AIO 3530 Decree of Rhamnous (and Athenian residents?)

Decree of Rhamnous (and Athenian residents?)

AIO 3530 Date: ca. 267 BC (?)

. . . . . . [choose -] men [to manage] . . . of the stelai . . . . . . [These were chosen]: Kephisokleides [son of Sostratos? of Rhamnous] . . . Nikostratos son of Epiteles [of Rhamnous] (5) . . . -s son of [One- or Ai]simedes of Rhamnous . . . ?^[1] Uninscribed

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AIO 3530 (Translated text) (AIO)

I Rhamnous 405

Knoepfler, Trésor documentaire, 38-40

Translation by: Stephen Lambert

Monument type: Stele

Inscription type: Decree (Deme Rhamnous and Athenian residents?)

Findspot: Rhamnous (Rhamnous Nemesion 437 N)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] Textual Note. [- - ἑλέσθαι | τρεῖς] ἄ[νδ]ρας ο[ἵτινες ἐπιμελήσονται | τῆς ἀναθέσεως] τῶν σ̣τ̣ηλῶ[ν· οἵδε ἐξ ἑαυτῶν | (5) ἡιρέθησ]αν· Κηφισοκλε[ίδης Σωστράτου | Ῥαμνούσιος], Νικόστρ[α]τος Ἐπι[τέλου | Ῥαμνούσιος, δεῖνα]ς [Αἰ]σιμίδου Ῥαμ̣[νούσιος]. Petrakos. [ἑλέσθαι δὲ πέντε ἄ]νδρας ο[ἵτινες ἐπιμελήσονται τῆς τε ποιήσεως καὶ (τῆς) | ἀναγραφῆς] τῶν στηλῶ[ν καὶ τῆς ἀναθέσεως ἐν τούτοις τοῖς ἱεροῖς ? οἵδε ἐξ | ἑαυτῶν | ηἱρέθη]σαν· Κηφισοκλε[ίδης Σωστράτου ? Ῥαμνούσιος, ὁ δεῖνα τοῦ | δεῖνος Ῥαμνούσιος ?], Νικόστρατος Ἐπι[τέλου | Ῥαμνούσιος, ὁ δεῖνα τοῦ | δεῖνος Ῥαμνούσιος ?--ς Ὀνη?]σιμίδου Ῥαμ[νούσιος vac.?]. Knoepfler.

This fragment from the clause commissioning two or more stelai (l. 2) at the end of a decree was first published by Petrakos as I Rham. 405 in a version naming 3 commissioners, all demesmen of Rhamnous. Noting that one of the commissioners, Nikostratos, was the proposer of the decree honouring the general, Epichares of Ikarion, I Rhamnous 403 (ca. 267 BC), and that it was not uncommon for proposers of decrees at Rhamnous to be included among the commissioners for the stelai (cf. e.g. I Rhamnous 17), Knoepfler suggests that this fragment may be from the end of the decree for Epichares, restoring the text with a longer line and five commissioners, commensurate with the line lengths of that decree. While this is not impossible, in the absence of autopsy of the fragments together, as Knoepfler admits, the case is not compelling. For example, there is no other indication that there was more than one copy of the decree for Epichares (all the extant fragments appear to belong to the same inscription).

From the fact that all three of the commissioners whose names survive were demesmen of Rhamnous, it can be be inferred that the deme Rhamnous was a party to this decree. It is possible, however, that resident Athenian soldiers were also parties with the deme, as apparently in I Rhamnous 403, and commonly at this period. On the deme Rhamnous in general and its inscriptions see I Rhamnous 182.

Kephisokleides son of Sostratos of Rhamnous was the proposer of I Rhamnous 13, which was dated by Petrakos to the later 3rd century BC, and by Knoepfler to ca. 260 BC, but which might be even earlier, in which case its proposer would be identifiable with the Kephisokleides son of Sostratos of Rhamnous who was a councillor in 304/3. This would imply one of three possibilities for the identification of the Kephisokleides named here: (a) he is also identifiable with the councillor of 304/3 BC, (b) he is a homonym (grandson?) of the councillor in a later generation, (c) he is a more distant relative of the councillor, and not necessarily a son of Sostratos (cf. Knoepfler, who prudently inserts a "?" after the restored patronym in our text).

As noted above, Nikostratos son of Epiteles of Rhamnous was also the proposer of I Rhamnous 403. He also proposed I Rhamnous 4 and I Rhamnous 5.

Aisimides is the commonest Attic name in -simides, but is not otherwise attested in Rhamnous. Onesimides is less common, but is well attested in Rhamnous and indeed is not certainly attested outside that deme (the other cases are Onesimides and Onesimides).

Added: 2 Apr 2026
Updated: 2 Apr 2026
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ID: AIO_3530