IGII31 316 Honours for Akarnanians

Honours for Akarnanians

IG II³ 1 316 Date: 338/7 BC

In the archonship of Chairondas (338/7), in the - prytany, of -, for which Philippos son of Antiphemos of Eiresidai was secretary. On the - of Thargelion,^[1] the - of the prytany. Of the [presiding committee (proedrōn)] - (5) of Erchia was putting to the vote. The People decided. Hegesippos son of Hegesias of Sounion^[2] proposed: concerning what the Akarnanians say, Phormio and Karphinas, who have recently come, the People shall decide: since Phormio and Karphinas, being ancestral friends of the Athenian People, are maintaining the (10) good will, which their ancestors handed down, towards the Athenian People, and now having supported in force, were mustered with the Athenians, as the general commanded,^[3] to praise them for their excellence and to crown each of them with a golden crown; (15) and since the Athenian People made Phormio the grandfather of Phormio and Karphinas an Athenian,^[4] and his descendants, and the decree by which this was enacted was inscribed on the acropolis,^[5] the grant which the People made to Phormio their grandfather (20) shall be valid for Phormio and Karphinas and their descendants; and they shall choose the tribe and deme and phratry to which they wish to belong; and to praise also the other Akarnanians who gave support along with Phormio and Karphinas, and they shall have, until they return home, (25) [right of ownership (egktēsin)] of whatever houses they wish while they live at Athens, free of the metic tax, and shall bring and answer lawsuits like Athenians, and shall pay capital taxes (eisphoras), any that may be levied, with the Athenians; and the Council in office at any time shall take care of them, (30) and the generals in office at any time, so that they suffer no harm; and the secretary of the Council shall inscribe this decree on a stone stele and stand it on the acropolis, and shall inscribe also the names of the Akarnanians on the same stele, writing them under the cities (35) of Akarnania to which each belongs; and for inscribing the stele the treasurer of the People shall give 30 drachmas to the secretary of the Council from the People’s fund for expenditure on decrees.

col. 1

In crown Phormio. (40) The People.

col. 2

In crown Karphinas. The People.

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References:

IG II³ 1 316 (Translated text) (IG Online) (PHI)

IG II² 237 (PHI)

Syll.³ 259

Osborne, Naturalization, D16

Schwenk, Athens 1

RO 77

IALD 102 no. 5, 402.

Axon 206 (Axon)

IALD II 89, 108-09, 126-27, 150 no. 22

Translation by: Stephen Lambert

Images: Krateros - (1)
Ohio - (1)

Monument type: Stele

Inscription type: Decree (People)

Original location: Acropolis

Findspot: Acropolis (EM 7138)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] This is the earliest firmly dated inscribed decree prescript from Athens which states both the month name and the date in the month, as well as the prytany and date in the prytany. The order of the Athenian months, beginning at the first new moon after the summer solstice, was: Hekatombaion, Metageitnion, Boedromion, Pyanopsion, Maimakterion, Posideon, Gamelion, Anthesterion, Elaphebolion, Mounychion, Thargelion, Skirophorion. The months were named for religious festivals, though, except for the Anthesteria, Thargelia and Skira, they have left little trace in the historical record and in some cases may have died out before the fifth century. Some months were "full" (30 days), others were "hollow" (29 days). To make the lunar year coincide over the long term with the solar year, an intercalary month was inserted periodically. At this period intercalary years were apparently determined by the 19-year Metonic cycle (called after the Athenian astronomer Meton, who announced the cycle in 432 BC), and were the 2nd, 5th, 8th, 10th, 13th, 16th and 18th years of the cycle. 338/7 was the nineteenth year of cycle V and so was ordinary. Adjustments to the calendar were also made by the insertion or subtraction of individual days (usually for reasons that are unknown to us). Days in the first decade of the month were counted forward ("of the waxing month", histamenou), in the last decade they were counted down backwards to the end of the month ("of the waning month", phthinontos, or "after the twentieth", met' eikadas). The first day of the month was "new moon" (noumenia), and Assemblies were not usually held on it; on the last day of the month, however, "the old and new day" (hene kai nea), Assemblies were common, especially in Skirophorion. It is clear from hellenistic evidence that the "official" lunar calendar (known as the "archon's calendar", as the eponymous archon was responsible for regulating the reckoning of time) could diverge quite considerably from the real phases of the moon, but we lack firm evidence for the extent of such divergences before 321, which means that we can almost never pin down the precise equivalent of Athenian dates in terms of our calendar. For more on the Athenian calendar see IG II³ 1, 293 with notes. [2] Also proposed IG II³ 1, 399, q.v. This decree contains subtle allusions to the glory days of the Peloponnesian War, to which Hegesippos and like-minded Athenians aspired to return. Cf. Lambert, "Connecting with the Past in Lykourgan Athens", in L. Foxhall et al. eds., Intentional History (2010), 234-35 = IALD II, 115-31. [3] Phormio and Karphinas led a group of Akarnanians who had apparently supported Athens in the battle of Chaironeia in 338 BC. Following the defeat, they were, it seems, exiled from their home city, and sought refuge in Athens. This is one of a number of inscriptions of this period relating directly or indirectly to Athens' connections with Akarnania. Cf. IG II³ 1, 296, 324, 444 and 504. [4] The elder Phormio will have been named for the Athenian general who operated successfully in the area of Akarnania in the Archidamian War and was well respected there (Th. 2.68, 6-8; 3.7). The allusion is significant, cf. IG II³ 1, 444 n. 4. [5] This reference to an inscription which will have dated to ca. 400 is notable in the context of the attention that was paid, in the years after the battle of Chaironeia, to the fifth-century heritage of the acropolis, including its statues and dedications. Cf. IG II³ 1, 444.

Added: 10 Dec 2012
Updated: 1 Aug 2022
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