IEleus 80 Decree of Eleusis honouring the patrol-commander (peripolarch), Smikythion

Decree of Eleusis honouring the patrol-commander (peripolarch), Smikythion

I Eleusis 80 Date: ca. 325-300 BC

Relief^[1] Timokedes son of Gnathis proposed: since Smikythion the patrol-commander is a good man towards the demesmen of Eleusis, and both stationed himself 5 and the soldiers with him at Eleusis, and took action with the generals and the deme or the People to ensure that sufficient guards came to Eleusis and other things that were needed 10 for the guarding of Eleusis,^[2] the Eleusinians shall decide to praise Smikythion son of O- of Kephale and crown him with a gold crown; and the demarch in office after 15 Isarchos shall announce at the Dionysia in the tragedies that the deme of Eleusis crowns Smikythion son of O- of Kephale with this crown for his excellence and justice 20 towards the demesmen of Eleusis; and he shall have a seat of honour, and the demarch in office shall invite him like the others who are given a seat of honour; 25 and so that everyone may know that the demesmen of Eleusis give thanks to those who do it good, the demarch Isarchos shall inscribe this decree on a stone stele 30 and stand it wherever seems to be best.

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References:

I Eleusis 80 (Translated text) (PHI)

IG II² 1193 (PHI)

Syll.³ 356

Lawton 152

Russo, Ripartizioni, D33

Translation by: Stephen Lambert

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

Monument type: Stele

Inscription type: Decree (Deme Eleusis)

Original location: Eleusis (wherever seems best)

Findspot: Eleusis (Eleusis Museum E 967)

Transliterations on No places

[1] For the deme Eleusis and its decrees see I Eleusis 68. The relief depicts the honorand (right) approaching a seated Demeter (centre), who is taking in her right hand the left hand of Kore (or else they are holding a painted crown), standing (left) with a torch in her right hand. [2] Lawton persuasively dates the relief to ca. 325-300 BC, which is consistent with the likelihood that the proposer (1) is son of the Gnathis who was demarch in ca. mid-iv BC or shortly after, I Eleusis 70. It is also consistent with the sense of military insecurity implicit in this (awkwardly worded) decree. The “patrols” of whom the honorand of this decree was a commander appear to have been a (somewhat sparsely attested) force responsible for the security of the Attic countryside (cf. e.g. Aischin. 1.49, 2.167, IG II³ 1, 292, l. 20; IG II³ 4, 278, with notes). Their relationship to the ephebic garrisons is not entirely clear (for the ephebes stationed at Eleusis see e.g. IG II² 1156, decree 3), but it may not be coincidental that the fourth quarter of the 4th century was a period during which the ephebate appears not to have been continuously functional (cf. T. R. Henderson, The Springtime of the People, 2020, 171-93). Clinton’s suggested date for this decree, 340-335 BC?, would seem to be too early. For recent debate about the “patrols”, their commanders and their relationship to the ephebate see SEG 61.19.

Added: 15 Dec 2020
Updated: 25 Jan 2024
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