IGII34 480 Choregic dedication of Aisios for the Thargelia, 365/4 BC

Choregic dedication of Aisios for the Thargelia, 365/4 BC

IG II³ 4 480 Date: 365/4 BC

Front^[1] Aisios son of Mnesioboulos of Sphettos, serving as sponsor (chorēgōn), was victorious for Akamantis (and) Pandionis^[2] in the boys' competition, Eukles was director (edidaske),^[3] Eudamiskos was pipe-player, (5)Chion (365/4) was archon.

Rear Aisios son of Mnesioboulos of Sphettos, serving as sponsor, was victorious for Akamantis (and) Pandionis in the boys' competition, Eukles was director, Eudamiskos was pipe-player, (5)Chion (365/4) was archon.

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References:

IG II³ 4 480 (Translated text) (IG Online)

IG II² 3065 (PHI)

Syll.³ 1084

Agelidis, Weihgeschenke 70

Translation by: Claudio Huayna Avila

Monument type: Base

Inscription type: Dedication (choregic)

Findspot: Right bank of Ilissos (Olympieion) (Athens Ephoria ΝΚ 298 = Λ 6502)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] This marble rounded base is a choregic dedication commemorating a victory in dithyrambic competitions at the Thargelia (cf. IG II³ 4, 475 with notes). The stone was found together with IG II³ 4, 481 and 490. This is remarkable since these three inscriptions are the only ones in the set of Thargelian dedication carrying the same text on both sides. [2] The sponsor is perhaps identifiable with Aisios, brother of Aphobos (cf. Davies, AFP 312, 3597 VI), a rich Athenian who belonged to the liturgical class and was commemorated by Demosthenes for his service to the city as trierarch on an expedition to Korkyra (Demosth. 27.14). This is the first inscription with the fixed pairing of tribal choral teams for the Thargelia. From around the 370s BC, the tribes were no longer paired off by lot and the pairing became completely fixed: Erechtheis with Antiochis, Aigeis with Leontis, Pandionis with Akamantis, Oineis with Aiantis, and Kekropis with Hippothontis (cf. Ath. Pol. 56.3, and D. Knoepfler in REG 129, 2016, 217-236 who suggests that this institutional change ocurred at some point between 378/7 and 372/1 due to the standardization in the shape of the dedications [cf. IG II³ 4, 478]). The Akamantis/Pandionis team has the most attested victories at the Thargelia, six in total (cf. IG II³ 4, 485, 490, 492, 494, 495). [3] Eukles was one the most successful directors at the Thargelia, with seven attested victories (cf. IG II³ 4, 481, 483, 484, 485, 487, 490). Given that he was victorious for the boys’ choruses at least seven times in roughly a decade, he might have been a professional director (cf. P. Wilson in The Greek Theatre and Festivals, 2007, 162).

Added: 14 Mar 2022
Updated: 25 Sep 2022
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