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OGIS: 4


NASOS HONOURS THERSIPPOS

Greek text:   IMT_732
Date:   317 B.C.
Tags:     friends_of_kings
Format:   see key to translations

For a discussion of this inscription, "one of the most eloquent testimonies of the importance which their citizens’ contacts with the royal courts had for Hellenistic cities", see P.Paschidis, "Between city and king", pp.408-413 ( PDF ).   The translation is copied from A.Ellis-Evans, "Decree of the Nasiotai in Honour of Thersippos" ( no longer available online ).


[A] . . . and Alexandros . . . land for the city and . . . [and when] Alexandros departed from life [among] men, and Philippos [son of Philippos and] Alexandros son of Alexandros succeeded to [the kingship], Thersippos, being a friend of the kings and the generals and the other Macedonians, was responsible for [many] benefits to the city of Nasos. For when [Antipatros] ordered us to contribute money towards the war, when all the other cities [paid up],Thersippos went on an embassy to the kings and Antipatros, and relieved the burden on the city. He also had dealings with Kleitos concerning the expedition to Cyprus, and reduced our own expenses from large to minimal. He also [proved himself to be an excellent] man during the famine, and secured imports [of grain] from the satraps {(?) of Caria and Lydia}. He also gave to the city [money] for its salvation and asked for less interest than was customary, and helped the citizens with cash for the [public provision of grain]. And when Polyperchon [crossed over] to Asia, Thersippos brought it about that he should be well-disposed towards the city. He also ensured that Arrhabaios [and] the others appointed over affairs by the kings should be friends to the city, and otherwise acted in all matters with good will towards the people: therefore let him be given tax-free status in perpetuity, both him and his descendants, and let a bronze statue of him be set up, and let him be given free meals in the prytaneion, and whenever the city offers sacrifices, let a portion be given to Thersippos and whoever is the oldest of his descendants on any given occasion. Let him also be invited to a front seat. Let the chorostatas { choregos } presiding at the context crown him, and acclaim him for his excellence and goodwill towards the city, in order that everyone may know that the citizens of Nasos honour good men and benefactors; and that when he returned home safely, the people wore garlands for three days and made sacrifices for the good news and for his salvation and held a festival at public expense, and now honours him justly. Let the treasurers in office in succession to Herakleitos write up this decree on a stone stele made of Thermaic marble, and set it up wherever Thersippos wants, except in Pornopia. Let it be permitted to Thersippos to set up this decree in any sanctuary he wishes, and let him add to the decree any further benefactions of his towards the city he might wish.

[B] . . . the exetastai should take care of it. Let them provide [for him] sacrificial animals and [wine] and [what else] is required for sacrifice in order that [. . .] and in the council.   Regarding what Kreon son of P[leist]archos [proposed], the people [decided] the following: . . . in full session of the assembly: let all the privileges which have been given to Thersippos and his descendants continue for all time just as the people granted them and [not] contrary to this, nor let an archon set it as a subject for debate, not a speaker propose a motion (regarding it), nor an epimenios introduce a proposal (regarding it). But if someone (does something contrary to this), whether it be a speaker proposing a motion, or an archon introduces . . . or an monthly officer introduces a proposal, let it be invalid and let each man owe 300 staters to the temple of Asklepios and let him be accursed and stripped of privileges {atimos} and his descendants for all time and let him be subject to the law about one who overthrows the people. The exetastai are to record this decree on steles for the benefactors, and the expense . . .

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