IEleus 196 Athenian and mercenary soldiers at Eleusis and the Eleusinians honour a general, Aristophanes of Leukonoion

Athenian and mercenary soldiers at Eleusis and the Eleusinians honour a general, Aristophanes of Leukonoion

I Eleusis 196 Date: Ca. 234 BC

Decree 1 (Soldiers) . . . ^[1] . . . . . . showing himself to be [beyond reproach] and uncorruptible . . . . . . for which the People crowned him with a gold crown . . . . . . he continues to do what accords . . . (5) . . . he managed the guarding of the forts so that . . . . . . they be praised and crowned . . . . . . guard ship(?), and he arranged that [when the grain was set] at hand month by month those in military service would not be given less than had been reckoned for them; and he sacrificed at the Haloa^[2] to Demeter and Kore and the other (10) gods to whom it is traditional on behalf of the Athenian People and king Demetrios and queen ⟦Phthia⟧^[3] and their descendants; and he invited all the citizens to the sacrifice, thinking that they should share in the good things that occurred in the sacrifices (hierois), paying for it from his own resources, and demonstrating in these matters the good will which he continues to have for his fellow citizens; and he announces (15) that for the future, to whatever the People appoint him or the citizens stationed in the forts ask of him, that he will present himself as worthy of the election of the People and of the actions he has taken in previous times; so therefore that those citizens stationed in the forts may be seen to render due thanks to those who display love of honour (philotimoumenois) to them and the Athenian People, (20) for good fortune, the citizens stationed at Eleusis and in Panakton and at Phyle and the soldiers serving alongside those from the city and stationed at Eleusis shall decide: to accept the good things which he says occurred in the sacrifices which he made to Demeter and Kore and the other gods to whom it is traditional, and to praise the general Aristophanes son of Aristomenes of Leukonoion and to (25) crown him with a gold crown according to the law; and so that all may know that they give thanks to those who display love of honour (philotimoumenois) towards the citizens stationed in the forts worthy of their benefactions, they shall make a bronze statue of him and stand it in Eleusis in the courtyard of the sanctuary; and they shall announce the crown and the setting up of the statue at the traditional competition of the Haloa and at the sacrifice (30) of the [Apato]uria in Panakton and at Phyle when the sacrifice to Artemis Agrotera takes place^[4] and at the new tragedy competition of the city Dionysia when next the People conduct the Dionysia, and they shall make the following announcement: 'The Athenians stationed by the People in Eleusis and in Panakton and on Phyle crown the general Aristophanes son of Aristomenes of Leukonoion with a gold crown according to the law (35) and with a bronze statue for the excellence and good will which he continues to show to the Athenian People and king Demetrios and his descendants, and his justice towards them; and so that the things they decided may be accomplished as quickly as possible, those stationed at Eleusis shall choose five men, those in Panakton five, those at Phyle one, and those chosen shall effect the procurement of the statue as quickly as possible; (40) and for the expenditure incurred those chosen are to recommend to the citizens stationed in Eleusis and those in Panakton and those on Phyle and the mercenaries (xenois) stationed with Gnosias to contribute what is estimated by those making the account; so that those visiting Eleusis might know of the good will of the general Aristophanes and the gratitude of those who made the dedication, they shall inscribe this (45) decree on a stone stele and stand it by the statue, and those chosen for the making of the statue shall manage the inscription and the making of the stele and the announcement of the crown; and in their management and financial arrangements all shall be correct and just; and on rendering their accounts they shall be praised and crowned both collectively by all and individually by the (50) stationed (soldiers).

