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Royal Correspondence: 70


LETTER OF ANTIOCHOS TO EUPHEMOS CONCERNING GRANTS TO ZEUS OF BAITOKAIKE

Greek text:   IGLS_7.4028
Date:     late 2nd century B.C.
Tags:     inviolability ,   land_ownership
Format:   see key to translations

This letter was inscribed as part of a dossier of documents about the temple at Baitokaikē in Syria. Although there is nothing in the text to prove the date, it was probably written late in the Hellenistic period. For a discussion of the letter, see B.Dignas, "Economy of the Sacred in Hellenistic and Roman Asia Minor", pp.74-84 ( Google Books ).


King Antiochos to Euphemos, greetings. The enclosed memorandum has been issued. See then that its provisions are carried out as far as concerns you.

Report having been brought to me of the 'power' of the god Zeus of Baitokaike, it has been decided to grant him for all time the place whence the 'power' of the god issues, the village of Baitokaike, - formerly the property of Demetrios the son of Demetrios and grandson of Mnaseas, . . . of the Apamean satrapy - with all its property and possessions according to the existing surveys and with the harvest of the present year, so that the revenue from this may be spent by the priest chosen by the god in the customary manner for the monthly sacrifices and the other things which increase the dignity of the temple, and also that there may be held each month on the fifteenth and thirtieth days fairs free from taxation; it has been decided further that the temple should be inviolable and the village exempt from billeting, as no objection has been raised; that anyone who should violate any of the above provisions should be held guilty of impiety; and that copies of this memorandum should be inscribed on a stone stele and placed in the same temple.

It will be necessary then to write to the usual officials so that these provisions may be carried out.

letter 71


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