AIUK45 no. 3 Dedication to Apollo Hypo Makrais

Dedication to Apollo Hypo Makrais

AIUK 4.5 (BM, Dedications) no. 3 Date: Late 1st- 2nd century AD

Α- - - Κλα[ύδιος] Μου̣- - - Ἀμφ̣[ιτροπῆ]- (5)θεν̣ [Ἀπόλ]- λω[νι ἀνέθη]- ⟦Σ⟧ «κ̣»[εν]

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Translated text

References:

AIUK 4.5 (BM, Dedications) no. 3 (Translated text) (AIUK) (AIO)

IG II³ 4 167 (IG Online)

GIBM I 134

Translation by: Peter Liddel, Chris de Lisle, Polly Low

AIO Images: 1

Monument type: Plaque

Inscription type: Dedication (archon?), Dedication (Apollo Hypo Makrais)

Original location: Cave of Apollo, Acropolis

Findspot: Athens? (BM 1816,0610.163)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] This inscription, which is part of the Elgin collection (cf. AIUK 4.1, no. 2), is an example of an Athenian archon marking the end of his year in office by making a dedication to Apollo “Below the Long Rocks” (ὑπὸ Μακραῖς) or “Below the Heights” (ὑπ’ Ἀκραῖς) at the sanctuary located in a cave on the North Slope of the Acropolis. Plaques like this began to be dedicated by the annual archons of Athens, including the eponymous archon, the “king” (basileus), the polemarch, the six court presidents (thesmothetai) and their secretary, in the early first century AD, probably during the reign of Claudius. The practice continued until the mid-third century AD. Inscribed examples of such dedications are collected at IG II³ 4, 128-205. Archons appear to have dedicated these plaques at the termination of their office in mid-summer when they entered the Council of the Areopagos. The myrtle crown represents the crowns which were worn by the archons during their year of office and which symbolised their political and religious authority; it seems quite possible too that this crown of office would have been dedicated to Apollo as part of the ceremony.

The decision to begin commemorating this ceremony with marble plaques may reflect the increasing prominence of the Areopagos in the Imperial period (on which, see AIUK 4.5, no. 24) and the desire to emphasise the aspect of the Areopagos that most resembled the Roman Senate – the fact that its members were ex-magistrates.

The precise findspot of this inscription is unknown, but other examples show that these dedications were typically made at the cave of Apollo, on the North Slope of the Acropolis. This site was (according to myth) the place where Apollo raped Kreousa the daughter of Erechtheus, and where Kreousa exposed the son who was born from this rape: Ion, the ancestor of the Athenians. The connection with Ion might explain why this was thought to be an appropriate place for Athenian archons to make dedications, since Ion was said to have been the first polemarch, and thus the first non-monarchic office-holder in Athens (Hdt. 8.44.2, Ath. Pol. 3.2).

We can assume that Claudius was a Roman citizen, which is not incompatible with his holding the archonship (in fact, only three known archons from the Flavian Era until the grant of universal Roman citizenship in 212 AD are definitely not Roman citizens: see Byrne, Roman Citizens of Athens (2003), xv). However, he cannot be associated with any known archon, nor with any otherwise known individual, as Claudius is an extremely common name in Athens from the middle of the first century AD: Byrne, Roman Citizens of Athens (2003), lists 424 individuals called Claudius or Claudia, but a Claudius Mo- from the deme Amphitrope is not otherwise attested.

For fuller discussion of this inscription see AIUK 4.5 (BM, Dedications), no. 3.

Added: 26 Jul 2018
Updated: 15 Feb 2022
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