IEleus 99 Decree of Eleusis honouring Derkylos of Hagnous

Decree of Eleusis honouring Derkylos of Hagnous

I Eleusis 99 Date: ca. 319/8 BC

Relief^[1] Philippos proposed:^[2] since Derkylos the general displays love of honour (philotimeitai) towards the deme of Eleusis, among other things so that the boys (paides) (5) of the deme may be educated, the Eleusinians shall decide to praise Derkylos son of Autokles of Hagnous^[3] and crown him with a gold crown of 500 drachmas; and to announce (10) the crown at Eleusis in the theatre at the competition in tragedies, that the deme Eleusis crowns Derkylos son of Autokles of Hagnous for his excellence and (15) love of honour (philotimias) towards the deme of Eleusis; and he shall have freedom from taxes (ateleian) and a seat of honour (proedrian) in the deme Eleusis; and the demarch in office shall invite him (20) to his seat of honour; and the demarch in office shall also allocate him a portion of the sacrifices, like the demesmen; and to inscribe this decree on a stone stele (25) and stand it by the gateway of Demeter and Kore; and the fathers of the boys shall take care of the inscribing with the demarch.^[4]

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References:

I Eleusis 99 (Translated text) (PHI)

IG II² 1187 (PHI)

SEG 22.118

Syll.³ 956

Lawton 127

Russo, Ripartizioni, D28

Translation by: Stephen Lambert

Images: Krateros - (1)
Wikimedia Commons - (1)

Monument type: Stele

Inscription type: Decree (Deme Eleusis)

Original location: Eleusis (Gateway of sanctuary of Demeter and Kore)

Findspot: Eleusis (Eleusis Museum E 968)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] On the deme Eleusis and its decrees see I Eleusis 68. The relief shows the honorand (left) approaching Demeter (seated) and to the right Kore standing, holding torches. It is dated by Lawton to “the middle-to-third-quarter of iv BC.” Clinton points out that a concern with children and their education resonates with a theme of the Eleusinian Mysteries, which was concerned not only with agricultural, but also human reproduction, and he compares e.g. the focus in Eleusinian religion on the child Ploutos and the hearth-initiate. [2] This decree is cut by Tracy’s “Cutter of IG II² 1187”, whose dated work spans the years 327/6-315/4 BC (ADT, 132-35, with Horos 26-31, 2014-2019, 42 and 50). [3] The honorand was probably the grandson of the well-known dadouch of the Eleusinian Mysteries, Kallias, by his daughter Kekropia (see Clinton). He had been one of ambassadors to Philip II in 346 (Aischin. 2.47), served on two other slightly later embassies (Dem. 19.175, Aischin. 2.140) and is identifiable with the Derkylos who was general for the countryside in 319/8 BC (Plut. Phok. 32, Nepos, Phok. 2). The decree probably dates to that year or to another (slightly earlier?) year in which Derkylos was general. Given that Derkylos was a general, F. Mitchel, Hesp. 33, 1964, 337-51 (= SEG 22.118) suggested that his concern in making provision for the children of Eleusis may have been specifically with military education at a time, 321-319, when the ephebeia was attenuated or not functioning at all. If that were the case, however, one might expect it to be clearer from the text, and the Greek term used in this context, paides (l. 4), is more suggestive of boys of pre-ephebic age. Mitchel's theory accordingly seems doubtful (Clinton is sceptical and notes also the doubts of J.-C. Couvenhes, Cahiers Glotz 9, 1998, 49-69, and N. V. Sekunda, ABSA 87, 1992, 328). [4] The association of the fathers of the boys with the demarch in the erection of the decree is unusual and notable. It perhaps suggests that the fathers were a moving force behind this decree in the deme, and that they contributed to the cost of the inscription. It is also noteworthy that, although it relates to the deme generally rather than the cult of Demeter and Kore, the inscription is to be set up by the gateway to the sanctuary, one of the most prominent locations in Eleusis.

Added: 15 Dec 2020
Updated: 25 Jan 2024
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