ἐν τῶι πρυτανείωι τὰ εἰσιτητήρια τῆι τε Ἑ]στίαι καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις θ̣[εοῖς οἷς πάτριον] ἦν ὑπέρ τε τῆς βουλῆς καὶ τοῦ [δήμου καὶ παίδων καὶ γ]υναικῶν καὶ τῶν φίλων [καὶ συμμάχων] (5)καὶ γεγονέναι πᾶσι τοῖς θύμα[σι τὰ ἱερὰ καλὰ καὶ σωτ]ή̣ρια· ^vv ἀγαθῇ τύχηι δε[δόχθαι τῆι βουλῆι]· τὰ μὲν ἀγαθὰ δέχεσθαι τὰ γεγονό[τα ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς οἷς ἔθυεν ἐφ’ ὑ]γιείᾳ καὶ σωτηρίᾳ τῆ[ς βουλῆς καὶ] [τοῦ δήμ]ου καὶ παίδων καὶ γυ[να]ικῶν καὶ τῶν φίλω[ν· ἐπαινέσαι δ]ὲ τὸν κοσμη̣[τὴν - - - ον] [. . .]ε̣νίδου Μαραθών[ι]ον καὶ τοὺς ἐφή[βους καὶ στεφανῶσαι ἕκαστ]ον αὐτῶ[ν θαλλοῦ στεφάν]- [ωι ἐπὶ] τῆι πρὸ[ς ⟨τοὺς⟩ θ]ε̣οὺς εὐσε̣[βείαι καὶ τῆι παρ’ ὅλον τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν σπουδῆι καὶ φιλοπονίαι], (10)[ἵνα] τού[τω]ν [συν]τελουμένω[ν φαίνηται] ἡ βουλὴ [τιμῶσα αὐτοὺς ἀξίως τῆς ἐπιβαλλούσης τιμῆς].

Decree 2 (Honours for superintendent of ephebes) [. . . . ω]ν Ἀνθεστηρίου Εἰκαριεὺ[ς] εἶπεν· ἐπειδὴ π̣[ρόσοδον ποιησάμενοι οἱ ἐφηβεύσαντες] [ἐπὶ Ν]ικάνδρου ἄρχοντ⟨ο⟩ς (41/0 or 40/39) καὶ οἱ πατέρες αὐτῶν ἐ[μφανίζουσιν τὸν κοσμητὴν - - - ον -ενίδου] [Μαρα]θώνιον πεποιῆσθαι αὐτῶν τὴν καθήκο[υσαν ἐπιμέλειαν - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -] . . . ⁵ . . πρῶτον μὲν θύσαντα τὰς καθηκούσα[ς - - - - - - θυσίας - - - - - - ὑπὲρ - - - - - - τῆς τῶν] (15)[ἐφήβ]ων σωτηρίας ἔν τε τοῖς λοιποῖς διατ[ηρήσαντα - - - ἑαυτὸν ἄξιον - - - τῆς τοῦ δήμου] [χειρ]οτονίας καὶ τῆς περὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν σεμνότ[ητος - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -] . . . .ι διατεταγμένοις περὶ τῆς τῶν ἐφήβ[ων - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -] [- - -]ς εὔνοιαν ἴσην πᾶσιν ἐναποδεδεῖχθαι, π[ροτρεπόμενον δὲ ἐπὶ τὰ κάλλιστα τῶν ἐπιτη]- δευμάτων ταῖς τε τῶν φιλοσόφων καὶ ῥητόρ[ων καὶ γραμματικῶν σχολαῖς παρακαθίζειν· παρατυγχά]- (20)ν[ε]ιν δὲ καὶ ταῖς ὑπὸ τῶν λοιπῶν ἀεὶ γεινομέ[ναις ἀκροάσεσιν, ἐπιμεμελῆσθαι δὲ καὶ τῆς ἐν ὅ]- πλοις καὶ ἱππικῆς ἀσκήσεως πολυφροντίσ[τως - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ταῖς ἀ]- ποδείξεσιν καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἱερῶν ἀγώνων ὧ[ν - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -] [. .]αις αἷς οἱ νόμοι καὶ ἡ πατρὶς προσέτα[ττον - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - μηδενὸς] [κ]αθυστερῆσαι εἱαυτοὺς μήτε ἐν τ[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -] (25)[ὑπ]ὲρ τῆς πατρίδος τιμὴ καὶ μα[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -] [ἑαυ]τὸν παρεσχῆσθαι δι’ ὅλο[υ τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -] [παρ]ακαλοῦσιν ἐστεφανω[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ἐπιχωρῆ]- [σαι τ]ὸν δῆμον αὐτοῖς αἰ[τησαμένοις - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -] [ἐπ]ιγραφὴν τήνδε· ἡ β[ουλὴ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -] (30)[ἐπ]ὶ Νικάνδρου ἄρχ[οντος (41/0 or 40/39) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ψήφισ]- [μ]α εἰς στήλην λ[ιθίνην - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - δεδόχθαι τῆι βουλ]- [ῆι] τοὺς λαχόν[τας προέδρους εἰς τὴν ἐπιοῦσαν ἐκκλησίαν χρηματίσαι περὶ τούτων κτλ.] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Fragment c

