IGII31 320 Law against tyranny, 337/6 BC

Law against tyranny, 337/6 BC

IG II³ 1 320 Date: 337/6 BC

Relief^[1] In the archonship of Phrynichos (337/6), in the ninth prytany, of Leontis^IV, for which Chairestratos son of Ameinias of Acharnai was secretary. Of the presiding committee (proedrōn) Menestratos of Aixone was putting to the vote. Eukrates (5) son of Aristotimos of Piraeus^[2] proposed: for the good fortune of the Athenian People, the lawmakers (nomothetais)^[3] shall decide: if anyone rises up against the People for a tyranny or joins in establishing a tyranny or overthrows the Athenian People or the democracy at Athens, (10) whoever kills anyone who does any of these things shall be without guilt (hosios);^[4] and it shall not be permitted for the councillors of the Council of the Areopagos, if the People or the democracy at Athens have been overthrown, to go up to the Areopagos or to sit (15) in session or to deliberate about anything; but if, when the People or the democracy has been overthrown at Athens, any of the councillors of the Areopagos go up to the Areopagos or sit in session or deliberate (20) about anything, he shall be deprived of citizen rights (atimos), both he and his descendants, and his estate shall be public property, and a tithe for the goddess; and the secretary of the Council shall inscribe this law on two stone stelai and set up one at the (25) entrance to the Areopagos as one goes into the Council chamber, the other in the Assembly;^[5] and for inscribing the stelai the treasurer of the People shall give 20 drachmas from the People’s fund for expenditure on decrees.

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References:

IG II³ 1 320 (Translated text) (IG Online) (PHI)

SEG 12.87

Schwenk, Athens 6

Lawton 38

Agora XVI 73

RO 79

IALD 57, 189 no. 14

Axon 178 (Axon)

IALD II 33, 150-51 no. 23

Translation by: Stephen Lambert

Images: Agora Excavations - (1)
Aleshire - (1)
Ohio - (1)

Monument type: Stele

Inscription type: Law

Original location: Athens (Assembly or entrance to Areopagos)

Findspot: Agora (Early III c. BC foundations) (Ag. I 6524)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] The relief portrays a standing female figure (Democracy) crowning a bearded male (The People, cf. AIUK 3, no. 2). [2] Eukrates was among the Athenians condemned to death after Athens' defeat in the Lamian War in 322 BC (Lucian, Demosth. encom. 31), when Athens' democracy was dissolved and an oligarchy imposed by Antipater. This suggests that one of the factors motivating the passing of the law may have been a perceived threat to the Athenian democracy from the Macedonians. Other lawmakers, however, may have been motivated by anxiety about the Areopagos, the ancient Council of Athens, consisting of former archons, which had been deprived of most of its remaining political functions by Ephialtes as far back as 462/1. It had a conservative reputation, was associated by some members of the Athenian elite with the (pre-democratic) "good old days" (Isok. 7, ca. 355) and since ca. 350 had been enjoying a resurgence of political influence, encouraged by Demosthenes. This measure is consonant with other indications of an increased focus on the cult of the divine personification "Democracy" at this period, see IG II³ 4, 3 with notes. [3] Since the re-establishment of democracy in 403/2 a distinction had been made between laws, passed by the "lawmakers" (nomothetai) and decrees of the Council and/or Assembly. Cf. IG I³ 104 with notes; RO 25 with note 1. Laws could only be amended by a relatively cumbersome procedure, and decrees had to be within the law. Since this measure related to the constitution, it had to be a law rather than a decree. [4] Up to this point the law probably re-enacts a traditional Athenian law against those seeking to overthrow the democracy (attributed to Solon by Ath. Pol. 8.4, cf. 16.10; Andokides 1.96-98; law ap. Hypereides 3 Eux. 7-8). The provisions against the Areopagos, however, are apparently new. [5] It is unclear which copy survives. It was used as fill in the construction of a iii BC building in the Agora, and was perhaps destroyed when the democracy was dissolved after Athens' defeat in the Lamian War.

Added: 10 Dec 2012
Updated: 4 Oct 2025
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ID: AIO_33