Decree 2 (Deme Eleusis) Theodotos son of Demokrates of Eleusis proposed: since Aristophanes in earlier time has provided many and great services to the Athenian People, and when elected gymnasiarch (gumnasiarchos), when the People first conducted the . . . ,^[5] he presided over the gymnasium in a fine and well-organised way, doing all in accordance with the (55) laws and decrees of the People, and when elected tribal commander of cavalry (phularchos), in this office he demonstrated his love of honour (philotimian); and after this in the archonship of Lysias (238/7), in which year the war broke out, he continued in the management of the [provisions?] to place neither the safety of his own person nor anything else before the interests of the fatherland; and appointed general in charge of (60) Eleusis for the year of Kimon (236/5) he managed the guarding of the forts and everything else which the laws and the decrees of the People prescribed for him, and for all these things the People has praised and crowned him, as he omits nothing in his efforts for the city; and the deme Eleusis has praised and crowned him; and when he was elected general in charge of Eleusis for the second time for the year of (65) [Ekphantos] (235/4), he managed the building up of the walls and the guarding of the forts of Eleusis and Panakton and Phyle; and he managed it that the grain from the countryside was brought in in safety; and he both continues privately to be of service to those with whom he comes into contact in whatever way each asks him, and for many Eleusinians in the war he has been responsible for their preservation; so therefore that all who are chosen (70) as generals in charge of Eleusis might show love of honour (philotimōntai) in doing everything favourable to demonstrate their zeal both now and in the future, knowing that they will not only be honoured by the Athenian People but will also receive from the deme Eleusis the thanks which should fall to good citizens, for good fortune, the Eleusinians shall decide: to praise Aristophanes son of Aristomenes of Leukonoion (75) and to crown him with a gold crown according to the law for his good will and love of honour (philotimias) towards the Athenian People and the deme Eleusis, and to announce this crown at the traditional competition of the Haloa; and to inscribe this decree on a stone stele and stand it in the courtyard of the sanctuary; and the demarch and the sacred remembrancers (hieromnēmonas) shall manage the announcement of the crown (80) and the making and setting up of the stele.

The following were chosen for the setting up of the statue:

col. 1

Hephaistodoros of Leukonoion Archias of Anakaia Diogenes of Kopros (85) Xenophon of Kikynna Mynniskos of Pergase Aristion of Phyle Chairion of Hybadai Antiphanes of Euonymon (90) Hieronymos of Poros Pythodoros of Teithras Kephisodotos of Araphen and the following mercenaries (xenōn) shared in the dedication: leader (95) Gnosias of Phokis Echetimos of Phokis Gelon of Macedon Agesipolis of Crete Polyxenos of Crete (100) Kalligeitos of Megara Zoilos of Thessaly Agathon of Lycia Xenophilos of Macedon Aristodamos of Megalopolis (105) Nikokles of Phokis Menekles of Argos Nikanor of Macedon Aristodamos of Crete Nikasion of Crete (110) Pyraimenes of Argos Agasias of Thessaly Apollonios of Aitolia Kallidamos of Phokis Alexion of Opountos (115) Apollodoros of Plataia Lyson of Phokis Theodoros of [Achaia]

col. 2

Andr- - Pas- - (120) Nika- - Hera- - Mos- - Hera- - Arch- - (125) Herp- - Men- - Nau- - Lam- - Men- - (130) Er- - Di- - Kt- - Nik- - Nik- - (135) Theo- - Ar- - So- - Kl- - Ar- - (140) Ph- - D- - . . .

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References:

I Eleusis 196 (Translated text) (PHI)

IG II² 1299 (PHI)

Syll.² 192

Syll.³ 485

Maier, Mauerbauinschriften, no. 22 (ll. 51-80)

Translation by: Stephen Lambert, Sean Byrne

Images: Krateros - (1)

Monument type: Stele

Inscription type: Decree 1 (Athenian and foreign soldiers at Eleusis), Decree 2 (Deme Eleusis)

Original location: Eleusis (Courtyard of sanctuary)

Findspot: Eleusis (Eleusis Museum E 2)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] Textual note: D. Knoepfler, Mediterraneo Antico 22, 2019, 133-51 (= SEG 69.102) restores συνετέλεσε τὰ [Ἀντιγόνει]α ("celebrated the [Antigoneia]) in l. 53, see n. 5.

