AIO 1798 Three decrees honouring ephebes and their superintendent, 79/8 BC

Three decrees honouring ephebes and their superintendent, 79/8 BC

AIO 1798 Date: 79/8 BC

Decree 1 (Honours for sacrifices) Gods. In the archonship of -os (79/8)^[1], in the hoplite generalship of Mnaseas [son of] Mnaseas of Berenikidai; decrees of the Council; on the sixth of Boedromion; in the Theseion (transferred) from the (Panathenaic) stadium;^[2] Mnaseas son of Mnaseas of Berenikidai proposed:^[3] concerning the report which the superintendent (5) of the ephebes, Hedylos son of Straton of Lamptrai, makes about the sacrifice that he made with the ephebes on the acropolis, the exit sacrifices (exitētēria)^[4] for Athena Polias and the other gods for whom it was traditional, on behalf of the Council and the People and children and women and the friends and allies, and that the sacrifices turned out fine and salutary in every respect, for good fortune, the Council shall decide, (to accept) the sacrifices that took place in the sanctuaries for the health and preservation (10) of the Council and children and women and the friends and allies; and to praise the superintendent Hedylos son of Straton of Lamptrai and the ephebes, and to crown each of them with a foliage crown for their piety towards the gods and for their zeal and love of toil throughout the whole year in every respect, in order that, these things being brought to pass, the Council may be seen to honour [them] [worthily] of the honour they deserve. Uninscribed space

Decree 2 (Honours for superintendent of ephebes) (15) Since the ephebes in the archonship of Apollodoros (80/79), having made an approach to the Council, make clear that the superintendent Hedylos son of Straton of Lamptrai has been generous (eugenē) and honour-loving (philotimon) towards them and he has paid attention to . . . , guiding them to the finest pursuits and making them attend the schools of the rhetoricians and grammarians and the lectures which took place, and he has managed their physical exercise and drill, and further their (20) strenuous weapons practice, and he has organised the parades according to the laws, and in the contests of the benefactors (euergetōn) has offered sacrifices at the appropriate times, and he has arranged for them to compete in the torch-races that took place, contending with each other honorably and in a manly way, and in the garrisons and concerning the walls and the Piraeus he has provided unstinting service (leitourgian) for the fatherland both by himself and through the tutors, showing surpassing capacity for zeal and love of honour towards the ephebes and the (25) city, and he has taken care that all were equipped with arms; and he has also provided expenses from his own resources for the sake of their (i.e. the ephebes) honour, sacrificing in the gymnasia (gymnasiois) in which it was appropriate, and giving sufficient [money] and making gifts, so that, from the first age of youth, being accustomed to good order and care for their body and obtaining the resulting honour, they would conduct themselves according to the best habits; and he has been attentive that they had no living expenses, (30) guiding those most prominent and most inclined to the finest honour-loving behaviour to undertake gymnasiarchies (gymnasiarchias), relieving the others in right measure of these expenses; and he has provided for the sacrifices which the customs of the city and the laws prescribed, and he has offered the entry-sacrifices (eisitētēria)^[4] from his own resources in [the city hall to Hestia] . . . , and he has behaved through the whole year fairly and justly both collectively towards all ephebes and individually towards each one of them, displaying his ancestral (35) benevolence (eunoian); for which they too, wishing to render him thanks, both crowned him in the Council with a golden crown and request the Council to permit them to make a dedication of a painted image on a shield (graptēs eikо̄nos en hoplо̄i) in the sanctuary at Eleusis and to inscribe on it: “Those who were ephebes in the year of the archonship of Apollodoros (80/79) (dedicated this image of) their superintendent Hedylos son of Straton of Lamptrai, for his excellence, to Demeter and Kore”; and likewise (to dedicate) another one in the city (of Athens) where it may seem appropriate; and to allow them to (40) dedicate a bronze statue (chalkēs eikоnos) of him in the agora, except where the laws forbid it; for good fortune, the Council shall decide, to permit the ephebes to crown their superintendent Hedylos son of Straton of Lamptrai with a crown [and (to honour him) with images] for his good will and love of honour towards them, and [to make] the dedication of the images in the places they request, and, besides that, to erect a stele bearing their names and the decrees concerning these matters, in order that, these things being brought to pass, the Council may be seen to be honouring good (45) men.^[5] Uninscribed space