[ἵνα τούτων συντελουμένων φαίνηται ἡ βουλὴ τὴν καθήκουσαν πρόνοιαν ποιουμένη τῆς τῶν ἐφήβων] [ἀγ]ωγῆς κα[ὶ τι]μῶσ[α τοὺ]ς ἀγαθοὺς τῶν ἀνδρ[ῶν].

Decree 3 (Honours for ephebes and their officers) [- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]- (35)[ω]ν Ἀνθε[σ]τηρίου Εἰκαριεὺς εἶπεν· ἐπειδὴ οἱ ἔ[φηβοι οἱ ἐπὶ Νικάνδρου ἄρχοντος (41/0 or 40/39) ἀπὸ τῆς πρώ]- [τη]ς ἡλικίας ἄνδρες ἀγαθοὶ καθεστήκασιν διάγο[ντες? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -] ․ς πεποίηνται τῶι τε κοσμητ[ῆι] κ̣α[ὶ] τοῖς παιδευ[ταῖς - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -] τὰ τῆς πόλεως συμφ̣[έρ]οντ[α] ἐξ ἑτο⟨ί⟩μου πράτ[τοντες - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - οὐδένα κο]- πον περικλείνοντ[ες] περί τ[ε] τὴν ἑατῶν σωφρο[σύνην - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -] (40)ταῖς τε τῶν φιλοσόφων καὶ ῥητόρων καὶ γραμματικῶν [σχολαῖς καὶ ταῖς ὑπὸ τῶν λοιπῶν ἀεὶ γει]- νομέναις ἀκροάσεσιν παρατυγχάνοντε̣ς, περί τε τ[ὴν ἐν τοῖς γράμμασιν ἄσκησιν καὶ τὴν ἐν τοῖς ὅ]- πλοις γυμνασίαν καὶ τὴν περὶ τὰ ἱππικ[ὰ] φιλοπ̣ονίαν [- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -] πεποίηνται πρεπόντως ἑαυτοῖς, ἐπί τε τῶν ἱερῶ[ν ἀγώνων - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -] τάς τε καθηκούσας ἑαυτοῖς ἐξόδους [κ]ατ[ὰ τὴν χώραν - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - τοὺς] (45)θεοὺς θυσία[ι]ς καὶ τιμαῖς μεγαλομερῶς ἀν[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ἀξί]- ως ἑαυτῶν καὶ τῆς πατρίδος, ἔν τε ταῖς π[ομπαῖς - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -] [. τ]ῶν τε τελετῶν ἁπασ[ῶν ὧ]ν πάτριον ἦν [- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Fragment d

