AIO 801 Honours for Phanokritos of Parion, 386/5 BC

Honours for Phanokritos of Parion, 386/5 BC

AIO 801 Date: 386/5 BC

. . . . . . [reward Phanokritos?] on account of [his benefaction?], if the People also decide, and to inscribe his benefaction (euergesian) on a stone stele on the acropolis; and to invite him to hospitality (xenia) (5) in the city hall (prutaneion) tomorrow. Kephalos proposed: in other respects in accordance with the Council, but the secretary of the Council shall inscribe Phanokritos of Parion^[1] as a proxenos and benefactor, (10) himself and his descendants, on a stone stele, and stand it on the acropolis, because he tipped off the generals about the passage (paraplo) of the ships (neōn), and if the generals had believed (epithonto) him the enemy triremes (15) would have been captured: it is for this that there is to be the proxeny and benefactorship. And to invite him to hospitality (xenia) in the city hall (prutaneion) tomorrow; and the receivers (apodektas) shall allocate (merisai) the money specified (eirēmenon) (20) from the funds (chrēmatōn) deposited (kataballomenōn) when they make the financial allocations prescribed by the laws.^[2]

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Greek text

References:

AIO 801 (Translated text) (AIO)

IG II² 29 (PHI)

Syll.³ 137

RO 19

Culasso, Prossenie, 89-101 (l. 1)

Matthaiou, Grammateion 2013 b, 105-111 (ll. 1-3, 11-12) (Grammateion)

Tracy, Athenian Lettering, 111

Translation by: Stephen Lambert, P. J. Rhodes

Images: Louvre - (1)

Monument type: Stele

Inscription type: Decree (Council and People), Decree (People)

Original location: Acropolis

Findspot: Athens (Louvre Ma 843)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] Cut by Tracy's "Cutter of IG II² 17", who was active 414/3-386/5, the context of this decree has been plausibly identified in the sequence of events in the Hellespont, where in 387 BC the Athenians were blockading a Spartan fleet under Nikolochos at Abydos. The Spartan Antalkidas succeeded in lifting the blockade by a feint, and, strengthened by reinforcements, gained control of the Hellespont (Xen. Hell. 5.1.25-28, cf. Polyain. 2.24. The King's Peace was concluded shortly after). Phanokritos of Parion (on the Asiatic coast of the Hellespont) seems to have passed on some intelligence regarding the feint to the Athenian commanders (who included Iphikrates, Diotimos in charge of the blockade, and Thrasyboulos of Kollytos commanding a separate squadron caught by the Spartans), which, however, they did not heed. It would seem that the Council may have proposed that Phanokritos be named an official benefactor of Athens, and that Kephalos (a prominent politician) succeeded in having the Assembly upgrade this to include the title of proxenos, which commonly (but not always) accompanied designation as benefactor. From ll. 15-16 it seems that the Council's proposal had not specified the services for which Phanokritos was to be honoured. There was a tendency over the course of the fourth cent. for honorific decrees to be justified by stating services rendered in more detail. This was partly at least because they were often contentious and the proposer might be attacked in the courts for making an illegal proposal (graphe paranomon). In this case, however, the Council may simply have wished to save embarrassing the generals who failed to take Phanokritos' advice. [2] This is the earliest datable evidence for the budgetary system (merismos) whereby the receivers (apodektai) made an allocation of funds to spending authorities in accordance with a law (the details of which are obscure, cf. Ath. Pol. 48.1-2). It is possible, but uncertain, that this system had been introduced on the restoration of the democracy in 403/2. Before that expenditure decisions appear to have been made case by case by the Assembly. Normally at this period the cost of inscription was met by the sacred treasurers, but in this case and one other in 386/5 this was apparently not possible for some reason and the receivers were instructed to make a supplementary allocation specifically for this purpose.

Added: 29 Jul 2014
Updated: 30 Jul 2020
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ID: AIO_801