Decree 3 (Honours for ephebes) Since the ephebes in the archonship of Apollodoros (80/79) have behaved well and with decency during the whole year of their ephebate (ephēbeia), being obedient to the superintendent and the tutors and attending the schools of the philosophers and at the gymnasium behaving appropriately; and they have also managed their physical exercise (50) and drill, and also their strenuous weapons training throughout the whole year, lacking nothing in their zeal and love of honour; and they have provided the guard for the city and the Piraeus according to the orders of the superintendent and the generals; and they further made the expeditions into the country to the best of their ability with common purpose (homonoias); and they executed the instructions (egdochas) of their officers (hēgoumenōn) with all zeal; and, maintaining piety towards the gods, (55) they participated (sunepempsan) in all the city’s processions and they performed the public services (leitourgias); and they sacrificed the at Proeresia and the Mysteria and the Peiraia and the Dionysia, supplying the victims in the finest possible manner; and they also sacrificed at the Diogeneia within the precinct (scil. of the Diogeneion) and they completed the other sacrifices which were appropriate and obtained favourable omens in all of them; and they sacrificed the Sylleia^[6] and obtained good omens, and likewise performed the exit sacrifices (exitētēria)^[4] on the acropolis for Athena Polias and Kourotrophos and Pandrosos and obtained favourable omens; in order, therefore, that (60) the Council may be seen to be approving the excellence of the ephebes and their love of honour in respect of good deeds, for good fortune, the Council shall decide, to praise the ephebes of the archonship of Apollodoros (80/79), and to crown them with a golden crown for the good discipline they have maintained and their zeal for the finest pursuits, and to announce the crown at the competition for new tragedies of the Great Dionysia and at the Panathenaia and at the Eleusinia in the gymnastic competitions; and the general (65) and the herald of the Council of the Areopagos shall take care of the proclamation of the crown; and it shall be permitted for them to make the dedication of the painting (pinakos) in the place that may seem most suitable; and to inscribe this decree together with the others on the same stele, in order that, these things being brought to pass, the Council may be seen to honour those who devote themselves from the first age of youth to the finest pursuits, and that others may also become zealous for the same.^[7] Uninscribed Space

(70) Those who were ephebes in the archonship of Apollodoros (80/79)

col. 1

In crown The Council (crowns) the superintendent.

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In crown The People (crown) (75) the superintendent.

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In crown The Council (crowns) the ephebes.

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In crown (80) The ephebes (crown) the superintendent.

Roster of ephebes

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Of Erechtheis^I Diodoros son of Diodoros of Kephisia (85) Poplios son of Poplios of Kephisia^[8] Dekimos son of Poplios of Kephisia^[8] Aristeus son of Nikomedes of Pambotadai Kallistratos son of Noumenios of Lamptrai Titos son of Titos of Kephisia (90) Isidoros son of Theodoros of Anagyrous Smikythos son of Demetrios of Kephisia Philinos son of Philinos of Euonymon

Of Aigeis^II - son of Pharnakes of Gargettos (95) -ston son of Pharnakes of Gargettos Konon son of Menodoros of Kollytos^[8] Sokleides son of Menodoros of Kollytos^[8] Menophilos son of Menodotos of Erchia Themistokles son of Arnaios of Philiadai (100) [M]en- (or [Z]en)odoros ? son of Zenon of [Erchia ?] Philonides . . .

[Of Pandionis^III] Sosi- . . . Apollon- . . . (105) Theophilos . . . . . . . . . . . . Philipp- . . . (110) Deme- . . . L- (?) . . . M- . . . . . .

Remainder of this column, including entries for Leontis^IV and Ptolemais^V, not preserved

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Of Akamantis^VI (115) Herakleodoros son of Seleukos of Sphettos Dionysios son of Herodes of Sphettos Demoteles son of Demetrios of Kerameis Dionysios son of Eutychos of Kikynna Sostratos son of Telestes of Sphettos (120) Theaitetos son of Theainetos of Sphettos Kleon son of Dioskourides of Poros Nausistratos son of Archonides of Kerameis Philemon son of Kephisodoros of Eitea

