AIUK42 no. 1 Regulations concerning the Eleusinian Mysteries

Regulations concerning the Eleusinian Mysteries

AIUK 4.2 (BM, Decrees of Council and Assembly) no. 1 Date: Ca. 475-450 BC

Face A

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [. . . . . . . . ¹⁵ . . . . . . .]Ρ[. . . . ⁷ . . .] [. . . . . . . ¹⁴ . . . . . . .] δραχ̣μισ̣[ι] [. . . . . . . . ¹⁵ . . . . . . .]‾[.]‾ΟΣΙ̣[. .] [. . . . . . . ¹³ . . . . . .]με[ν]ο̣ς δε̣[. . .] (5)[. . . . . . . ¹³ . . . . . . τ]ο͂ν πόλεο̣[ν .] [. . . . . . ¹¹ . . . . . δ]ο̣κε͂ι ∶̣ ἀνατι̣[θ .]- [. . . . . . . ¹³ . . . . . .] ∶̣ ἐάν τι̣[ς] τ̣ο͂[ν .] [. . . . . . . ¹⁴ . . . . . . .]ον ἒ ΗΟ[.]Α[. .] [. . . . . . . . ¹⁵ . . . . . . .] ἒ εν[.]ο̣ρ̣[. .] (10)[. . . . . . . . ¹⁵ . . . . . . .]α̣[.] ℎ̣ί̣ν[α . .] [. . . . . . . ¹⁴ . . . . . . .]ΝΤΟ̣[. .]ιν σ[.] [. . . . . . . ¹⁴ . . . . . . .]ο[. . . .]τ[. . .] [. . . . . . . . . . . . ²³ . . . . . . . . . . .] [. . . . . . ¹² . . . . . .]ε[. .]ο[. . . . ⁷ . . .] (15)[. . . . . . ¹² . . . . . .]εχθ̣εο[. . .]χε̣ [. . . . . . ¹² . . . . . .]δε[. . . . ⁷ . . .]ο̣[.] [. . . . . ¹⁰ . . . . . ἐὰ]ν δὲ̣ μ[έ, ℎε]κασ[τ]- [. . . . . . ¹² . . . . . .]ο̣[. . . .]ε[.]σε[. .] [. . . . . . ¹² . . . . . .]α[. . . .]‾[.]ΙΛ̣[. .] (20)[. . . . . . . . . ¹⁷ . . . . . . . .]ια̣ς πε[.] [. . . . . . . ¹⁴ . . . . . . .]ετα[.]τεν[. .] [. . . . . . . . ¹⁵ . . . . . . .]Ο̣Ι̣Λ̣[. . . ⁵ . .] [. . . . . . . . ¹⁶ . . . . . . . .]π̣ο̣[. . . ⁵ . .] [. . . . ⁸ . . . .]σ̣ειαν κ̣α̣[ὶ] λ̣αμ[. . . .] (25)[. . . . ⁷ . . .]ολει κ̣α[ὶ] μ[ὲ] νεο̣τερ̣[.]- [. . χρέσθ]ο τ̣ι [ℎιε]ρο͂ι· ἐὰ̣ν δὲ [.] [. . . . ⁷ . . .]ι μὲ χρ̣[έσ]θο· ἐὰν δὲ ἰ̣[.] [. . . ⁵ . . κ]ατὰ ταὐτ[ὰ] ταῦτα· ἐὰν [.] [. . . πλε]ῖστον κα̣τ[ὰ] τὲν δύνα[μ]- (30)[ιν . . . ∶] πρᾶχσαι δ’ ἔκπραχ⟨σι⟩[ν· ἐ]- [ὰν δὲ μὲ] ἐγ̣δο͂ι τὸν ὀφλόντα, μ[ὲ] [χρέσθο] τ̣̣ι ℎιερο͂ι ∶ ἐὰν ἀμφι[σ]- [βετο͂σι] μ̣ὲ κλεθε͂ναι ἐμ πό[λει] [. . . . ⁷ . . .]εν ἐλθο͂[σ]αν ἀδικ[ί]α̣[.] (35)[. . . . ⁷ . . .] ℎύστερον ℎε [β]ο̣[λ]ὲ α̣[.] [. . . . ⁸ . . . .]ι : το͂ν Ἀθεναίον μὲ [.] [. .]ΕΣ[. . τ]ούτον το͂ν πό̣λεον μ[ε]- δὲ ℎαμο͂ [. .]ι̣ασθαι ἐὰν μὲ δ̣[ί]κ[ε]- ν̣ ὀφλόν[τα] ἐ̣πιχορίαν ἒ ἐ̣ς π̣ο[λ]- (40)εμίος λ[εφ]θ̣έ̣ντα· ℎέτις δ’ ἂν τ̣- μ πόλεον μ̣ὲ ἐθέλει, δ[ί]κας δ̣ι[δ]- όναι καὶ δέχεσθα̣ι Ἀθ̣ε̣ναί[οι]- σιν ἀπὸ χσυ⟨μ⟩β̣ο̣λο͂ν. vacat

