This inscription provides one of the most detailed accounts of the activities of foreign judges in a Greek state. It consists of four parts: A, a decree of Telos in honour of the arbitrators from Kos; B, the terms of the reconciliation; C, the decisions of the arbitrators; and D, the oath of the Telians. For some comments on this inscription and on other decrees about foreign judges, see A.Scafuro, "Decrees for foreign judges: judging conventions - or epigraphic habits?" ( academia.edu ).
A full discussion of the inscription, with another English translation, is now available: see M. Simonton, "The Telos Reconciliation Dossier (IG XII.4.132)" ( academia.edu ).
[A] [Resolved by the people, on the] proposal of the prytaneis: since [the people, wishing to be] reconciled with those [in dispute, voted] to refer to the Koans all [the matters about which they were in dispute with each] other, in order that they might in concord [run civic affairs under] democracy, and the people [of the Koans remembering] their goodwill voted [to send out for] the reconciliation virtuous [and good men], Orthagoras son of Mikon, Aristo... . . ., Charmippos son of Charmylos, 10 . . . son of Xenodikos, and the [arbitrators who had been sent] out reconciled [the people virtuously and justly,] it was resolved by the assembly: [to praise the people] of the Koans [and to crown them with a gold crown worth one thousand] drachmas, [and to praise the men for justly reconciling the Telian people] . . .
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[B] . . . [concerning those] in dispute with [the Telian people,] in order that they may in concord [run civic affairs] under democracy while free and autonomous, with good fortune, according 40 [to these terms they] reconciled the people and those of the Telians in dispute [towards] the people: with respect to the sacred and public cases which they lost in the lawcourts but which they argued [they had not justly] lost, the treasurers should contract out to them a service equal to the value of the [fines] they incurred, namely, to those who [lost] sacred cases concerning the sanctuary of Athena and to Kleisimbrotides who lost a sacred case concerning the sanctuary of Demeter and to Philtylios, the service of providing a bull, ram and sheep for the hecatomb to be sacrificed while Theagoras is monarch. Of those who lost public cases, as for Aristagoras [son of] Aristophilos, he has paid the money which he deposited 50 when indicted, which turned out to be lacking when the property was sold to pay for the penalty; Aristothemis son of Aristophilos should pay five thousand drachmas; Nikagoras son of Nikanax should pay [to the] city one thousand five hundred drachmas. They should pay in the month of Karneios while Theagoras is monarch. As for the outstanding sums from the penalties, let the treasurers contract out to Aristothemis and Nikagoras and Aristagoras the service of repairing and painting the altar of Asklepios. When those who lost sacred cases have fulfilled their duty with respect to the [hecatomb] and Aristothemis and Nikagoras and Aristagoras have fulfilled their duty with respect to the altar in accordance with what has been written, let them have been released from the cases 60 [and let the indictments] be overturned, and there may be no possibility of appeal [about the sacred] and public cases which were judged, neither for those [who lost to bring] any [case] against anyone nor for anyone else towards . . . [by any] means. The case of the road which having [appropriated for themselves . . . Aristomenes] and Aristagoras son of Anaxistratos . . . of the magistrate in dispute . . .
[C] . . . of the cases having come to an oath [and those in dispute] about the public case [having claimed to have been fined unjustly] and with the judges [having cast] a vote [about each] case, we decided that the money which . . . has . . . 70 [the chief priests {hierapoloi}] should give back to Aristomenes without interest. In relation to the penalties which they are written up [in] public as having incurred and which they [agreed that they incurred,] the treasurers and the chief priests [should] contract out to [Aristothemis and] Nikagoras and Aristagoras the repair [of the altar. When these tasks] have been completed in accordance with that has been written [they will have been released] from the fines and the publication in public [space and of] all the other things of which [the city accused them] . . . the exactions which have been made [to their detriment should be overturned.] The city, buying the plots of land [which were made public and which] 80 the public salesmen sold to private individuals . . . , should give back these plots of land to those who lost sacred cases . . . [either] to them or to their heirs, in the month [of] . . . while Theagoras is monarch], and to those who lost public cases, for whom [it was written in the settlement] that the treasurers should contract out the repair [of the altar of Asklepios], and, according to the same regulations, the city should give back [to the individuals who] exploited the land which was [made] public [the price which they] paid for the land.
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. . . the basileis the memorandum . . . to cancel the debt, from the 110 [city let] the buyer [take away] as much as he paid to the city. The debt which . . . [let the people] cancel the principal from any man who owed from the beginning and provides the property. The city should give back as much property as has been written. Let the treasurers and the chief priests in office at the time give the property. If they do not pay it back, let each of the treasurers and chief priests owe five thousand sacred drachmas to Zeus Polieus and to Athena Polias and to the individual concerned twice what they fail to pay back. Let the exaction be possible for the individual as after a judicial decision. Those who remove the charges and the prytaneis who propose the reconciliation and the public salesmen and the treasurers and the chief priests 120 and the others who organise some part of what has been written are not to be subject to prosecution. If anyone does anything contrary to what has been written or submits a magistrate to scrutiny or does not abide by the reconciliation or brings some other charge against the magistrates or against individuals related to matters covered by the reconciliation, let him pay ten thousand drachmas to Zeus Polieus and Athena Polias and let the charge brought in be invalid.
[D] In order that the Telians should continue for the rest of time living in concord, let all those over eighteen swear by the gods of oaths with freshly burnt sacrifices the following oath: "I will remain faithful to the established constitution and I will protect the democracy. I will not bear grudges 130 [about the things] which were [in] the judgement, nor will I do anything contrary to this reconciliation, nor will I bear arms against the people, nor will I conspire with anyone who has seized the stronghold, nor will I knowingly consort with any other conspirator or with any man aiming to dissolve the democracy. If I perceive anyone fomenting revolution or calling meetings aiming at the dissolution of the people I will report it to the magistrates. May many good things happen to me if I swear justly and the opposite if I perjure myself." Let those who are away from the city swear within sixty days of their return. If anyone does not swear, let him pay a thousand drachmas to Zeus Polieus and Athena Polias.
Resolved by the people on the proposal of the prytaneis: with good fortune, let the reconciliation be in force 140 in accordance with what the Koan arbitrators wrote. And hospitality should be given to the arbitrators. Let the treasurers give it.
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