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -] τ[ὴ]ν τ[ῶ]ν βυβλίων ἀνάθεσιν ἐποιήσ[αντο] [- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - τε]ρον τῶν λοιπῶν καθιερῶσαι ἐμ πᾶσ- (50)[ιν - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - σεμ]νῶ̣ς̣ καὶ φιλοτείμως καὶ μεγαλομερῶς ἀν- [αστρεφόμενοι· ἀγαθῆι τύχηι δεδόχθαι τῆι βουλ]ῆι, τοὺς λαχόντας προέδρους εἰς τὴν ἐπιοῦσ- [αν ἐκκλησίαν χρηματίσαι περὶ τούτων, γνώμη]ν [δ]ὲ [ξυ]νβάλλεσθαι τῆς βουλῆς εἰς τὸν δῆμο[ν] [ὅτι δοκεῖ τῆι βουλῆι, ἐπαινέσαι τοὺς ἐφήβους] το[ὺ]ς ἐ[π]ὶ Νικάνδρου ἄρχοντος (41/0 or 40/39) καὶ στεφανῶ[σ]- [αι αὐτοὺς χρυσῶι στεφάνωι ἐφ’ ἧι πεποίη]νται εὐτα[ξίαι] καὶ τῆι περὶ τὰ κάλλιστα τῶν ἐ[πιτηδ]- (55)[ευμάτων σπουδῆι, καὶ ἀνειπεῖν τὸν στέ]φανον Διον[υ]σ[ί]ων τραγῳδῶν τῶι καινῶι ἀγῶ[νι] [- - - · τῆς δὲ ἀναγορεύσεως τοῦ στεφ]άνου [ἐπι]με[λη]θῆ[ναι] τούς τε στρατηγοὺς καὶ τ- [ὸν ταμίαν τῶν στρατιωτικῶν· ἐπαινέσαι δὲ κ]αὶ τοὺς παιδευτὰς αὐτῶν τόν τε παιδοτρίβην [- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - καὶ τὸν γραμμ]ατέ[α Ἀ]λέξανδρον Ἀλεξάνδρου Ἁλαιέα καὶ τ- [ὸν - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -] καὶ τὸν ὁπλομάχον διὰ τοῦ ἐνιαυ- (60)[τοῦ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ἄρ]ξαντας τοῖς ἐφ[ήβ]οις, καὶ στεφανῶσαι ἕκαστο[ν] [αὐτῶν θαλλοῦ στεφάνωι ἐφ’ ἧι πεποίηνται] ἀν̣[α]στροφ[ῆι· ἐπ]ιχωρῆσαι δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ πίνα- [κα - - - ἀναθεῖναι - - - ἀναγράψαι] δὲ τόδε τὸ ψήφισμα μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων ε[ἰς] στήλη[ν] κ- [αὶ στῆσαι ἐν ὧι ἂν τόπωι βούληται - - -]ος Μαρα̣θώνιος, ἵνα τούτων συντελουμένω[ν] [ἡ βουλὴ καὶ ὁ δῆμος φαίνωνται τιμῶντες τοὺς ἀπὸ] τῆς πρ[ώ]της ἡλικίας τῶν νέων ἐπιδι- (65)[δόντας ἑαυτοὺς ἐπὶ τὰ κάλλιστα τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων καὶ γί]νων[ται] καὶ ἕτεροι ζηλωταὶ τῶν [ὁμοίων]. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ?

Previous - Henderson, Springtime, T8.7
Translated text

References:

AIUK 4.2 (BM, Decrees of Council and Assembly) no. 16 (Translated text) (AIUK) (AIO)

IG II² 1042 (PHI)

GIBM I 39

Wilhelm, Attische Urkunden VI, 185 no. 9; 259-61 no. 35.10 (ll. 10, 38-39, 41)

AIO 924 (AIO)

AIO Papers 11, 1-6 (1042) (AIO Paper)

AIO Papers 11B no. 3, Fig. 6 (AIO Paper)

Henderson, Springtime, T9.15

Translation by: Stephen Lambert

AIO Images: 1

Monument type: Plaque

Inscription type: Decree (Council and People)

Fragment a - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 7606)
Fragment b - Findspot: Athens (house in area of Church of St Demetrios Katephores) (BM 1864,0220.21)
Fragments c - Findspot: Unknown (Unknown)
Fragments d - Findspot: Athens (eastern part) (Lost)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] Fragment b of this inscription (containing the left side of ll. 4-32) was acquired in Athens by Lord Strangford, British ambassador to the Porte at Constantinople from 1820-1825, and acquired by the British Museum after his death (cf. AIUK 4.2, no. 3).

