Archons of Athens and Delphi, 300-151 B.C.

This table is intended to provide some justification for the dates assigned to Greek inscriptions on this website. Although hundreds of important inscriptions have survived from the third century B.C., putting them in chronological order can be tricky and controversial. Many of the inscriptions come from either Athens or Delphi, both of whom dated years by the name of their eponymous archon, and over the last 100 years scholars have put a lot of effort into reconstructing lists of these archons. During the third century, the Aetolians took increasing control of the government of Delphi, and therefore the annual generals (strategoi) of the Aetolian League have been included in the table. Unlike the archons, the Aetolian generals often held office more than once.

Note that some of the dates in the table are still conjectural: there are brief comments on the reliability of the dates in the Biblography. Archons whose names occur more than once are flagged with an asterisk.

Contents:

1. Table of Dates
2. Unplaced Archons
3. Bibliography
4. Index of Names:   Athens   -   Delphi   -   Aetolian League

1. Table of Dates

2. Unplaced Archons

These archons can be assigned to an approximate period, but not to an exact year.

Athens

201-198 :

Ankylos, Euandros, Philon

Delphi

315-280 :	Achaimenes * , Ainesilas , Aischriondas , Dexippos , Diodoros , Diokles , Dioscouridas , Euboulidas , Herakleidas * , Hierondas , Hieros , Hippotas , Ison , Kleoboulos , Kriton , Lyson * , Melision , Orestas , Ornichidas , Peisilas , Sarpadon , Sylochos , Theuteles , Timokrates , Timon , Xenochares * , Xenokles
290-280 :	Archidamos
240-230 :	Achaimenes * , Androtimos , Ariston , Damotimos , Iatadas , Kraton *
240-210 :	Alexarchos , Battos , Euagoras , Eudoros , Euthyon , Herakleidas * , Kalleidas , Kallieros , Lyson * , Onymokles , Patrondas , Phainis * , Phrikidas , Sotion , Xenon *
228-223 :	Nikarchos

3. Bibliography

Athens

The chronology of the Athenian archons in the third and second centuries B.C. was mostly established by B.D.Merritt. There remained a few periods (270-240 B.C., and the start and middle of the second century) where the order was uncertain. These have been clarified by more recent studies; but research is still continuing, and the archons for some years remain unknown.

K.Hallof, IG II³ 1.5, index 6B (2012) [ for 209-168 ]

M.J.Osborne, The Archons of Athens, 300/299-228/7 (ZPE, 2009)

M.J.Osborne, The Date of the Athenian Archon Thrasyphon (ZPE, 2008) [ for 228-210 ]

C.Habicht, The Eponymous Archons of Athens from 159/8 to 141/0 ( Hesperia, 1988 - online )

B.D.Meritt, Athenian Archons 347/6-48/7 (Historia, 1977) [ for 167-160 ]

  { There is also the following article, which continues Meritt's list from 60 B.C. onwards: }

S.Follet, Deux inscriptions attiques inédites copiées par l'abbé Michel Fourmont ( 2005 - Persée )

  { More recently, a list for the whole period has been published in this book: }

J.L.Shear, Serving Athena: The Festival of the Panathenaia and the Construction of Athenian Identities ( 2021 )

Delphi

It is extremely difficult to establish accurate dates for the archons of Delphi. Little is certain in the third century, outside the years 278-257, although some of the archons between 254 and 229 have been narrowed down to a choice of two years, a "high date" and a "low date". However, it is possible to reconstruct the list for the first half of the second century almost completely, using the information in the "Proxeny List" ( Syll_585 ).

J.B.Scholten, The Politics of Plunder (2000)   [ for 279-241 ]

F.Lefevre, La chronologie du IIIe siècle à Delphes, d'après les actes amphictioniques 280-200 ( BCH,1995 - online )

D.Mulliez, La chronologie de la prêtrise IV (170/69-158/7) et la date de la mort d'Eumène II ( Topoi,1998 - online )

G.Daux, Chronologie Delphique (Fouilles de Delphes, 1943 - online )
  [ the sections relevant to this table are F - p.22 , G - p.33 , H - p.40 , K - p.43 and L - p.49 ]

Aetolian League

Unlike the archons, the Aetolian generals were often important figures in international politics, and therefore their dates can be fixed with more certainty, although there are still some gaps in our knowledge, especially in the earlier part of the 3rd century.

J.D.Grainger, The League of the Aitolians (1999)

4. Index of Names

Athens   -   Delphi   -   Aetolian League

ATHENS

If the name of an archon occurs more once, the secretary for the year is shown in brackets, where known. Athenian inscriptions usually include the name of the secretary for the year, as well as the archon.

DELPHI

If the name of an archon occurs more than once, the number in Daux's list ( see Bibiography ) is shown in brackets.

AETOLIAN LEAGUE

If a general held office more than once, the number of each term of office is shown in brackets.

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