RO 22 Decree inviting states to join the Second Athenian League, 378/7 BC

Decree inviting states to join the Second Athenian League, 378/7 BC

RO 22 Date: 378/7 BC

Face A (front)

Decree 1 In the archonship of Nausinikos (378/7). Kallibios son of Kephisophon of Paiania was secretary. In the seventh prytany, of (5) Hippothontis^VIII. The Council and the People decided. Charinos of Athmonon was chairman. Aristoteles proposed:^[1] for the good fortune of the Athenians and the allies of the Athenians: so that the Spartans shall allow the Greeks (10) to be free and autonomous and to live at peace, possessing securely all their own (territory), [[and so that [the peace and the friendship which the Greeks] and the King [swore] shall be in force (kuria) [and endure] in accordance with the (15) agreements]],^[2] the People shall resolve: if any of the Greeks or of the barbarians living in [Europe] or of the islanders who are not the King's, wishes to be an ally of the Athenians and the allies, it shall be permitted to him, (20) being free and autonomous, living under the constitution (politeian) which he wishes,^[3] neither receiving a garrison (phroran) or a governor (archonta)^[4] nor paying tribute (phoron),^[5] on the same terms as the Chians and Thebans (25) and the other allies.^[6] For those who make an alliance with the Athenians and the allies the People shall renounce whatever possessions there happen to be whether private or public of the Athenians in the territory of those who (30) make the alliance, and concerning these the Athenians shall give a pledge (pistin).^[7] For whichever of the cities which make the alliance with the Athenians there happen to be stelai at Athens which are unfavourable, the Council in office (35) at the time shall have authority (kurian einai) to demolish them.^[8] From the archonship of Nausinikos (378/7) it shall not be permitted either privately or publicly to any of the Athenians to acquire in the territory of the allies either a house or land either (40) by purchase (priamenōi) or by taking security (hupothemenōi) or in any other way. If anybody does buy or acquire or take as security in any way at all, it shall be permitted to whoever wishes of the allies to denounce (phēnai) it to the representatives (sunedros) of the allies; and the representatives (sunedroi) shall (45) sell it and give half to the denouncer, and the other half shall be the common property of the allies.^[7] If anybody attacks those who have made the alliance, either by land or by sea, the Athenians and the allies shall support (50) the latter both by land and by sea with all their strength as far as possible.^[9] If anybody proposes or puts to the vote, whether an official (archōn) or a private citizen, contrary to this decree that any of the things stated in this decree should be annulled, (55) let it fall (huparchetō) to him to be dishonoured (atimōi) and let his property be public (dēmosia) and a tenth for the goddess, and let him be convicted (krinesthō) by the Athenians and the allies for dissolving the alliance. Let them punish him with death (60) or exile from territores that the Athenians and the allies control. If he is condemned (timēthēi) to death, let him not be buried in Attica or in the territory of the allies. This decree let the secretary of the Council inscribe on a stone (65) stele and set it down beside Zeus of Freedom (Eleutherion).^[10] The treasurers of the goddess shall give the money for inscribing the stele, sixty drachmas from the ten talents (fund). On this stele shall be inscribed (70) the names of the existing allied cities and of any other (city) which becomes an ally. These things are to be inscribed; and the People shall elect three ambassadors (presbeis) (to go) immediately to Thebes, in order to persuade the Thebans (to do) (75) whatever good they can.^[11] These were chosen: Aristoteles of Marathon, Pyrrhandros of Anaphlystos, Thrasyboulos of Kollytos. These cities are allies of the Athenians:

col. 1

Chios^[12] (80) Mytilene Methymna Rhodes Byzantium Perinthos^[13] (85) Peparethos^[13] Skiathos^[13] Maroneia^[13] Dion^[13] Paros (90) Athenai (Diades)

col. 2

(79) ^[15] Tenedos (82) Poiessa (89) O- (90) P-

col. 3

Thebes^[12] (80) Chalkis^[14] Eretria^[14] Arethusa^[14] Karystos^[14] Ikos^[14] (85) Pall-^[14] . . . . . . . . . . . . (90) . . .

