The decrees of Greek cities were usually issued in the name of the citizen body - "the people" or "the council and people". This decree, passed after the repair of a tumbledown temple on the small island of Syme, is an exception; it was issued by the the community {koinon} of the residents of Syme. This anomaly is discussed Christy Constantakopoulou, in "Beyond the Polis: Island Koina and Other non-Polis Entities in the Aegean" ( 2012 - academia.edu ), who suggests that the community was an assembly of all residents, both citizens and non-citizens. At the time of this decree, Syme was a dependency of Rhodes, and some residents probably came from the island of Rhodes.
[A] During the priesthood of Sosikles and while Ktesias was damiourgos, during the full month of the month Panaimos, it was decided by the community, as proposed by the hierothytai: since Aristophanes of Polita, the son of Aristophanes, continues to be a good man with regard to the community of the residents in Syme, and displayed every effort and zeal and was always responsible for every good thing for the community, and when the temple of Athena on the edge suffered damage and was on the point of falling in because of the two walls collapsing outwards, the one which on the east side and the other on the south side, and when there came a pledge for the repair of it both by the members of the community and by individuals, and when the collection of money for the expenses took a long time, he was implored in the assembly by the members of the township {ktoina} to contribute personally for the works, and he pledged and contributed, and promised in addition to also provide the necessary wood for the roof and to roof with tiles at his expense. And he contributed both to bring the foreign residents of Polita and to show that the works have been completed well. And so that the community appears both grateful and giving honour to good men, with good fortune it is resolved by the community, once this decree is validated, to honour and crown Aristophanes of Polita, the son of Aristophanes, with a [golden] crown, on account of his virtue and his [honourable conduct] which he continues [to show] towards the community [of the residents in Syme and his piety] towards the gods . . .
[B] . . . and with regards to the request for the crown, to elect straightaway a man; and the man elected shall sail across to Rhodes to the council [and the people; and the] agonothete who is in office during the first Herakleia shall announce the ratification of this decree in the stadium, when he establishes the contest, and he shall proclaim that the community of the residents in Syme honours and crowns Aristophanes of Polita, the son of Aristophanes, on account of his virtue and his honourable conduct which he continues to show towards the community of the residents of Syme, and on account of his piety towards the gods.
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