Face B

- - - - - - - - - [. . . . . ⁹ . . . .]ι̣α̣ [. . . . ⁸ . . . .]ντο [. . . . ⁸ . . . .]το̣ς - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - [. . . . . ¹⁰ . . . . . τ]- (5)[ὰ] μὲν ℎακόσι[α] [ℎ]απλε͂ι, τὰ δὲ [ℎ]- [ε]κόσια διπλ̣- [ι· σ]πονδὰς εἶν- [αι] τοῖσι μύστ- (10)[εσ]ι̣ν̣ καὶ το[ῖς] [ἐπ]όπτεισιν [κ]- [αὶ τ]οῖς ἀκολ[ο]- [ύθ]οισιν καὶ [χ]- [ρέ]μασιν το͂ν [ὀ]- (15)[θ]νείον καὶ [Ἀθ]- [ε]ν[α]ίοισιν [ℎ]ά- πασιν· ἄρχε[ν] δ- ὲ τὸν χρόνο[ν] τ- ο͂ν σπονδο͂ν [τ]ο͂ (20)Μεταγειτνιο͂- νος μενὸς ἀπ[ὸ] διχομενίας [κ]- αὶ τὸν Βοεδρ[ο]- μιο͂να καὶ το͂ [Π]- (25)υανοφσιο͂νος μέχρι δεκάτε- ς ℎισταμένο· τ- ὰς δὲ σπονδὰς εἶναι ἐν τε͂ισ- (30)ι πόλεσιν ℎό[σ]- αι χρο͂νται το͂- ι ℎιερο͂ι καὶ Ἀ- θεναίοισιν ἐ- κεῖ ἐν τε͂ισιν (35)αὐτε͂σι πόλεσ- ιν· τοῖσι δὲ ὀλ- είζοσι μυστε- ρίοισιν τὰς [σ]- πονδὰς εἶνα[ι] (40)το͂ Γαμελιο͂νο- ς μενὸς ἀπὸ δ[ι]- [χ]ομενίας κα[ὶ] τὸν Ἀνθεστε[ρ]- [ι]ο͂να καὶ το͂ Ἐλ- (45)αφεβολιο͂νος μέχρι δεκάτε- ς ℎισταμένο. vacat

