Translations of Hellenistic Inscriptions: 64
THE AETOLIANS AND DELPHI HONOUR THE POET POSEIDIPPOS
There is a clear reference to Poseidippos, the writer of epigrams, in the first of these inscriptions (A, line 24). He was probably also honoured in inscription B; Poseidippos was a relatively rare name, and the dates are approximately the same. By the time of these inscriptions, Poseidippos was living in Egypt and writing poems for the Egyptian royal family; and so it is a mark of his international reputation that he was granted these honours by states in central Greece - see P.Bing, in "The New Posidippus", page 139 ( Google Books ).
It is less certain whether Asclepiades of Samos, another writer of epigrams, was honoured in inscription B. Asclepiades is a slightly more common Greek name, although it is certainly a striking coincidence that the name appears right next to Poseidippos in the inscription. There is a possible reference to this poet in another inscription of the same period: Syll_492, line 17.
Apart from Poseidippos, inscription A is of interest as a snapshot of the international relationships of the Aetolian League, at the time when it was just beginning to increase its power. As might be expected, most of the states that are mentioned are in central Greece; but there are some exceptions, most remarkably the appearance of a Roman, "Lucius Olcaius", in line 51.
[A] Greek text: IG_9.12.1.17
Provenance: Thermos , Aetolia
Date: the first Aetolian general who is mentioned in the inscription is Polykritos (general for the second time) in line 97. Another inscription refers to Polykritos as general for the second time - Syll_421 , recording an alliance between the Aetolians and the Acarnanians. This is dated to about 262 B.C. by J.B.Scholten, "The Politics of Plunder", page 61 n.8 ( Google Books ), but the date is still disputed, and may be earlier.
[ . . . the Aetolians granted . . .] to the following men, both for themselves and for their descendants:
- . . . of Athens, the son of Theophanes ; sponsor: . . . of the Dymanes
- Archemachos . . . the son of Euenor ,
- Athenaios of Eresos the son of Hagesias ; sponsor of both: Drakon of Polis
- Simmargos of Melitaia the son of Aglaïdas ; sponsor: Stratonikos of Hyposeiria
- Eudaimokles of Messene the son of Eudaimon ; sponsor: Nikandros of Trichonion
- Antiochos of Larisa the son of Protomachos ; sponsor: Antiochos of Eupalion
- 10 Theodoros . . . the son of Kleonymos ; sponsor: Gripalos of (?) Antaia
- Theokritos and Hagiadas of Megalopolis the sons of Kleodamos ; sponsor: Aleximenes of Pamphia
- Pythokles of Sikyon the son of Euphorion ; sponsor: Neoptolemos of Naupaktos
- Philopolis of Karystos the son of Telestos ; sponsor: Lamedon of Kalydon
- Perses of Amphipolis the son of Perses ; sponsor: Sosandros of Herakleia
- Herakleitos of Mitylene the son of Metrias ; sponsor: Sosandros of Herakleia
- Philippos of Macedonia the son of Admetos ; sponsor: Sosandros of Herakleia
- Agathon of Larisa in Thessaly the son of Agathokles ; sponsor: Skopas of Trichonion
- 20 Leontides . . . the son of Olympiodoros ; sponsor: Polydoros of Herakleia
- Poseidippos of Pella the composer of epigrams ; sponsor: Kleokrates of Herakleia
- P...richos of Macedonia the son of Korragos ,
- Nikarchos of Macedonia the son of Nikanor ; sponsors of both: Laarchos and Pleistainos of Phola
- Antiphilos of Echinos the son of Apollodoros ,
- Kephisophon and Philippos of Peparethos the sons of Theodektos ,
- 30 Kleogenes of Peparethos the son of Philomelos ,
- Kleinthoös of Peparethos the son of Archonides ; sponsor of them all: Kritolaos of the Dymanes
- Damokles of Eretria the son of Philinos ; sponsor: Lykopos of Kalydon
- Deinon of Rhodes the son of Phokion ; sponsor: Xenophanes of Amphissa
- Hagetor of Rhodes the son of Theopompos ; sponsor: Xenophanes of Amphissa
- L[az]euxis of Rhodes the son of Diogenes ; sponsor: Xenophanes of Amphissa
- Damonikos of Torthyneion the son of Eurydikos ; sponsor: Dorkinas of Naupaktos
- Antameneides of Chalkis the son of Diophantos ,
- Apollodotos of Chalkis the son of Paramonos ,
- 40 Zeuxippos of Kalchedon the son of Skythas ; sponsor of them all : Ptolemaios of Naupaktos the son of Lykophron
- Antarchos of Ambrakia the son of Theopompos ,
- . . . of (?) Chalkis ; sponsor: Dorkinas of Naupaktos . . .
- Hegemon . . . the son of Dorotheos ; sponsor: . . . of Naupaktos the son of Antochos
- . . . of Athens the son of ...yon
- * * *
- . . . of Sikyon . . . ; sponsor: Polemarchos . . .