Of Oineis^VII (125) Aristaichmos son of Philotades of Phyle

Of Kekropis^VIII Diopeithes son of Philanthos of Halai Epigenes son of Dios of Melite Xenon son of Dios of Melite (130) Xenokrates son of Philophan- . . . . . . son of -ides of Melite . . . of Melite . . . of Aixone . . . (135) . . . . . . . . . . . . of Melite . . . of Melite (140) Ariobarzanes and Ariarathes sons of king Ariobarzanes of Sypalettos the Philoromans (philorōmaioi)^[9] Uninscribed space . . . . . . (145) . . . . . . of Sypalettos

col. 3

[Of Hippothontis^IX] . . . . . . (150) . . . . . . . . . . . . G- . . . (155) P- . . . Leon son of Leon of Eleusis Alexandros son of Diodotos of Piraeus Leukios son of Leukios of Azenia^[8] Kointos son of Leukios of Azenia^[8] (160) Alexandros son of The- of Azenia Sophokles son of Xen- of Elaious Demetrios . . . . . . . . . (165) Of Aiantis^X . . . of Marathon . . . of Marathon . . . of Trikorynthos -os son of Paramonos of [Trikorynthos ?] (170) -s son of Theodotos of Marathon - son of Demetrios of Marathon - son of Dionysios of Marathon Moiragenes son of Moiragenes of - Nikon son of Me- of - (175) Anthesterios . . . . . . . . . Uninscribed space Alexion son of Alexion of Marathon Nikon son of Menekrates of Phaleron (180) Theodotos son of Theodotos of Marathon Iason son of Iason of Rhamnous Anthesterios son of Biottos of Phaleron . . . of Trikorynthos -doros son of Diodoros of Marathon (185) Demetrios son of Demetrios of Trikorynthos

Of Antiochis^[XI] Dionysios son of Sarapion of Anaphlystos Ammonios son of Demetrios of Anaphlystos Ariston son of Alexandros of Pallene (190) Herakleitos son of Herakleitos . . . Athenodoros .. -doros . . . . . .

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10 lines missing . . . of Thorai . . . son of Dionysios of Pallene (195) -s son of Protogenes of Pallene -s son of Archelaos of Semachidai

Of Attalis^XII Nikias son of Philoxenos of Sounion Lysimachos son of Lysimachos of Sounion (200) Pantakles son of Euthydemos of Athmonon Euphanes son of Isidoros of Sounion Leukios son of A- of -

Fragment from roster of foreign ephebes . . . of Korone . . . son of -on of Alexandria (205) . . . of Herakleia . . . of Eretria . . . ^[10]

Next - Wilhelm, Attische Urkunden VI, 185 no. 9; 259-61 no. 35.10 (ll. 10, 38-39, 41)
Greek text

References:

AIO 1798 (Translated text) (AIO)

IG II² 1006 IV 121-25 (PHI)

IG II² 1039 (PHI)

SEG 69.82

SEG 22.110 (PHI)

SEG 38.117 (ll. 146, 178–182) (PHI)

Wilhelm, Attische Urkunden VI, no. 35, 10, pp. 260-61 (l. 14)

AIO Papers 11, 1-12 (AIO Paper)

AIO Papers 11B no. 1, Figs. 1-4 (AIO Paper)

Henderson, Springtime, T9.2

Translation by: Stephen Lambert, Julian Schneider

Monument type: Stele

Inscription type: Decrees (Council)

