IGII2 1204 Decree of Lamptrai honouring Philokedes of Acharnai

Decree of Lamptrai honouring Philokedes of Acharnai

IG II² 1204 Date: ca. 325-300 BC

Kephisodoros proposed:^[1] that the Lamptraians shall resolve, since Philokedes is honour-loving (philotimos) (5) with respect to the sacrifices and the common affairs (koina) in which he has a share in the deme, to praise Philokedes son of Aristarchos of Acharnai (10)for his love of honour (philotimias) and grant him freedom from taxation and distribute to him meat in the sacrifices that (15) the demesmen make at Lamptrai just as to the Lamptraians, both for himself and his descendants . . . . . .

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References:

IG II² 1204 (Translated text) (PHI)

SEG 65.105

Bultrighini, Demi della Paralia, 111-14

Russo, Ripartizioni, D64

Translation by: Stephen Lambert

Images: Krateros - (1)

Monument type: Stele

Inscription type: Decree (Deme Lamptrai)

Findspot: Kitsi Pighadi, south of Lambrika (= [Lower] Lamptrai) (EM 7726)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] Textual Note. Bultrighini (= SEG 65.105) notes some minor adjustments to the text of IG, which do not affect the sense. Kazuhiro Takeuchi kindly confirms those adjustments from autopsy, and in 16-18 reads Υ̣Τ̣Ω̣Ι̣, and convincingly restores, Λαμπτρ|[εῦσιν καὶ α]ὐ̣τ̣ῶ̣ι̣ [καὶ | ἐγγόνοις], cf. I Eleusis 70, ll. 25-27.

This is one of probably two extant decrees of Lamptrai, a deme of the tribe Erechtheis located south and east of the southern end of Mt Hymettos. For some purposes of the central administration, including organisation of the Council, the deme was divided in two: the smaller (bouleutic quota 5), more northerly, Upper Lamptrai (kathyperthen) more inland, south of Sphettos, while the larger (quota 9), more southerly, Lower or Coastal Lamptrai (hypenerthen or paraloi), was more towards the coast, north-east of Anagyrous. In prytany dedications of Erechtheis Upper Lamptrai is referred to in IG I³ 515 (408/7 BC); full lists of councillors from both parts of the deme are found in IG II³ 4, 54 (367/6 BC). The split is also alluded to by Aristophanes, Amphiaraos PCG F27 (414 BC); and on one of five extant dikast tickets for Lamptraians (for the Theokydes who served as councillor for Upper Lamptrai in 367/6, J. Kroll, Athenian Bronze Allotment Plates, 1972, no. 78, cf. Humphreys p. 835). Both parts of Lamptrai were assigned to the coastal trittys by Traill, Political Organization (1975), but in Demos and Trittys (1986) he ascribed Coastal/Lower Lamptrai to the coastal trittys, and Upper Lamptrai to the inland trittys. The area of the findspot of this inscription (Kitsi), is conventionally identified as a site of Coastal/Lower Lamptrai, though there is a degree of uncertainty in the ascription of archaeological sites in this area as between the two parts of Lamptrai and Anagyrous (for discussion see most recently Bultrighini, Humphreys, briefly Csapo and Wilson). The key evidence for the location of Upper Lamptrai is the dedication, IG II³ 4, 233. Both this decree (note especially the resolution clause, l. 2) and IG II³ 4, 233, refer to the Lamptraians without qualification, which suggests that for some purposes Lamptrai operated as a single deme (Bultrighini, Rivista di cultura classica e medioevale 55, 2013, 32-34). Note in this connection also the likely reference (below) to the Dionysia of Lamptrai as a whole in a tribal decree. The situation with another divided deme, Paiania, was probably comparable, see IG I³ 250.

Two other substantial inscriptions of Lamptrai are extant: a 5th century regulation concerning cult of the Nymphs, IG I³ 256, also from the area of Lower/Coastal Lamptrai, is probably a decree of the deme; and IG II³ 4, 233, from Upper Lamptrai, is a dedication by demesmen of Lamptrai to Apollo. Also from the Kitsi area Bultrighini, 114-5, notes two fragmentary dedication bases, the first inscribed ἄγαλμ̣[α -] | ἀνέθ[ηκε -] (". . . dedicated . . . statue"), the second Ἐράτων[-] | [-]θ̣εν. Ναυ[-] ("Eraton . . ."). For further small fragments see Bultrighini, 115-20 (SEG 44.91; 45.185). Inter alia she also discusses the acropolis of Kiapha Thiti, with Mycenean fortifications, and a small sanctuary dating from the late Geometric to the early Hellenistic period, 136-8; and south-east of it, remains at Panagia Thiti, 139 ff. (including rock-cut boundary markers, cf. SEG 45.18).

