IEleus 67 Decree of tribe Hippothontis honouring Metagenes of Eroiadai

Decree of tribe Hippothontis honouring Metagenes of Eroiadai

I Eleusis 67 Date: Mid-4th cent. BC ?

The tribe Hippothontis decided, Polynikos son of Phokiades of Oion^[1] proposed: since Metagenes son of Eukleides of Eroiadai well and (5)justly and incorruptibly judged that the tribe was victorious at the Thargelia,^[2] concerning . . . Eleusis (?) . . . . . .

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References:

I Eleusis 67 (Translated text) (PHI)

IG II² 1153 (PHI)

Russo, Ripartizioni, TR31

Translation by: Stephen Lambert, Andrea Giannotti

Monument type: Stele

Inscription type: Decree (Tribe Hippothontis)

Findspot: Eleusis (Lost)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] On the tribe Hippothontis and its decrees see I Eleusis 63, with notes. Oion Dekeleikon was a deme of Hippothontis. If this Polynikos is the son of Phokiades of Oion, treasurer of Athena in 425/4 BC (IG I³ 300, 301, 369), our decree might date slightly earlier than the middle of the 4th century BC (Clinton). In this way, the proposer of this decree could be the father of Phokiades son of Polynikos in Agora XV 43 (ll. 186-7), dated to 335/4 BC. There might also be a connection with the family of Phokiades I son of Teisias I of Eleusis (cf. IG II³ 4, 646). The honorand, Metagenes, is not otherwise known. His deme, Eroiadai, was also a deme of Hippothontis. The assertion that Metagenes' judgement in favour of his own tribe (if the system was the same as for the theatrical competitions at the City Dionysia, he will have been one of ten tribal judges) was exercised "well and justly and incorruptibly" therefore counters the natural suspicion of bias. This decree illustrates on the one hand the underlying sense of loyalty that tribal membership might generate, but on the other hand the moral pressure that might arise to be improperly influenced by such loyalty in situations of this kind. The very fragmentary I Eleusis 69 was apparently passed in similar circumstances. [2] The Thargelia was an urban festival of purification and renewal, celebrated in honour of Apollo, and including tribally organised choral competitions in dithyramb. See IG II³ 4, 475, with notes. At the Thargelia the tribes were paired for competitive purposes; from the 370s the pairings were fixed, and Hippothontis was paired with Kekropis. Metagenes' judgement will accordingly have favoured both tribes. Choregic dedications show that this team won at least three times at the Thargelia, in 359/8 BC (IG II³ 4, 486), 355/4 (IG II³ 4, 487) and 349/8 (IG II³ 4, 493). On each occasion the choregos was a Hippothontid, and Claudio Huayna Ávila notes (personal communication) that the winner in 355/4 BC, Diodoros son of Satyros, was also a member of the small deme Eroiadai, raising the possibility of a personal connection with Metagenes, and that this was the victory to which our decree relates. P. Wilson, "Performance in the Pythion: The Athenian Thargelia", in Wilson ed., The Greek Theatre and Festivals. Documentary Studies (2007), 150-82, 159, also hypothesises that the choregos for the victorious performance mentioned in our decree was a Hippothontid, perhaps the proposer of the decree, Polynikos. Humphreys, Kinship, 757, thinks that "perhaps the vote was close and there had been some complaints".

Added: 15 Mar 2022
Updated: 24 Jan 2024
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