SEG 50.45 Honours for Polypeithes of Siphnos

Honours for Polypeithes of Siphnos

SEG 50.45 Date: 422/1 BC (Decree 2), 409-385 BC (Decree 1)

Decree 1 . . . . . . the [same?] stele . . . . . . to the secretary twenty drachmas.

Decree 2 In the archonship of Alkaios (422/1). On the nineteenth of the prytany.^[2] (5) The Council and the People decided. Akamantis^V was in prytany; Archikles of Halai was secretary; Didymias was chairman. Alkibiades proposed:^[1] to praise Polypeithes of Siphnos, because he is a good man towards the Athenian People, both himself and his ancestors, (10) Kallaischros and Stesileides; and reply to him that Kallaischros [was honoured by the People?] in return for the good that he did to the Athenians, and [on behalf of the?] Athenian [People ? he acted with regard to?] all [the matters of war?] . . . . . . (15) . . .

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Greek text

References:

SEG 50.45 (Translated text) (AIO)

IG I³ 227 bis (IG Online) (PHI)

Matthaiou, Πρακτικά Α' Διεθνούς Σιφναϊκού Συμποσίου (2000), 239-248

OR 161

Translation by: Stephen Lambert, P. J. Rhodes

Monument type: Stele

Inscription type: Decree 1 (Council/People), Decree 2 (Council/People)

Findspot: Athens (Plaka) (EM 10385)
Findspot: Athens (Plaka) (EM 10384)
Findspot: Athens (Plaka) (EM 10383)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] For other decrees proposed by Alcibiades see IG I³ 118 and IG I³ 119; confiscation of his property following the religious scandals of 415 BC, IG I³ 421. Our text follows that of Matthaiou 2000 (= SEG 50.45). In G. Reger et al., Studies . . . Tracy (2010), 73-74, Matthaiou identified the lettering as that of a cutter active between 409/8 and 386/5 BC (Tracy's "Cutter of IG II² 17"), which suggests that decree 1 was passed later than, and provided for the inscription or re-inscription of, decree 2. Decree 2 is probably Alcibiades' earliest attested appearance in public life. We do not know the specific context, but Kallaischros, perhaps Polypeithes' grandfather (ll. 10-13), may have been involved in Siphnos’ contributing a trireme to the Greek fleet in 480 (Hdt. 8.46–8). Later Siphnos was a tribute-paying member of the Delian League, and a fragment of IG I³ 1453 was found there, but the island is not mentioned by our literary sources for the Peloponnesian War. The close connection of Polypeithes' family with Athens continued in the fourth century democracy (Davies, APF 590–92 [C 12]), when they are found undertaking Athenian liturgies and other financial obligations unusual for foreigners. Perhaps our decree 1 granted the family privileges such as the right to own property in Attica (enktesis) and equality of tax treatment with Athenians (isoteleia). It might have been (but was not necessarily) passed in the same context as a treaty between Athens and Siphnos cut by the same mason (Agora XVI 50, with Tracy, Gestures . . . A. L. Boegehold, 354 with n. 9, Matthaiou, in Philathenaios . . . M. J. Osborne, 45–54). If decree 2 was not inscribed at the time it was passed, that would suggest that it did not award substantive honours. It is possible, however, that it awarded the proxeny, and like a number of other Athenian proxeny decrees, had been destroyed by the Thirty (cf. OR 177B with n. 1). [2] This is the earliest inclusion in a prescript of the date in a prytany (next case, RO 34 of 368/7 BC). Since such details were not included in decrees inscribed in the 420s, this suggests that the text of decree 2 may have been obtained from an archival copy predating the foundation of the Athenian state archive in the Metroon (probably in last decade of 5th century). In any case there are other indications that archival copies of Athenian decrees on papyrus contained details not included in inscribed versions, cf. IG II² 457+3207.

Added: 8 Oct 2013
Updated: 5 Mar 2019
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