Decree 2^[16] (91) Aristoteles proposed: . . . since first . . . they come forward willingly . . . resolved by the People and . . . (95) of the islands into the alliance . . . to those of the things resolved . . . . . .

Face B (left)

^[17] The People of Pyrrha Abdera (100) Thasos Chalkidians from [Thrace] Ainos Samothrace (105) Dikaiopolis Akarnania From Kephallenia the Pronnians Alketas (110) Neoptolemos [[ . . . ]]^[18] Andros Tenos Hestiaia^[19] (115) Mykonos Antissa Eresos Astraious Of the Keians (120) Ioulis Karthaia Koresia Elaious Amorgos, (125) Selymbria Siphnos Sikinos Dion from Thrace (130) Neopolis, several lines uninscribed Of the Zakynthians the People in Nellos.

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Greek text

References:

RO 22 (Translated text) (AIO)

IG II² 43 (PHI)

Syll.³ 147

SdA II 257

IALD II 146-47 no. 10

Translation by: Stephen Lambert, P. J. Rhodes

Images: Aleshire - (1)
Krateros - (1)
Ohio - (1)

Monument type: Stele

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

Original location: Agora ([statue of] Zeus Eleutherios)

Findspot: Agora (EM 10397)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] After the liberation of Thebes from Sparta in winter 379/8 (incorrectly dated a year later by Diodoros) the Athenians sent envoys to cities around the Greek world paving the way for a new alliance. Chios and Byzantium were first to respond positively, followed by Rhodes, Mytilene and others. The Athenians established a Council (synedrion) of the allies to meet at Athens, the allies to remain autonomous, but under Athenian leadership. Diodoros seems to imply that Thebes was initially outside, but allied to the new system, but soon became a full member. In a reference to unpopular aspects of her 5th cent. empire, the Athenians decided to give up all cleruchies (Athenian settlements) in allied cities and to forbid Athenians to farm land outside Attica. This is the gist of Diodoros' account of the origin of the Second Athenian League (15.28-29). Xenophon omits to mention it, but this inscription, together with RO 23 and RO 24 add very significantly to our knowledge of the League's foundation. Decree 1 of our inscription, dating to spring 377, invites cities outside the area ceded to Persia in the King's Peace to join a League whose purpose was to resist Spartan encroachments on the freedom of Greek cities. The League already existed at this point and there must have been other decrees or agreements dealing with its constitution and Council. This inscription functions as a kind of prospectus for the League, in particular spelling out Athens' undertakings to renounce unpopular practices that characterised her 5th-century empire, and includes a list of members, to which names were added in the early years of the League (down to at least 375). About 58 members are listed; a few who joined later may not have been added to the list, but this is broadly consistent with the 70 members mentioned by Diod. 15.30.2 and the 75 by Aischin. 2.70. [2] This passage was later erased, but traces of it remain legible. The erasure presumably reflects a sudden feeling of anger against the Persians/the King's Peace, perhaps in 367 when Thebes won Persian support for terms unfavourable to Athens (Xen. Hell. 7.1.33-34). [3] Interference in the constitutions of its allies had been a notable feature of the 5th cent. empire, with Athens tending to support democratic factions (e.g. in Erythrai, OR 121), and the same tendency is visible in the early 4th cent. (in Erythrai, RO 17, Klazomenai, RO 18). Support for democratic factions is implied for the early years of the League by some of the listings on the left side of this stele (ll. 97ff.); and by the late 360s Athens was certainly again breaching this principle of non-interference: in Ioulis, RO 39, and in Corcyra in 361/0, Diod. 15.95.3. [4] Garrisons and governors, another common feature of Athens' 5th cent. empire, and a highly sensitive one (as had been clear in the lead-up to the King's Peace from RO 18, see notes 5 and 8) were also in fact to feature in the Second League, see RO 52 with notes. [5] On the monetary tribute (phoros) which was a major cause of revolts in the Athenian