The deme Eleusis and Athenian military units stationed there had passed joint decrees since late-iv BC (see I Eleusis 95, with notes), but this is the earliest extant inscription recording joint honours involving the deme and military units including not only Athenians, but also foreign mercenaries (20-22). The inclusion of non-Athenians perhaps accounts for the fact that, while earlier such hybrid decrees were passed by the two bodies acting as a single unit, in this case the soldiers and the deme passed separate decrees.

The decrees award very substantial honours to a general, Aristophanes of Leukonoion, for outstanding services to the deme and the soldiers stationed there (saving many lives, 68-69) in the context of the "Demetrian War", which had broken out in 238/7 BC (56-57), shortly after Demetrios II had succeeded his father, Antigonos Gonatas, and which was to last until Demetrios' death in 229 BC. This war ranged Demetrios and his allies against the Aitolians and Achaians. Attica became a battleground, and was subject to raids by Aratos, which severely affected the Thriasian plain (Plut. Arat. 33-34. On the war in general see Habicht, Athens, 163-66). When the preserved section of the decree of the soldiers (Decree 1) begins, it is in the middle of a description of the services Aristophanes had rendered in his most recent term as general for Eleusis, in 235/4 BC (ll. 64-65); from the deme decree (Decree 2) we learn that Aristophanes had served previously as gymnasiarch, phylarch, in another office, and a previous term as general (apparently in the year before, 236/5 BC).

In the late 3rd century BC military units stationed at the border fortresses of Eleusis, Panakton, and Phyle were commanded by the general based at Eleusis and often appear together in inscriptions. This is the earliest "hybrid" inscription (i.e.one involving the deme) to refer to Panakton and Phyle as well as Eleusis. The earliest decree of a military unit alone to do so seems to be see I Eleusis 194, of about a decade earlier, though this too may in fact be a hybrid decree (see the notes thereto for possible involvement of the deme with this decree). On the fortress at Panakton and the six inscriptions found there recently by M. Munn, see IG II³ 4, 324, with notes. Note that at ll. 37-39 five men are chosen to represent the soldiers stationed at Eleusis, five at Panakton, and one at Phyle, which presumably reflects the relative size of the garrisons at this time. Cf. Munn, Inscriptions from Panakton, 331-32. [2] On the Haloa festival cf. I Eleusis 229, with notes. It was the usual focus of the soldiers at Eleusis, as the deme's usual focus was the local Dionysia (but on this occasion, because the soldiers are involved, the deme announces its honours at the Haloa, 76-77). In 235/4 BC Aristophanes apparently carried the entire cost of the festival, inviting all citizens to participate in the benefits (11-13). Clinton notes that some 20 years later, I Eleusis 211, honouring the general Demainetos, makes no mention of his funding sacrifices at the Haloa, and suggests that they were probably then being funded again by the city. Alternatively, they may have lapsed. [3] The name of Demetrios' wife, Phthia, has been deliberately erased in l. 11, and some have detected a half-hearted attempt to erase the name of Demetrios himself. The systematic erasure of the names of the Antigonids from inscriptions that took place in Athens in 200 BC was not generally extended to Eleusinian inscriptions, and it is uncertain whether this was also the occasion of the erasure of Phthia's name here (cf. Clinton). [4] At l. 30 the honours are to be announced at Panakton at the phratry festival [Apato]uria. This probably reflects the association of Panakton with the foundation legend of the Apatouria, referred to by Hellanikos FGrH 323a F23. Cf. Munn, Inscriptions from Panakton, 332 n. 127. [5] Knoepfler restores a reference to an otherwise unattested festival in honour of Antigonos II Gonatas, who controlled Athens from 262 to 229 BC, cf. I Rhamnous 7.

Added: 12 Jul 2017
Updated: 23 Jul 2025
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