This inscription describes 47 separate sales of property, and it provides some of the most detailed information about transfer of property ownership in the Hellenistic world, outside of Egypt. Six of the sales are translated here. All the sales have been translated into French by J.Game, "Actes de vente dans le monde grec", pp.110-143 ( Persée ). There is a discussion of the inscription in English by M. Faraguna, "Loans in an Island Society: the Astynomoi-inscription from Tenos" ( academia.edu ).
More than half of the sales involve women in some capacity, and therefore the inscription also provides valuable evidence for the role of women in the local economy; see V.S. Cuchet, in "The Role of Women in Work and Society in the Ancient Near East", pp.552-555 ( Google Books ).
[In accordance with the following details, transactions] of lands and houses and grants of dowries took place when Ameinolas was archon, in front of the astynomoi Sosim.. . . . and ...son Thestiades, son of Aristonax:
[1] [In the month] of Artemision : Krinylion daughter of . . . Thestiades, with her guardian Sombrotos Donakeus, son of Strymonides, has bought from . . . , resident of the city, the house and lands in Donakea, whose neighbours are . . ., and the buildings whose neighbours are . . ., for the price of 2,500 drachmas. Guarantors: . . .
[2] On the last day of the month of (?) Taureon: Kallistarete . . . daughter of Kalliphoros, whose guardian is Androgenes Eschatiotes, son of Myrtosis, has bought from Teisimachos (?) Eschatiotes, son of . . ., whose guardian is Androgenes Eschatiotes, son of Myrtosis, the house located in the city in the seventh district, whose neighbours are . . ., which Teisimachos . . . had mortgaged, [upon receiving] two thousand three hundred and twenty drachmas from [? his mother] Euteleia, to . . . [Androgenes] Eschatiotes, son of Myrtosis, and Kallistarete his [wife] . . .
[8] . . . On the 15th day of Apellaion : Axionike Thryesis, daughter of Pythokrites, whose guardian is Peisikrates Thryesios, son of Isandros, has bought from . . ., whose guardian is Alkisthenes Thryesios, son of Aglogenes, the house and the lands located at (?) Sichnis, for one thousand six hundred and seventy eight silver drachmas and three obols; the neighbours of the property are Kresilas Eschatiotes, son of Hegiades, Kleonikos Herakleides, son of Kalliphon, and the property which Amphiko, with her guardian Dēimachos, bought from Axionike, with her guardian Peisikrates.
[9] Antichares Thryesios, son of Euporion, has bought from Pasiphon Donakeaus, son of Peirios, the house and lands located at Elaious, with the appurtenances of the said lands, and the water, whose neighbours . . . are bounded by the road leading from Kōmē to the watch-tower and below, the whole being the same property bought by Pasiphon from (?) Simias son of Anaxikles; consenting are Anthippe Thryesis, daughter of Antipatros, and . . . daughter of . . . Gyraieus, and their guardians Antichares Thryesios, son of Euporion, and Kleophanes Thestieus, son of Kleotheos, for five thousand silver drachmas . . .
[21] . . . On the 8th day of the month of Anthesterion, and in the month of Artemision: Telesikles Herakleides, son of Eukles, has bought from Ortheus resident of the city, son of Orthiades, the houses and a fourth part of the watch-tower and all the lands located at Iakinthos, which Ortheus bought from Polykrates son of Epikrates, whose neighbours are Pleistarchos and Artymachos, for two thousand four hundred silver drachmas.
[22] Artymachos Herakleides, son of Aristarchos, has bought from Telesikles Herakleides, son of Eukles, the house and all the lands located at [? Iakinthos], being the share of property inherited by Telesikles from his father and the further property bought by him from his brother Kalliteles, to which the neighbours are Pleistarchos and Artymachos, together with all the appurtenances belonging to Telesicles and Kalliteles, the water-channels existing in the said lands, and a fourth part of the watch-tower, the cistern in the tower and the tiled roof belonging to Telesicles, as well as the house and the orchard bought by Telesicles from Euthygenes, also the pottery in the houses and the millstone and the mortar, for three thousand seven hundred silver drachmas.
Guarantors of the sale : Aratides Thestiades, son of Tychon ; Artymachos Herakleides, son of Eukles ; ... of Iakynthos, son of Timephenes ; Euthygenes and Aristarchos Herakleidai, sons of ...es ; all bound jointly and each bound individually.
. . .
Attalus' home page | 15.06.20 | Any comments?