empire, see IG I³ 259. The term "tribute" was studiously avoided under the Second League, but at the latest by 373 "contributions" (syntaxeis) were being collected (FGH 115 Theopompos F98), though it seems from RO 72 that the contributions were assessed by the allied Council, rather than being imposed by Athens as in the 5th cent.. [6] Chios had been an Athenian ally since 384/3 (RO 20) and heads col. 1 of the list of League members (col. 1, 79). It was Thebes’ liberation from Spartan domination that had supplied the context for the League's foundation, see n. 1, and it heads the other main column of the members' list (col. 3, 79). This clause highlights these two cities as founding members; on the other early members see n. 1. [7] Landholdings, including organised settlements (cleruchies) of Athenians in territories of allies had been a common feature of the Athenian empire (as e.g. multiple cleruchies on Euboea, OR 131, a vast landholding by an Athenian citizen on Euboea, OR 173a with note 2). The extent of any private Athenian landholdings outside Attica in 378 is unclear, but Athens does seem to have avoided establishing cleruchies in allied territory under the Second League, though from the 360s she again founds cleruchies elsewhere, most notably on Samos in 365 (Diod. 18.18.9). [8] There was a strong sense of agency attached to inscriptions: an inscription was thought to guarantee a measure inscribed on it, and destroying an inscription represented the rescinding of the measure inscribed on it. [9] Unlike the 5th cent. empire, which was an offensive and defensive alliance (Ath. Pol. 23.5) the Second League was a purely defensive alliance. [10] The stoa of Zeus and the associated statue of Zeus "of Freedom" (Eleutherios) were in the north-west of the Agora (cf. Paus. 1.3.2-3). The location clearly had heavy symbolic charge both as regards the League's purpose in ensuring freedom from Spartan domination (ll. 9-10), but also in relation to Athens' commitments not to encroach on the freedom of her allies. [11] Thebes was the most powerful ally in the League (l. 24), and it was natural enough that Athens would signal in this way its intention to consult closely with her. [12] The first five names of col. 1 and Thebes at the top of col. 3 are inscribed in the same hand as the main body of the decree and correspond with Diodoros' list of the first members (n. 1) plus Methymna, on which see RO 23. [13] These names were inscribed in a different hand from the main text. At least some of them were won over by Chabrias in 377 (Diod. 15.30.5, Peparethos and Skiathos). [14] These names were inscribed in another different hand and are all or mostly in or around Euboea. Chalkis is known to have joined before the end of 378/7. [15] Col. 2 is not a complete column, but represents names inserted alongside some names in col. 1. [16] The significance of this second decree proposed by Aristoteles, inscribed under the list of names on the front of the stele, and presumably in some way supplementary to the main decree, is obscure. [17] It is possible that all the names on the front of the stele were added in 377 and 376 (for Chabrias' campaign of that year, which included defeat of a Spartan fleet at the battle of Naxos, Xenophon Hell. 5.4.60-61, Diod. 15.34-35). At least some of the cities inscribed on the left side of the stele joined in 375: for Abdera, l. 99, see Diod. 15.36; the democratic faction of the Zakynthians in Nellos, ll. 131-34, must be connected with Timotheos' campaign of that year, Xen. Hell. 5.4.63-6; 6.2.2-3; Diod. 15.36.5-6; 45.2-4; for Akarnania and Kephallenia see RO 24. [18] The name originally inscribed here has been erased. It has been speculated that it was Jason of Pherai, who might plausibly have been listed below his Molossian ally Alketas and Alketas' son Neoptolemos, and might have become an ally of Athens in 374 or 373 (Xen. Hell. 6.1.10, cf. [Dem.] 49.10 and 22), but his name does not exactly correspond to the space covered by the erasure. [19] Hestiaia joined the League after the other main cities of Euboea listed in col. 3, Diod. 15.30.1.

Added: 29 Jul 2014
Updated: 8 Jan 2024
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