AIO 2112 Catalogue of ephebes, 13/12 BC

Catalogue of ephebes, 13/12 BC

AIO 2112 Date: 13/12 BC

Those who were ephebes (ephēbeusantes) in the year when Zenon was archon (13/12 BC) and their superintendent (kosmetēs) Menekleides son of Theophemos of Kydathenaion:^[1]

(5) Erechtheis^I Philippos son of Dionysios of Kephisia -okles son of Kleon of Kephisia Posidippos son of Posidonios of Lamptrai Apollonios son of Zoilos of Lamptrai (10) Menekrates (son of Menekrates) of Kephisia . . . of Lamptrai . . . of Kephisia . . . . . . of Agryle (15) . . . (son of . . . ) of Anagyrous Apollonios son of Poplios of Euonymon Rouphos (son of Rouphos) of Kephisia Diophantos son of Demetrios of Kephisia Aigeis^II (20) -sikrates (son of -sikrates) of Phegaia Aristeides (son of Aristeides) of Gargettos Alexidemos son of Aristeides of Gargettos^[2] -ion son of Dionysios of Philaidai -os son of -os of Bate (25) Ktesikles (son of Ktesikles) of Araphen Dionysios (son of Dionysios) of Philaidai Asklepiades (son of Asklepiades) of Erchia Kallias (son of Kallias) of Myrrhinoutta . . . son of Demokles of Philaidai (30) Dionysios son of Demetrios of Philaidai the fiery^[3] Epikouros son of Asklepiodoros of Gargettos Aristophanes son of Gaios of Diomeia -es son of -es of Gargettos Pandionis^III (35) -n (son of -n) of Kydathenaion -os son of Straton of Kydathenaion . . . son of Kleophon of Steiria . . . son of Kleophon of Steiria . . . of Steiria (40) . . . son of -genes of Steiria . . . son of Dekmos of Steiria . . . (son of . . . ) of Steiria . . . (son of . . . ) of Steiria, Dionysodoros (son of Dionysodoros) of Paiania Leontis^IV (45) Agathokles son of Alexandros of Leukonoion -dotos son of Gorgias of Eupyridai -odotos son of Eudoros of Oion -ostratos (son of -ostratos) of Kettos Demetrios son of Hieronymos of Potamos (50) [Philon] son of Aristoteles of Eupyridai -andros (son of -andros) of Halimous -os (son of -os) of Kolonai Ptolemais^V -os son of Akestodemos of Berenikidai (55) -es son of Philoxenos of ⟦[Melainai]⟧^[4] -on (son of -on) of Berenikidai -nos son of Theophilos of Phlya -on son of Dromotheos of Aphidna . . . (60) . . . son of Sophron? of Berenikidai Akamantis^VI . . . . . . of Sphettos . . . (65) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (70) . . . . . . . . . Apollonios . . . -os son of Ph- (75)Markos . . . . . . . . . of Thorikos . . . . . . . . . uninscribed space

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Greek text

References:

AIO 2112 (Translated text) (AIO)

IG II² 1963 (PHI)

Wilson, Ephebic Inscriptions E.076

Schmalz 53

Translation by: Chris de Lisle

Monument type: Stele

Inscription type: List of names (ephebic)

Original location: [Diogeneion]

Findspot: Athens, Church of St. Demetrios Katephores (EM 10039)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] This is a catalogue of the ephebes of 13/12 BC (the date is derived from IG II² 1713, a list of archons). In the period after the sack of Athens by Sulla (86 BC), ephebic decrees followed by a catalogue of the graduating ephebes were erected each year, continuing Hellenistic practice (see IG II² 1039, and RO 89 for earlier inscriptions honouring ephebes). This format is last attested in IG II² 1025+1040 (ca. 20 BC). In this inscription, there are no decrees, only a catalogue of the graduating ephebes, with the archon-year and the name of the ephebic superintendent (kosmetes). Ephebic catalogues never again include decrees (see AIUK 11 (Ashmolean), no. 10 for the new format of ephebic catalogues that was in use between the late first and mid-third centuries AD). For a period after 13/12 BC ephebic inscriptions of any kind are very rare, with no firmly dated examples at all until AIUK 11 (Ashmolean), no. 4 (36/7 AD) and no ephebic catalogues until IG II² 1990 (61/2 AD). It is unclear whether this decline in epigraphic output coincided with a decline in ephebic activity (see AIO Papers 12, sect. 1.1).
The catalogue as preserved listed ca. 70 ephebes from six of the twelve tribes (Thorikos in l. 77 belongs to Akamantis). The other six tribes presumably appeared on a lost portion of the stele or on a second stele. This suggests a total cohort of around 140 ephebes - a similar size to the cohorts of the second century BC, which range from ca. 70-150 citizen ephebes. Foreigners enrolled in the Late Hellenistic and Post-Sullan ephebate in large numbers; it is unclear if they were included in this inscription, since they would have appeared after all the citizen ephebes on the lost portion of the stele. When ephebic catalogues begin to be produced again in the late first century AD, there are no foreign ephebes, only a group called "Milesians” (see IG II² 1996). The layout of AIUK 14 (NMS), no. 1 may indicate the existence of non-citizen ephebes in the intervening period. Most of the individual ephebes in this catalogue are not identifiable with known individuals or families. However, Agathokles (l. 45) is son of Alexander, the last known treasurer of the stratiotic fund (Agora XV 290, ll. 104-14, ca. 20 BC, Schmalz, p. 231). Epikouros (l. 31) is member of a prominent family of the Julio-Claudian period (Schmalz, pp. 243-44, 284-85). The ephebes in ll. 46-47 and 50 also appear in two tribal catalogues (IG II² 2461-2462). Apollonios (l. 16) is son of a councillor in Agora XV 286.
The superintendent Menekleides is the last attested member of a family that was prominent in the second and first centuries BC, when it also produced two hierophants and an archon (see K. Clinton, Sacred Officials p. 28, Traill, PAA 9902). For the superintendent in the Roman period, see IG II² 3739 and AIO Papers 12, sect. 2.1. [2] There are at least two pairs of brothers in the cohort (ll. 21-22, 37-38, perhaps 35-35). Ephebic service was meant to start at age 18, so theoretically these would have to be twins. In fact, such “ephebic twins” are far more frequent than the rate of twin births, which is about 1 in 100 live births. There must have been flexibility with the age limit to allow brothers to serve together. This phenomenon is encountered at all stages in the history of the ephebate, but becomes much more common in the Imperial period (see AIO Papers 12 sect. 0.2). [3] This nickname seems to have been used to distinguish this ephebe from the other Dionysios of Philaidai at l. 26. It presumably refers to hair colour. [4] Melainai appears as a group, perhaps a village (kome) in Aphidna (which also belonged to Ptolemais, cf. 58), selling property in Rationes, Stele 2, F10B, col. 2, l. 17, in the late fourth century BC (Lambert, Rationes, p. 196; cf. Humphreys, Kinship, 1141). However, this is the first attestation of it as a deme. It also appears in IG II² 2119, l. 56 (191/2 AD?) and IG II² 6823 (Imperial period). It is unclear why it was erased here.

Textual Note AIO’s text follows IG, with adjustments in the following lines: 16 cf. Hesp. Suppl. 1 (1937) p. 174; Agora XV 286 notes (l. 4); 25 Byrne, Athenian Onomasticon; 28 de Lisle; 46 Schmalz, based on IG II² 2461, l. 110; 55 Traill, PAA 17 p. 375; 66-80 line numbering and letter traces follow Wilson.

Added: 14 Jan 2021
Updated: 29 Mar 2024
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ID: AIO_2112