IGII34 24 Dedication by arbitrators (?)

Dedication by arbitrators (?)

IG II³ 4 24 Date: 371/0 or 363/2 BC (?)

Fragments abc

Crown [Crown?]

. . . dedicated, having been judged [to have arbitrated] for the People most excellently [and justly] . . . [the arbitrators (diaitētai) of the archonship] of [Phras]iklei[des] (371/0) or [Char]iklei[des] (363/2) (?), [since they arbitrated justly the lawsuits arising from contracts (apo sumbolaiōn)?, the People] shall decide, to praise them and to give them [five hundred drachmas for sacrifice?].^[1]

(5) These . . . the - of lawfulness (eunomias) . . . the justice of Rha[damanthys] . . . just . . . having put a stop to strife . . . we reaped true glory.^[2]

col. 1

-rati- . . .

col. 2

. . .

col. 3

. . .

col. 4

-atos son of Antilochos of Skambonidai [Timas]itheos son of Demainetos of Kerameis (10) [Skaon?] son of Eteokles of Aixone -tos son of Nausisthenes of Aixone . . . of Aixone . . . of Thorikos . . . of Sypalettos . . .

Fragment d

col. 3

. . . (15) . . . of Pallene . . . of Alopeke . . . of - . . . of Lamptrai . . . of Aixone . . . uninscribed space (20) . . . of Steiria . . . of Kydantidai . . . of - . . . of Anaphlystos . . . of Kydantidai (25) . . . . . . of Cholargos . . . . . .

col. 4

. . . Epik- (30) Pheidestratos . . . Eumnestides son of Eu- . . . Euthykles son of Pylades [of Aixone?] Nikoteles son of Dexileides of - Aristoteles son of Habronichos [of Pallene?] (35) Lysibios son of Aristion of Hal- Philomelos son of Theodoros of Lamptrai Aischylos son of Aischines of Kephisia Diopeithes son of Diogenes of Aithalidai Hegesippos son of Hegesandros of Pallene (40) Straton son of Stratokles of Sphettos Epikrates son of Menestratos of Pallene^[3] Amphianax son of Lysistratos of Cholargos Theopompos son of Theopomp[os] of - . . .

Fragment e

(column unknown) . . . . . . of Phrearrhioi (45) . . . of Lamptrai - son of -andros of Halai - son of -demos of Phlya - son of -kles of Athmonon - son of -genes of Aixone (50) - son of Kephisodotos of Kerameis - son of -ochares of Aixone - son of -eides of Angele^[4] . . . uninscribed space

Previous - IG II² 141 Next - IG II² 149

References:

IG II³ 4 24 (Translated text) (IG Online)

IG II² 143 (PHI)

SEG 34.63 (PHI)

SEG 30.60 (PHI)

SEG 15.89b (PHI)

CEG 2, no. 891

Tracy, ADT 69

Humphreys, Kinship, 1215

Translation by: Stephen Lambert

Images: Krateros - (1, 2)

Monument type: Stele

Inscription type: Dedication (arbitrators?)

Fragment a - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 7646)
Fragment b - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 2695)
Fragment c - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 12929)
Fragment d - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 2696)
Fragment e - Findspot: Acropolis (EM 8081)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] As well as serving regularly throughout their adult lives on juries, in the fourth-century democracy (the situation in the late fifth century is unclear), Athenian citizens in their sixtieth year were obliged to serve as public arbitrators (diaitetai). Plaintiffs in most private lawsuits (dikai) filed their case before a board known as the Forty (the number had previously been Thirty but had been changed following the unpopular regime of the Thirty which the Athenians had endured following their defeat in the Peloponnesian War). The Forty decided on their own authority cases up to 10 drachmas, and handed over cases above this limit to the arbitrators. The arbitrator allotted to a particular case would seek to reach a settlement between the parties, but failing this he would issue a decision. If the decision was accepted by both parties, the matter rested there, but either party could appeal to a jury court. For the procedure see Ath. Pol. 53. Either party could also pursue an arbitrator for alleged misconduct, and the case would be taken before the whole board of arbitrators, also with a right of appeal to a court. The penalty for a convicted arbitrator was loss of citizen rights (atimia). The most famous case of a disputed arbitration is that between Demosthenes and Meidias, arbitrated by Straton (Dem. 21.81-101). Meidias accused Straton before the board of arbitrators and secured a conviction, which was confirmed by a court on appeal. Private arbitration was also available. For a summary of the systems of private and public arbitration and their advantages and disadvantages relative to conventional litigation see E. M. Harris, in C. Bearzot et al. eds., Athenaion Politeiai tra storia, politica e sociologia, 2018, 213-27. For a complex dispute successfully settled by arbitration see RO 37.

Like service as a councillor and performance of other annual offices, service as an arbitrator was a public duty for which citizens might be honoured at the end of their term, and make a commemorative dedication (cf. IG I³ 515 with notes). IG II³ 4, 32, 33, 34, 35 are dedications commemorating the successful completion of terms of office of boards of public arbitrators in the 330s and 320s BC. It may not be coincidental that this was a period when there was increased emphasis in Athenian public inscriptions on the characteristic institutions of the Athenian democracy in general and the rule of law in particular; cf. IALD II, 157-70. Dedications by diaitetai are also recorded in inventories of the treasurers of Athena: IG II² 1472, l. 21 (319/8 BC?, but year wholly restored); IG II² 1487, ll. 48-49 (silver gilt bowl, dedicated in an unknown year by [diait?]etai; see also IG II² 1489, ll. 15-16). See also IG II³ 4, 20. It is uncertain whether IG II² 1927 should be restored as a dedication by diaitetai, cf. D. M. Lewis, ABSA 50, 1955, 29, and the very fragmentary IG II³ 4, 27, with note. This very fragmentary inscription has also plausibly been restored as a dedication by diaitetai. Based on prosopography (for which see n. 3 below and Athenian Onomasticon), the possible archon’s name in l. 2 and Tracy’s identification of the inscription as the work of a mason whose career spans the years 368-339 BC, it has been dated to 371/0 or 363/2 BC (Humphreys prefers 371/0). Unlike in later dedications, the arbitrators in this inscription are not listed by tribe or deme. [2] After a very fragmentary four-line dedication, the wording of which cannot for the most part be confidently restored, lines 5-6 contain six hexameter verses in which the achievements of the arbitrators seem to have been described with reference to Rhadmanthys, a mythical Cretan king famed for his wise judgements. [3] Identifiable as the man of this name who was Athenian Amphiktyon on Delos, 377/6-374/3 BC, I Délos 98 A ll. 10, 62, and a landowner in the silver mining district in 367/6 BC, Agora XIX P5, l. 70 with n. 14. [4] The father’s name is restored by the IG editors as [Arist]eides (Ἀριστ]ηίδο), but that name is not attested in Angele, whereas the names Menekleides, Prokleides and Chaireleides do occur in the deme (cf. Athenian Onomasticon) and are good candidates for restoration here. For the orthography cf. l. 33 of this inscription, Νικοτέλης Δεξιλήιδ[ο.

Added: 3 Sep 2018
Updated: 3 Nov 2023
Feedback

ID: AIO_1657