- 50 * * *
- Lucius Olcaius of Rome the son of Lucius ; sponsor: Damoitas of Naupaktos
- Pyrros of Pellene the son of Phil... ,
- Damotas of S... the son of Nikanor ; sponsor of both: Trichas of the Eoitanes
- Aristarchos of L... in Achaea the son of Aristeidas ; sponsor: Petraios of Isos
- Nikon of Kalchedon the son of Neoptolemos ; sponsor: Archelaos of Arsinoē
- Archonides of Thasos the son of Pythonax ; sponsor: . . . of Kalydon
- Hermippos of Elaia the son of Timotheos ,
- 60 Skythes of Elaia the son of Athenaios ,
- Moschion of Kyzikos the son of Ar... ; sponsor of these: Sosandros of Herakleia
- Deineus of Messene the son of Satyros ; sponsor: Trichas of the Eoitanes
- Sosandros of Epirus son of Nikomachos ; sponsor: Lykopos of Kalydon
- Astynomos . . . the son of Lysias ; sponsor: Antiochos of Herakleia the son of Leon
- . . . of Eretria the son of Kterios ,
- Protarchos of Eretria the son of Amphios ; sponsor of these: Lykopos of Kalydon
- Pyrr... and . . . of Syracuse the sons of Eiramenes ; sponsor: Pole... . . .
- Alkimenes of Pella the son of Epikrates ,
- Amyntas of Pella the son of A... ; 70 sponsor of both: Trichas of the Eoitanes
- Agakles of Pella in Macedonia the son of Simmichos ; sponsor: Damoitas of Naupaktos
- Peithias of Chalkis the son of Onoma... ; sponsor: Lykos of Kalydon the son of Diokles
- Theodoros of Metapontion the son of Pasikles ,
- Leon of Metapontion the son of Antileon ; sponsor of these: Trichas of the Eoitanes
- Hierokles . . . the son of Dexicharis ,
- Eudamos . . . the son of Dexicharis ,
- Phaidimos . . . the son of Diopeithes ; sponsor of these : Trichas of the Eoitanes
- Apollo... of Lakedaimon the son of Leonteus ; sponsor: Trichas of the Eoitanes
- 80 Archonidas of Sikyon the son of Eukleidas ; sponsor: Astydos of (?) Arakynthos the son of Tauriskos
- Lysandros of Thasos the son of Dealkos ,
- Daiphron of Thasos the son of Alkidamos ; sponsor: Eurydamon of Trichonion
- Chairion of Corinth the son of Neon ; sponsor: Trichas of the Eoitanes
- Pantaleon of Sikyon the son of Silanion ,
- E... of Sikyon the son of Admatos ; sponsor of both: T...nios of Pleuron
- Pronax of Eleutherna in Crete the son of Pronax ; sponsor: Lykos of Kalydon the son of Diokles
- 90 Dromeas of Athens the son of Diokles ,
- Mikon of Athens . . . ; sponsor of both: ...thanias Chasilios the son of Physkion
- D[rak]on of Akragas the son of Charilaos ,
- Hiketas of Akragas the son of Tharrydamos ; sponsor of these: Alexon of Naupaktos
- Kallikrates of Ambrakia the son of Eudikos ; sponsor: Machatas of Naupaktos
When Polykritos was general for the second time:
- . . . of Pellene the son of Skamandros ; sponsor: Ch... . . . .
When Polykritos [was general . . . ]:
- 100 ...antos of Seleukeia (?) from M... the son of Menoitos , . . .
- * * *
- . . . of Orchomenos . . . ; sponsor: . . .
- . . . of Orchomenos . . . ; sponsor: . . .
- * * *
- 114 Hermolaos of Ephesos the son of Danaos ; sponsor: ...on of Kalydon the son of Epinikos
- ...erses of Demetrias in Magnesia the son of Menemachos ; sponsor[s]: Polemarchos of Naupaktos the son of Polemarchos and . . . of Naupaktos the son of Machon
- 120 . . . of [An]thedon the son of ...komos ; sponsor: ...doros of Opous
- * * *
When Polykritos of Ka[ll]ion was general for the . . . time, and . . . was hipparch, and . . . was secretary, the Aetolians granted citizenship 130 in accordance with the law to the following:
When Neoptolemos [was general]:
- . . . of Patrai . . . ,
- Theodoros of Patrai the son of Timanoridas ; sponsors: Polemarchos [and . . .] of Eupalion
When Neoptolemos was general, and . . . of [Trich]onion was hipparch, and . . . of Kalydon was secretary, the Aetolians granted citizenship in accordance with the law 140 to the following:
[B] Greek text: FD_3.4.192
Provenance: Delphi
Date: Aristion was archon of Delphi in about 266 B.C. (according to F.Lefevre, 1995); but some earlier scholars placed him in about 275 B.C. (G.Daux, 1943).
The Delphians granted:
- [to] Amphik... . . .
- to Asklepiades . . .
- to Protarchos . . .
- [to] Aristokles
- [to] Eude... . . .
- [to] Niko... . . .
- . . .
- to Euandros . . .
- to Artemidoros of Alabanda the son of Menyllos
- to Xenares
- to Seleukos . . .
- to Poseidippos . . .
- to Asklepiades . . .
- to Laertiades . . .
- to . . . of Athens
- . . .
- both for themselves and for their descendants - proxeny, priority in access to the oracle, priority in receiving justice, inviolability, freedom from all [taxes], and the the other privileges that are granted to other proxenoi; when Aristion was archon, and the members of the council were Damon, Andron and Menandros.
→ inscription 65
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