Upper [Lamptrai] is identifiable as the territorial group of Erechtheis which sold at least two outlying estates (eschatiai) "at Upper or Higher [Lamptrai] ([[Lamptrasi]n en tais anō)" in the Lykourgan public land sale programme, Rationes F2, ll. 5-16, cf. Lambert, Rationes Centesimarum (1997), 184 no. 3. An eschatia at Lamptrai is also mentioned in IG II² 1035, l. 58 (1st cent. BC); and l. 51 of the same inscription refers to an otherwise unknown temenos of Athena at Lamptrai, the Dorykleion (on which see I. Bultrighini, Riv. di cultura class. e med, 53.1, 2011, 99-106, and cf. her Demi Attici della Paralia, 2015, 142).

A late-iv BC tribal decree of Erechtheis apparently provides for announcement of honours "at Lamp[trai] ... at the Dionysia", IG II² 1161 = Csapo and Wilson II, p. 189. This is taken by Csapo and Wilson (cf. N. F. Jones, The Associations of Classical Athens, 1999, 163-4) as a reference to the Lamptraian Rural Dionysia, which they assume was celebrated by both parts of the deme together, and was perhaps the honorand's deme. As a possible parallel they cite the small fragment of a tribal decree of Kekropis (353/2 BC), IG II² 1145, which they suggest may have provided for announcement of honours at the Rural Dionysia of Phlya (restoring ll. 6-8, [ἀνειπεῖν τ|ὸν κή]ρυκα Δ[ιονυσίοις]), the Kekropid deme to which the honorand of that decree belonged (on Phlya see IG II² 2670). On the Attic Rural Dionysia see IG II³ 4, 498.

For recent discussions of Lamptrai see Bultrighini, Demi della Paralia, 91-143 (for a checklist of inscriptions discussed see SEG 65.4); Humphreys, Kinship, 833-55; Csapo and Wilson II, 189-91. On demes in general see RO 46, with notes.

In this decree, Lamptrai honours a non-member, Philokedes of Acharnai, for services to the deme. Exactly what he had done is not specified very precisely, but it seems to have entailed "honour-loving behaviour" in respect of the deme's sacrifices and "common affairs" (koina, which probably, as often, has a financial connotation). Financial generosity seems implied (and it is probably not coincidental in this context that the honorand is attested elsewhere in a context implying financial responsibility, see below). He is awarded tax-free status, ateleia, the precise significance of which is uncertain in this deme. The only deme in which such an award is specified more precisely is the Piraeus, in which a comparable non-deme-member honorand, Kallidamos of Cholleidai, is awarded freedom from the enktetikon, a tax on property in the deme owned by non-members, IG II² 1214, ll. 26-28. Similar awards are made by the deme Eleusis in IG II² 1185, ll. 4-5 (freedom for a Theban from those taxes over which the Eleusinians have control, implying in this case that he would continue to pay the metic tax) and 1186, ll. 25-26 (Damasias of Thebes, same as 1185); and, for Athenians, IG II² 1187, ll. 16-17 (Derkylos of Hagnous, ateleia not specified further) and 1188, ll. 29-30 (Hierokleides the hierophant, ateleia, perhaps not specified further, but see note). Sharing in sacrifices of the deme is also awarded to non-member honorands in IG II² 1214, ll. 11-14 (Piraeus), 1187, ll. 20-22 (Eleusis), and AIO 2588, ll. 10-12 (Halai Araphenides). For another deme decree perhaps honouring a non-member see IG II² 1212 (deme unknown). Presumably most or all these non-deme-member honorands were resident, or at least owned property, in the deme in question.

The proposer was perhaps a relative (son?) of Hegesippos son of Kephisodoros of Lamptrai on the mid-iv BC funerary monument, IG II² 6669 (original location uncertain, but possibly from Salamis, with which the honorand was connected by his membership of the genos Salaminioi; cf. Lambert, cited below). The honorand is identifiable as the Philokedes of Acharnai who, with a number of fellow Areopagites, was responsible for conveying a substantial sum (15 tal. 4000 dr. plus an amount of gold) to the treasury of Athena in 305/4 BC, IG II² 1492, l. 128. His father, Aristarchos, is identifiable with the Aristarchos son of Demokles of Acharnai who was a prominent member of the genos Salaminioi in 363/2 BC, RO 37, ll. 77, 81-82 = Lambert, ZPE 125, 1999, 110 no. 3, noting other connections between this genos and Lamptrai, to which one might add the Dorykleion at Lamptrai, most likely connected with the Dorykleians, exiles from Megara said to have assisted the Athenians in capturing Salamis, IG II² 1035, l. 51 with n. 20. One suspects that the Salamis connections of this deme, of the honorand and possibly of the proposer of this decree, were relevant background to it.

A date towards the end of the 4th cent. BC is implied for this decree by these prosopographical data. It cannot be ruled out, however, that it pre-dates the end of the Classical democracy: several prominent Athenians of the years after 307/6 BC were politically active before 321/0, not least Xenokles of Sphettos, who conveyed a subvention from Antigonos in 306/5 BC to the treasury of Athena, IG II² 1492, l. 100; on his earlier career see IG II³ 4, 212.

Added: 27 Apr 2023
Updated: 17 Oct 2024
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