The ephebate was a system of “national service” for young Athenian males. On its earlier history see RO 89 and IG II³ 4, 329, with notes. Since the third century BC (Chremonidean War) it had been customary for the Assembly to inscribe a decree honouring the entire year-class of ephebes (see IG II³ 1, 917, 957, 981, 986, 1003, etc.). This practice was maintained until the Augustan period, after which rosters of ephebes continued to be inscribed, but were no longer accompanied by decrees. Our inscription belongs to the latest phase of the inscribed decrees, following the sack of the city by Sulla in 86 BC. Four others are extant from this period: IG II² 1039; IG II² 1040+1025; IG II² 1041; IG II² 1043. For discussion of the post-Sullan ephebic monuments see E. Perrin-Saminadayar, in S. Follet ed., L’Hellénisme d’époque Romaine: noveaux documents, nouvelles approches (2004), 87-103. For photographic documentation see AIO Papers 11B. For decrees of the Council and People in this period see I Rhamnous 423 with notes. This inscription lacks a roster, but the others show that the number of ephebes at this period was ca. 100-150 a year, broadly comparable to the generation before the Sullan sack. Since at least 123/2 BC citizen ephebes had been joined by foreigners, including Romans, and this also continued to be the case after 86 BC. This development was probably connected with the participation of the ephebes in the classes of philosophers and rhetoricians, first attested in the same year. The ephebate had become, in effect, a higher education, both physical and academic, for elite youths from both Athens and internationally. Cf. IG II² 1039, n. 10. The monument was probably set up originally in the area of the Agora, cf. IG II² 1039 n. 3. For more detailed discussion of the decree see AIUK 4.2 (BM, Decrees of the Council and Assembly), no. 16. [2] Our inscription contains three decrees. The first is based on a report from the superintendent (kosmetes) and honours the ephebes for the due performance of the customary sacrifices, specifically the “entry-sacrifices”, eisiteteria, which marked the beginning of the ephebic year; cf. IG II² 1043, ll. 7-8, and contrast the reference in IG II² 1039, ll. 5-6, to the “exit sacrifices” (exiteteria) to Athena Polias which marked the end of the ephebes’ year of service (cf. n. 4 to that inscription). The first decree is a decree of the Council rather than the Assembly, but the other two are probouleumatic decrees of the Assembly; cf. IG II² 1039, n. 3. [3] Conventionally allocated to 41/0 BC, but Byrne dates this archon to 40/39 BC (Athenian Onomasticon s.v. Nikandros). Like the other decrees of this type, they will have been passed in the year following the ephebes' year of service. [4] Decree 2 is based on a report from the ephebes and their fathers and honours the kosmetes. Decree 3 honours the ephebes and their trainers and tutors for the performance of the generality of their duties. The academic character of the ephebic training at this period is reflected in the wording of decree 2, honouring the kosmetes for guiding the ephebes not only “to attend the schools of the philosophers and orators and grammarians”, but also lectures on other topics (19-20) (repeated in similar wording honouring the ephebes themselves in decree 3, ll. 40-41). The academic side of the curriculum is also reflected in the reference to generic “tutors” (paideutai), alongside the kosmetes at l. 37, and alongside the trainer (paidotribes) at l. 57, and the reference to the ephebes’ exercises in grammar alongside their military and cavalry training at ll. 41-42. It is also reflected in the reference to “the dedication of books”, l. 48. This is one of a number of references since 117/6 BC (IG II² 1009, ll. 7-8) to book “dedications” (i.e. apparently donations), sometimes specified as of 100 books, and sometimes as being for the Ptolemaion (in the agora), which seems to have functioned as the ephebes’ library. Cf. IG II² 1041, ll. 23-24 (with note); C. Pélékidis, Histoire de l’éphebie attique (1962), 263-64; M. Haake, Der Philosoph in der Stadt (2007), 45.

Added: 1 Jul 2019
Updated: 2 Jul 2023
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