Findspot: Church of Panagia Pyrgiotissa (south end of the Stoa of Attalos) (EM 10341)
Findspot: Church of Panagia Pyrgiotissa (south end of the Stoa of Attalos) (EM 4193)
Findspot: Church of Panagia Pyrgiotissa (south end of the Stoa of Attalos) (EM 4208)
Findspot: Church of Panagia Pyrgiotissa (south end of the Stoa of Attalos) (EM 5259)
Findspot: Church of Panagia Pyrgiotissa (south end of the Stoa of Attalos) (EM 7638)
Findspot: Church of Panagia Pyrgiotissa (south end of the Stoa of Attalos) (EM 7368)
Findspot: Church of Panagia Pyrgiotissa (south end of the Stoa of Attalos) (EM 7639)
Findspot: Church of Panagia Pyrgiotissa (south end of the Stoa of Attalos) (EM 7640)
Findspot: Church of Panagia Pyrgiotissa (south end of the Stoa of Attalos) (EM 7641)
Findspot: Church of Panagia Pyrgiotissa (south end of the Stoa of Attalos) (EM 7643)
Findspot: Church of Panagia Pyrgiotissa (south end of the Stoa of Attalos) (EM 8032)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] Important revisions to the IG text of these decrees were made by M. Mitsos, Arch. Eph. 1964, 36-49 (SEG 22.110) and S. Follet, Cahiers du Centre d’ Études Chypriotes 9, 1988, 24-25 (SEG 38.117). On these and the other textual changes we have made, and on the date of the decrees, see AIO Papers 11. For photographic documentation see AIO Papers 11B. [2] Mitsos, 42-43, following Raubitschek, suggested that this transfer of the Council meeting from the (Panathenaic) stadium to the Theseion was necessitated by the festival of Artemis Agrotera taking place at Agrai close to the Panathenaic stadium on the same day (6 Boedromion, l. 3, cf. Parker, Polytheism, 461-62). There is a similar provision at IG II² 1043, ll. 4–5, where a meeting on 4 Boedromion was transferred from the Panathenaic stadium to the theatre of Dionysos. On this phenomenon of shifting meetings see now also G. Tozzi, Assemblee politiche e spazio teatrale ad Atene (2016) (= SEG 67.17). [3] This is the earliest and best preserved of a group of five inscriptions honouring the ephebes, their superintendent and the other ephebic staff, dating between Sulla and the Augustan period. For the others see IG II² 1041, IG II² 1042, IG II² 1043, and IG II² 1040+1025, with notes. (On earlier inscriptions honouring ephebes see RO 89 with notes). For analysis see E. Perrin-Saminadayar, in S. Follet ed., L’Hellénisme d’ époque Romaine: noveaux documents, nouvelles approches (2004), 87-103; C. Pélékidis, Histoire de l’éphebie attique (1962). All the inscriptions follow the same basic scheme, though there are differences in detailed wording. Decree 1 honours the ephebes and their superintendent for performance of sacrifices, decree 2 honours the superintendent, decree 3 honours the ephebes and their trainers. The inscription ends with citations in inscribed crowns followed by a roster of the ephebes, arranged according to the twelve tribes, and probably including a separate list of foreigners (see n. 10 below). The decrees were passed by the Council alone, though the Assembly is associated with the honours for the superintendent in the crown at ll. 73-75. There are no extant inscribed decrees of the Assembly between the Sullan sack and the 40s BC (cf. Habicht, Athens, 316) and some have suspected that this, and the prominent role of the Council here, are a consequence of more oligarchic constitutional arrangements introduced by Sulla (for debate on this issue see Habicht, 317-19). The decrees on IG II² 1043, passed under Marcus Antonius, are similarly formulated as Council decrees, and, also as in that inscription, in this one the herald of the Areopagos was responsible for the proclamation of the crown (l. 65). In the other ephebic inscriptions from this period the treasurer of the stratiotic fund has this responsibility (cf. Habicht, 319). However, the decrees of IG II² 1041 are formulated as probouleumatic decrees of the Assembly, while IG II² 1042 and IG II² 1040+1025 have mixed formulations (on decrees of the Council and People in this period see I Rhamnous 423 with notes). None of these decrees gives an indication in its text of its original location, but the findspots of most of the fragments and clauses in the decrees providing for honorific statues (e.g. l. 40, IG II² 1043, ll. 68-9, IG II² 1040+1025, l. 13 ?) make the Agora the most likely place of erection of the decrees (cf. Pélékidis, 208; IG II² 1041 ll. 5-6, 33 specifies erection of the stele next to the statue of the superintendent). Erection of these monuments in the Agora also follows the example of the ephebic decrees of the immediately preceding period (IG II² 1006, ll. 48, 97; 1008, l. 73; 1009, ll. 25, 55; 1011, ll. 30, 51-52; 1028, ll. 56-57, 104; 1029, l. 37) and the location was established already with the earliest examples of the genre: IG II³ 1, 917, l. 33. [4] At this period ephebic training lasted one year, marked off by two rituals, the entry-sacrifices for Hestia in the city-hall (prytaneion) (eisitētēria l. 32, see Pélékidis, 217–9), which, if Pélékidis' analysis is correct, took place at the beginning of the ephebic year, in the third month of the Athenian year, the autumn month Boedromion, (IG II² 1042, l. 5, cf. IG II² 1043, l. 8), and the exit-sacrifices (exitētēria ll. 6 and 58, see Pélékidis, 256) in late Metageitnion (the month before Boedromion), performed by the ephebes on the Acropolis for Athena Polias, Kourotrophos and Pandrosos. Note that the decrees honouring the ephebes are usually passed in early or mid-Boedromion (cf. n. 2 above, and note also IG II² 1006, 1008, 1011), which on this timetable was shortly after the end of the ephebic year in Metageitnion. [5] The second decree in honour of the superintendent (kosmētēs), Hedylos son of Straton of Lamptrai (who had been an ephebe himself in 117/6 BC, IG II² 1009, 71), shows the various aspects of ephebic training that he supervised. His office is considered a public “liturgy” (leitourgia) and he was financially responsible for equipment (i.e. arms for training), sometimes also providing oil for the gymnasium, prizes for contests and funds for honouring the ephebes (see Pélékidis, 104–106). He also encourages “leading” ephebes (i.e. presumably the wealthiest) to meet the costs of gymnasiarchies. This stands in a long tradition designed to introduce the wealthiest members of Athenian society to their obligations to the community, cf. IG II³ 4, 331, with n. 3. Compare IG II² 1043, in which the (obviously very wealthy) ephebe, Sosis son of Sosis of Oe, was gymnasiarch and provided extraordinary funds for his fellow ephebes (l. 65 with n. 1). After completing his year of service the superintendent receives multiple honours (for similar, see IG II² 1043 ll. 33–39, IG II² 1040-1025 ll. 10–17). On the painted image, a common honour in the 1st century BC, see SEG 28.95 with notes. [6] The Sylleia were Games in honour of Sulla, which were probably inaugurated on his visit to Athens in 84/3 BC, and are unlikely to have long survived his death in 78 BC. IG II³ 4, 375 is a dedication commemorating an ephebic victory in the torch race. It has been suggested that they were not new Games, but a rebranding of the Theseia. See A. E. Raubitschek, Studies in Roman Economic and Social History in Honour of Allan Chester Johnson (1951) 49–57; M. C. Hoff, in The Romanization of Athens (1997), 42 with n. 76; A. Eckert, Lucius Cornelius Sulla in der antiken Erinnerung (2016), 94–95. [7] Decree 3 honours the ephebes, summarising the key elements of their training at this period: military drill and exercises, like guarding the city walls, the Piraeus, expeditions into the Attic countryside (ll. 22-23, 51-53) and public military parades (l. 20) at the end of the ephebate (see Pélékidis, 268–273; in the post-Sullan decrees some reduction of the military training staff took place in comparison with earlier periods, see IG II² 1043 n. 6; Perrin-Saminadayar 2004, 99-100). Since the late second cent. BC, academic education had been added to the programme (first attested in 123/2 BC in IG II² 1006, 19–20; see M. Haake, Der Philosoph in der Stadt (2007), 44-55). Also included were athletic competitions such as torch-races or cavalry exercises (e.g. IG II² 1040-1025, 28). An essential part of the ephebic training focused on integration into the civic body via participation in processions and ritual festivities of the city where the ephebes performed or assisted at several sacrifices (see Pélékidis, 217-56): the Proeresia (Parker, Polytheism, 479), Mysteria (cf. IG II² 1040-1025 l. 7, Parker, 196 and 476), the Peiraia (at Piraeus for Dionysos, see Parker, 318 and 468), the Dionysia (i.e. the Great or City Dionysia, Parker, 316–26) and the Diogeneia (at the Diogeneion, which functioned as the headquarters for the ephebes; see IG II³ 1, 1160 n. 4). [8] Several pairs of brothers are attested in the roster (ll. 85-86, 96-97, 158-59), suggesting that at this period the ephebate was not strictly linked to a particular age (in the Classical period ephebes had served between the ages of 18 and 20, cf. RO 89). In the Hellenistic period, traditions of ephebic service were often strong in particular families, cf. Perrin-Saminadayar 2004, 95-97. [9] Among the ephebes of the tribe Kekropis (ll. 140-42) are listed two Cappadocian princes, designated “Friends of Rome”, Philoromaioi, a title traditionally borne by members of their dynasty. They were probably sons of King Ariobarzanes I Philoromaios, Ariobarzanes II Philopator (the later King of Cappadocia from 63–52 BC) and Ariarathes, his younger brother. For debate on this point see the discussion of the date of this inscription at AIO Papers 11. [10] On the ascription of this fragment to this decree see AIO Papers 11. It consists of ethnics of foreigners who, if the attribution is correct, were also admitted to the ephebate, similar in effect to the Cappadocian princes (n. 9 above), although, unlike them, they did not enjoy the Athenian citizenship. Foreigners were allowed access to the ephebate from at the latest 123/2 BC (Pélékidis, 190), a development that can be linked to the introduction of an academic element into the programme at the same time. The ethnics show that they came from a wide variety of cities in the Mediterranean. See E. Perrin-Saminadayar, Éducation, Culture et Société à Athènes (2007), 461–65, and cf. IG II² 1043 n. 7.

Added: 1 Jul 2019
Updated: 14 Apr 2025
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ID: AIO_1798