Face C

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [. . .]θ̣αι̣[. . . . . . . . . ¹⁷ . . . . . . . .] [.]α̣θεμ̣[. . . . . . . . . . ¹⁹ . . . . . . . . .] ναι τ̣[. . . . . . . . . . ¹⁹ . . . . . . . . .] [.]σ̣τ̣[. . . . . . . . . . ²⁰ . . . . . . . . . .] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (5)[. . . . . . ¹² . . . . . .] ὀ̣βολ[ὸν παρὰ τ]- [ο͂ μύστο ℎεκάστ]ο ∶ ℎιερ̣[. . . ⁶ . . .] [δε λαμβάνεν ℎε]μιοβέ̣[λιον . .] [. . .]εραν̣ [παρὰ τ]ο͂ μύστο [ℎε]κ̣ά[σ]- [το]· τ̣ὲν ℎιέρ̣[εα]ν τὲν Δέμε̣τ̣ρος (10)[λ]αμ[β]ά̣ν̣εν μυ̣[στ]ε̣ρίοις τ[ο]ῖς ὀ- [λ]έζοσ̣ιν παρὰ̣ [το͂ μ]ύστο ℎ̣[εκ]άσ- [τ]ο ὀβολὸν καὶ [τοῖς μ]είζ[οσιν] [μ]υ̣στερίοις ὀ[βολὸν παρὰ το͂ μ]- [ύσ]το ℎεκάστο̣· σ̣[ύμπαντας? ὀβο]- (15)λὸς̣ τ̣ο̣ῖν θ̣εο̣[ῖν εἶναι πλὲν ℎε]- χσακ̣ο̣[σ]ίο̣ν κα̣[ὶ χιλίον δρ]αχμ̣- ο͂ν· ἀπ̣ὸ̣ δὲ το͂ν ℎε̣[χσακοσίο]ν κα- ὶ χιλίον δραχμ̣[ο͂ν τὲν ℎι]έρεα- ν τἀναλόματα [δο͂ναι καθ]άπερ (20)τέος [ἀ]νέλ̣οτο· Ε[ὐμολπίδ]ας κα̣- ὶ Κέρ[υκ]α̣ς λαμβ̣άν[εν παρὰ] το͂ μ- ύστ[ο ℎ]εκ̣άστ̣ο̣ π̣έ̣ν[τε ὀβολὸς τ]- ̣ν [ἀρρ]ένον, θ̣ελειο͂[ν δὲ τρεῖς]· [ἀτελε͂ μ]ύστεμ μὲ ἐν[εῖναι μυε͂]- (25)[ν μεδέ]να̣ π̣λὲν το͂ ἀφ’ [ἑστίας μυ]- [ομέν]ο· Κέρυκας δὲ μυ[ε͂ν . . . ⁵ . .] [. .] μύστας ℎέκαστον [καὶ Εὐμο]- [λ]π̣[ίδ]ας κ̣ατὰ̣ τα̣ὐ̣τά̣· ἐ[ὰν δὲ? . . .] [.] πλείος εὐθύνεσθα[ι . . . ⁶ . . .] (30)[.] δρα[χ]με͂σι· μυε͂ν δὲ ℎ̣[οὶ ἂν ℎεβ]- ο͂σι Κερύκον καὶ Εὐ[μολπιδο͂ν]· τ̣ο͂ δὲ ℎιερο͂ ἀργυρί[ο . . . . ⁷ . . .] [.]Ε𐌔Κ[. .]ε̣ῖναι Ἀθεν[αίοισι . .] [.]σθαι ℎ̣ό̣[τι] ἂ̣ν̣ β̣ό̣λο̣[νται καθά]- (35)περ το͂ τε͂ς Ἀθεναία[ς ἀργυρίο] το͂ ἐμ πόλει· τὸ δὲ ἀρ[γυρίον τὸ]- ς ℎιεροποιὸς ‾[.]το[. . . . ⁷ . . . ἐ]- [μ] πόλ̣ε̣ι ταμιεύεσθ[αι . . . ⁶ . . .] [.]δ[. . . .]χεν ἐν το͂ι ℎ̣[. . . . ⁸ . . . .] (40)[.]β̣[. . . .]εν τον̣ [ὀ]ρφ̣[ανον . . . ⁵ . .] [.] τὸς ὀρφανὸς π̣α̣ῖ[δας καὶ τὸς] [μ]ύ̣στας ℎέκαστομ Ι[. . . . ⁸ . . . .] [τ]ὸς μύστας τὸς Ἐλε[υσῖνι . . .] [.]ε̣νος ἐν τε͂ι αὐλε͂ι [ἐντὸς το͂ ℎ]- (45)[ι]ερο͂, τὸς δὲ ἐν ἄστει [. . . . ⁷ . . .] [.] ἐν το͂ι Ἐλευσινίοι [^vvvvvv] [τ]ὸν ἐπὶ το͂ι βομο͂ι ἱερέα καὶ τ[ὸν . . . ⁶ . . .] [τ]ὸν θεοῖν καὶ τὸν ἱερέα τὸ[ν . . . . ⁸ . . . .] [λ]ανβάνεν ἕκαστον τότο[ν ὀβολὸν παρὰ ^vv?] (50)[το͂] μύστ[ο ἑ]κάστο ἱ[ερὸν τοῖν θεοῖν ^vvvv?].

Face D

- - - - - - - - - ρ̣α̣[. . . . . ⁹ . . . .] ρο̣[. . . . . ⁹ . . . .] (10)υο̣[. . . . . ⁹ . . . .] ν[. . . . . ¹⁰ . . . . .] [. . . . . . ¹¹ . . . . .] [. . . . . . ¹¹ . . . . .] [. . . . . . ¹¹ . . . . .] (15)[. . . . . . ¹¹ . . . . .] [.]Λ̣[. . . . . ⁹ . . . .] ς μυ[. . . . ⁸ . . . .] τρε[. . . . ⁸ . . . .] τον[. . . . ⁸ . . . .] (20)το[. . . . . ⁹ . . . .] νβ̣[. . . . . ⁹ . . . .] - - - - - - - - -

Previous - Immerwahr, Script, 94 no. 614 Next - Immerwahr, Script, 106 no. 732
Translated text

References:

AIUK 4.2 (BM, Decrees of Council and Assembly) no. 1 (Translated text) (AIUK) (AIO)

IG I³ 6 (PHI) (IG Online)

SEG 61.44 (C33)

