Law and decree about the Little Panathenaia
IG II3 1 447 Date: Ca. 335-330 BC
Gods.
Law[1] In the archonship of . . . . . . Aristonikos son of Aristoteles
of Marathon[2] proposed: for the good fortune of the Athenian
(5) People, so that the sacrifice to Athena may be as fine as possible
at the Little Panathenaia and the income as great as possible [for the] . . . . . . the lawmakers (nomothetais) shall decide: [that the official sellers (pōlētai) shall let the Nea] ten days before . . . for ten years in two or double lots to the . . . (10) . . . in the year before, or to the one to whom the . . . . . . tak- guarantors for the lessees . . . . . . shall sell the two percent tax on the [Nea] . . . . . . and the prytany (prutaneis) shall post an announcement (prographein) . . . . . . the lease of the Nea specifically and
(15) the sale [of the two percent tax] on the Nea separately . . . . . . income be two talents . . . . . . of the property (ktēmatōn) in the Nea . . . . . . this shall be for Athena (?) . . . . . . of the Little Panathenaia . . . (20) . . . and let the [receivers (apodektai)] allocate it for these things . . . . . . shall be and the . . . . . . shall lease according to (?) . . . . . . and the treasurer [shall] . . . . . . (25) . . . Text missing
Decree[1] . . . . . . [so that] . . . piously and
. . . annual
. . . prepared as excellently as possible
(30) for Athena every year on behalf of the Athenian
People and that the other things that are necessary concerning the festival
which is celebrated for the goddess are organised well by the religious officials (hieropoiōn) for all
time, the People shall resolve: in other respects
as proposed by the Council,[3] but the religious officials (hieropoious) shall sacrifice the two
(35) -, the one to Athena Hygieia and the one
sacrificed in the [ancient temple] as previously, and
having distributed to the prytany members five portions and to the nine
archons . . . and to the treasurers of the goddess one and to the religious officials (hieropoiois) one and to the generals and the infantry commanders
(40) . . . and to those participants in the procession who are Athenians and to the
[basket carriers (kanēphorois)?] as is customary, they shall apportion the other
meat to the Athenians; and the religious officials (hieropoioi), having bought cows with
the forty-one minai from the lease of the Nea
with the cattle-buyers, and having conducted (pempsantes) the procession for the goddess,
(45) shall sacrifice all these cows on the great
altar of Athena, but one on the altar of Nike,
having selected it from the most beautiful cows;[4] and having sacrificed to
Athena Polias and Athena Nike all
the cows bought with the forty-one minai,
(50) they shall distribute the meat to the Athenian People in
[the Kerameikos?] as at other meat distributions;
and they shall allocate portions to each deme according
to [the number of participants in the procession?] that each deme provides;
and for the contract costs (misthōmata) for the procession and the butchers’ fee and
(55) adornment of the great altar and the other things that [it is fitting
to . . . ] for the festival and an all-night revel,[5] they shall give 50 drachmas; and the religious officials (hieropoious) who organise
the annual Panathenaia are to make the
all-night revel as fine as possible for the goddess and to conduct the procession
(60) at the rising of the sun, punishing anyone who is not obedient to authority
with the penalties in the laws; and the People are to choose
[as ... five?] men from all the Athenians . . . . . .