IEleus 101 Decree of Eleusis honouring the demarch

Decree of Eleusis honouring the demarch

I Eleusis 101 Date: ca. 320-290 BC

Theoboulos son of [Theoboulos?] proposed:^[1] for the good fortune of the demesmen of Eleusis and the Athenian People, the Eleusinians shall decide: since Euthydemos continues to be well-disposed (5) towards the deme of Eleusis and the Athenian People, both individually and collectively, and having been allotted (lachōn) as demarch, exercised the office of demarch finely and justly and carried out the sacrifice to Dionysos for the health and preservation (10) of the demesmen from his own resources (par’ hautou) and has displayed love of honour (pephilotimētai) and increased the revenue and handled the other affairs of the demesmen finely and according to the laws, (15) Euthydemos shall enjoy, himself and his descendants, a seat of honour, seeing that this grant was made also to his ancestors,^[2] and the demarch in office shall invite him to take up his seat of honour, or himself (20) owe 100 drachmas sacred to Dionysos; and to praise [Euthydemos] son of Moirokles of Eleusis for his [excellence] and good-will towards the demesmen of Eleusis and crown him with (25) a foliage crown . . . . . .

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References:

I Eleusis 101 (Translated text) (PHI)

IG II² 1194 (PHI)

IG II² 1274 (PHI)

Tracy, ADT 139a

Csapo and Wilson II, 107-109

Translation by: Stephen Lambert

Images: Krateros - (1, 2)

Monument type: Stele

Inscription type: Decree (Deme Eleusis)

Findspot: Eleusis (Eleusis Museum E 461)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] On the deme Eleusis and its decrees see I Eleusis 68. This inscription is assigned by Tracy to his “Cutter of IG II² 1262”, active ca. 320-290 BC (ADT, 139, for the date cf. Athens and Macedon, 38-48, and Horos 26-31, 2014-2019, 42-43). Euthydemos was also honoured as demarch by a statue erected in his honour by a general, I Eleusis 102 (presumably this was the general stationed at Eleusis; Clinton notes ad loc. that this general must often have had a close working relationship with the demarch); and by the genos Kerykes for his work as deputy (paredros) to the basileus in managing the Mysteries (I Eleusis 100, also a work of the “Cutter of IG II² 1262”). [2] Euthydemos’ father was Moirokles, who was member of a family that was prominent at city level (see e.g. IG II³ 1, 414, l. 6, with notes) and in the deme Eleusis. He leased the quarry at Eleusis that belonged to the sanctuary of Herakles (I Eleusis 85), proposed the decree of Eleusis honouring Xenokles of Sphettos (I Eleusis 95) and contributed to a dedication to Dionysos at Eleusis (IG II³ 4, 232, with note). Moirokles’ own father was the Euthydemos who was active as priest in the cult of Asklepios in the Piraeus (AIO 1318 and IG II³ 4, 1773, with notes). There may be some connection between that priesthood and the grant of proedria in the theatre of Dionysos at Eleusis said here to have been awarded to our honorand’s “ancestors” (on hereditary proedria for priests in this deme cf. I Eleusis 72; Moirokles also plausibly enjoyed proedria, as Csapo and Wilson point out, p. 109). Kallippos son of Moirokles, a distinguished figure of the early 3rd century, general who opposed the Gauls at Thermopylai in 279 BC (Paus. 1.3.5, 1.4.2, 10.20.5), and delegate in the decree of Chremonides in 269/8 BC (IG II³ 1, 912, l. 69), was a member of the same family.

Added: 15 Dec 2020
Updated: 12 Nov 2021
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