SEG 59.135 Honours for a high priest and competition director

Honours for a high priest and competition director

SEG 59.135 Date: 1st century AD

[For Good Fortune (?) ] [When – was archon and priest of Consul Drusus, in the prytany] [of tribe, for which – was secretary, –th day] of the month of Posideon [ -th prytany. Of the presiding committee – was putting the vote and] his fellow presiding committee members. (5) [The Council of the Areopagos and (?) the Council of the Six] Hundred and the [People of the Athenians decided . . . to praise . . . ] who is both high priest [of . . . and competition director (agōnothetēn) of the] games of the [Augustan House?] for the five- [year period?^[2] . . . who has been a benefactor to the] city of the Athenians . . . prefect of Egypt^[3] (10) . . . sealed a document (diplōma) . . . having counted (him?) among the . . . twenty (?) and having purified . . . of Demeter and [the Girl] . . . distributed to him (15) . . .

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References:

SEG 59.135 (Translated text) (AIO)

SEG 53.167

SEG 50.154

SEG 47.144

Translation by: Chris de Lisle

Monument type: Stele

Inscription type: Decree ([Areopagos?], Council, and People)

Findspot: Unknown (EM 13497)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] This fragment derives from the right-hand side of a decree of the Athenian Council and People (perhaps with the Areopagos, see IG IV² 1, 82-84 with notes). It honours an individual, who is said to have been high priest of the imperial cult (ll. 6-7), competition-director (agonothetes) of a festival (ll. 7-8), and probably benefactor of the city (l. 9). His name is lost, except for the last few letters, which are probably part of a demotic (Agryle, Korydallos, or Kykala are possible) or an ethnic if he was a foreigner (many possibilities). Letter forms and context make a first-century AD date plausible (S. Follet, Horos 17-21, 2004-2009, 51-67 = SEG 59.135). The stone was part of the private collection of G. A. Stamires; its provenance is unknown. On public decrees of the first two centuries AD, see SEG 21.499 with notes. [2] The high priest was the chief priest of the Imperial cult at Athens (see IG II³ 4, 1928 with notes.). On the Augustan Games (Sebasta) and other Athenian games in honour of the emperors, which are attested intermittently through the first century and once in 209/10, see IG II² 3270 with notes. Unless they are similar games hosted by another city, this probably places the decree after 41 AD. Ll. 7-8 might indicate that this festival was penteteric (i.e. held every four years), but the text is fragmentary and there is no parallel for the formula. [3] The prefect of Egypt (i.e. the Roman governor) who appears at l. 9 is distinct from the honorand and appears to be responsible for the official document (diploma) in the next line, perhaps to allow the honorand to travel in Egypt (S. Follet, Horos 17-21, 2004-2009, 62-65) or reporting on his conduct there.

Added: 24 Jul 2026
Updated: 24 Jul 2026
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ID: AIO_3752