SEG 66.22a

GIBM I 2

Syll.³ 42

Sokolowski, LSS 3

Fornara, Translated documents 75

Immerwahr, Script, 95 no. 629

I Eleusis 19 (PHI)

Meyer, Origins, 353-63

OR 106

Translation by: Stephen Lambert, Robin Osborne

AIO Images: 1 2 3

Images: Agora Excavations - (1, 2)
Aleshire - (1)
Cornell - (1, 2, 3)
Ohio - (1)

Monument type: Pillar

Inscription type: Decree [(Council and People)]

Original location: Agora (City Eleusinion)

fr. a - Findspot: Agora (City Eleusinion) (Ag. I 3322b)
fr. b - Findspot: Agora (City Eleusinion) (Ag. I 3322a)
fr. c - Findspot: Agora (City Eleusinion) (Ag. I 2907a)
fr. d - Findspot: Agora (City Eleusinion) (Ag. I 2907b)
fr. e - Findspot: Agora (City Eleusinion) (Lost)
fr. f - Findspot: Agora (City Eleusinion) (EM 576)
fr. g - Findspot: House close to "Theseion" [= Hephaisteion] (BM 1816,0610.291)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] The main fragment of this decree, fragment g, contains Face A except left side of ll. 37-43, Face B except the right ends of ll. 16-20, Face C ll. 8-50 except right side of ll. 8-12, the initial letters of ll. 15-23 and the right side of ll. 16-21. It was found by Richard Chandler in 1765-6 in Athens in a house close to what was then thought to be the "Theseion", but is now known to be the Hephaisteion. It was later among the inscriptions acquired by Lord Elgin (cf. AIUK 4.1, no. 1 and no. 2). Its findspot is not far from the City Eleusinion on the north slope of the Acropolis, in the area of which most of the smaller fragments were later found, and which will have been the original location of the inscription. The inscription can be dated only approximately by letter-forms. It is inscribed stoichedon on all four faces of a "pillar" or "post", a format characteristic of the period before the stele established itself as the standard format for Assembly decrees ca. 450 BC, though the closest parallels are not to be found in other Assembly decrees, but religious regulations of other bodies, e.g. the deme Skambonidai, IG I³ 244 (for other comparanda see Meyer = SEG 66.22, table 1). Like most of the handful of inscribed Assembly decrees from before ca. 454 BC the text is of a religious character and was set up in a sanctuary relevant to the content (see the notes to IG I³ 1 - IG I³ 8). The inscription contains the core regulations of the Eleusinian Mysteries, celebrated in honour of the "Two Goddesses", Demeter, the goddess of grain, and her daughter Persephone, called in Attica, Korē ("the Girl"), who were worshipped principally at Eleusis, but also in the City Eleusinion on the north slope of the acropolis and in many Attic demes. Earlier fragmentary regulations from the City Eleusinion are IG I³ 231 and IG I³ 232. Later supplemented e.g. by IG I³ 32 = I Eleusis 30, of 432 or later, establishing officials (epistatai) to supervise the finances of the Two Goddesses, it was eventually superseded ca. 360 by I Eleusis 138. Andokides, a member of the Kerykes who had carried out initiations (1.132), quotes from a stele in the Eleusinion prohibiting the placement of a suppliant branch in the Eleusinion (1.116). It is unclear whether this was the stele in question. This, the earliest Assembly decree in the British Museum's collection, is one of the earliest of all surviving inscribed Assembly decrees. The BM also has a fragment of one of the latest, AIUK 4.2, no. 17, of ca. 220 AD, which also relates to the Eleusinian Mysteries. For more detailed discussion of this important inscription see AIUK 4.2 (BM, Decrees of Council and Assembly), no. 1 and the commentaries to I Eleusis 19 and OR 106 [SDL]. [2] Face A was apparently concerned wholly or partly with regulating access to the sanctuary by foreigners and with consequent international legal arrangements. Cities can opt in, or leave matters to be dealt with by the more general inter-state agreement (symbola) between the relevant city and Athens that regulated jurisdiction in one city in relation to citizens of the other (A40-43). The implication is that the Mysteries have an international status comparable with other Panhellenic festivals such as the Olympic Games. A35 may allude to the meeting of the Council that took place in the City Eleusinion on the day after the Mysteries. Cf. IG II³ 1, 1168. [3] Those introduced into the Mysteries as "initiates" (mystai) would return in subsequent years as "spectators" (epoptai). The details of the central rituals are not securely attested, being described explicitly mainly by late-antique Christian authors, who are unreliable witnesses. For a vivid attempt at reconstructing the sequence of events see J. N. Bremmer, "Initiation into the Eleusinian Mysteries: a 'Thin' Description", chapter 1 of his Initiation into the Mysteries of the