IRhamn 7 Rhamnous awards divine honours to king Antigonos

Rhamnous awards divine honours to king Antigonos

I Rhamnous 7 Date: 262-240 BC

Elpinikos son of Mnesippos of Rhamnous proposed: since Antigonos the king, and saviour of the People, continues to be a benefactor of the Athenian People and (5) because of this the People honoured him with honours on a par with the gods (timais isotheois),^[1] for good fortune, the Rhamnousians shall decide: to sacrifice to him on the nineteenth of Hekatombaion, at the gymnastic competition of the great Nemesia,^[2] (10) and to wear crowns (stephanēphorein), and the market tax (agorastikon)^[3] shall provide the means for the demesmen to make this sacrifice; the demarch and whoever is appointed treasurer shall take care of the sacrifice; (15) and (they) shall inscribe this decree on a stone stele and stand it [by the altar?] of king Antigonos . . . . . . . . . . . .

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References:

I Rhamnous 7 (Translated text) (PHI)

SEG 41.75

SEG 42.115

SEG 61.135

Oetjen, Athen im dritten Jahrhundert, no. 7

Translation by: Sean Byrne, Chris de Lisle

Monument type: Stele

Inscription type: Decree (Deme Rhamnous)

Original location: Rhamnous? ([By the altar?] of king Antigonos)

Findspot: Rhamnous (Rhamnous Fortress 893)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] The decree belongs to the period after the Athenian defeat in the Chremonidean War (ca. 269/8-263/2), when Antigonos Gonatas controlled Athens. The decree demonstrates that Antigonos was the recipient of divine honours, like many other Hellenistic kings. The occasion may have been Antigonos' 'liberation' of the city in 256/5, when he withdrew his garrison from the city of Athens itself and restored various fortresses to the Athenians (Paus. 3.6.6, Eusebios Chron. 2.120), or his war against Alexander son of Krateros in the 240s. The honours were still being celebrated at Rhamnous in 236/5 (I Rhamnous 17), but had ceased by 225/4 (I Rhamnous 31). They were probably discontinued after the removal of the Antigonid garrisons in 229. [2] The cult of Nemesis was the primary cult at Rhamnous (see generally I Rhamnous 182, n. 1). This inscription is the main evidence for the Great Nemesia festival, perhaps held every four years. Since Nemesis was the goddess of righteous vengeance and associated with the victory at Marathon (Paus. 1.33.2-3), the decision to link Antigonos with her may be intended to represent him as a defender of Greek freedom against barbarians (cf. IG II³ 1, 1034; Haake, in Griechische Heiligtümer als Erinnerungsorte, 2011, 109-27). [3] Probably a tax on transactions at the local market and port (see Whitehead, Demes of Attica, 1986, 150-52).

Added: 15 Sep 2017
Updated: 22 Jun 2019
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ID: AIO_845