Ancient World (2014), 1-20. [4] The Greater Mysteries took place 13-22 Boedromion (= ca. September), the Lesser Mysteries ca. 20 Anthesterion (ca. February). The truces allowed about 3 weeks for travel to and from Attica before and after the festivals, a total of four months a year when travel was possible under truce. Notably both the Lesser and Greater Mysteries are made the occasion of a truce not only for all participants, but for Athenians anywhere, and it is laid out systematically to whom the truce applies (B8-17), when (B17-27) and where (B27-36). The origins of this truce already lay deep in the past by this time. The genos Kerykes (literally, "heralds") were apparently named for the task of announcing it, and are mentioned in this context in a law of Solon (Athen. 234e-f = Solon Nomoi F88 Ruschenbusch, with Parker, Athenian Religion 300-301). In practice the announcement of the truce did not always go smoothly, see RO 35. [5] Otherwise known as the Mysteries at Agrai (by the Ilissos, just outside the city). Cf. e.g. IG II³ 1, 915, 9. [6] Tenure of responsible public office at Athens was normally limited to adult male citizens, but there is one significant exception, namely priestesses, whose gender normally corresponded to that of the deity they served. The priestess of Demeter at Eleusis, who was apparently member of an otherwise little-known genos, the Philleidai (Blok and Lambert, ZPE 169, 2009, 119-22), was the senior priestess of the Eleusinian cult. She is included on Face C in a list of officiants who are to receive payments, an obol from each initiate at the Lesser Mysteries, and an obol from each initiate at the Greater Mysteries (C9-14). This is not especially remarkable. More so is the role ascribed to the priestess in the following clauses (C14-20), for it is the priestess, and not one of the male priests or the genē Eumolpidai and Kerykes, who is charged with paying the “expenses” (analomata) for which the considerable sum of 1,600 drachmas is to be set aside from the obols paid by the initiates, “just as they have been paid until now”. Given that they had this kind of financial reponsibility it is unsurprising that priestesses were publicly accountable and were required (as were priests and genē) to undergo euthynai on the same basis as other public officials (Aischin. 3.18; see also Lykourgos 6 On the Priestess). Like other officials, both priests and priestesses could also be honoured with crowns in inscribed decrees of the Council and Assembly. Those which survive are Hellenistic in date (IG II³ 1, 1002, 1026, 1056, 1189, 1373, 1455, Priests and Priestesses no. 25), but there is possible indirect evidence for a fifth-century decree, or decrees, honouring the priestess of Demeter in IG I³ 953, a dedicatory base from the City Eleusinion, dating perhaps to 450-425 BC. If the poetic language of the epigram inscribed on it is correctly interpreted in this sense, it was apparently mounted by two crowns (stephanō). In language which recalls that often used in later honorific decrees, the epigram emphasises that the priestess had not spared her possessions, “but to the gods she is unstinting to the extent of her ability”. The name of that priestess was Lysistrate, and she, along with her similarly named colleague Lysimache, long-serving priestess of Athena Polias (IG II² 3453), may be alluded to in the feisty eponymous heroine of Aristophanes’ play, Lysistrata. For a Hellenistic case of honours being awarded a priestess by a deme, see AIO 2841. In general on the competences of women in ancient Athens see J. Blok, EuGeStA 8, 2018, 1-48. [SDL]. [7] From the figures given here (and below, 47-50) it can be calculated that to cover the 1,600 dr. expenses of the festival would require 1372 initiates every year, paying 7 obols each. Assuming that new initiates were on average 30 years old at initiation, and constituted therefore 1.5% of all living initiates, this implies a total of over 80,000 living initiates at any one time at this period, a notable indication of the popularity of these rites. C25-26 exempts the "hearth-initiate" from fees. This was a child (perhaps the only one initiated) who seems in some way to have been a representative of the city, the "hearth" perhaps being that of the city hall (prytaneion). Cf. I Eleusis 621. [8] The two main Eleusinian genē. In addition to the right to initiate, they supplied the two major male priesthoods of Eleusis, the hierophant (Eumolpidai) and the "torchbearer" (dadouch, Kerykes). Cf. IG II³ 1, 292, SEG 47.232 n. 5, I Eleusis 513, AIUK 4.2, no. 17. [9] On the (child) hearth-initiates at the Mysteries see I. Bruit Zaidman, Archimède 5, 2018, 113-23 (SEG 68.25).

Added: 20 Jan 2016
Updated: 30 Jan 2024
Feedback

ID: AIO_1019