Wilson1992 E.040 The People honour the ephebic superintendent, 145/6 AD

The People honour the ephebic superintendent, 145/6 AD

Wilson, Ephebic Inscriptions E.040 Date: AD 145/6

The People (honour) the superintendent (kosmētēn) Athenaios son of Alexandros of Rhamnous, sacred victor (hieronikēn) and president of the athletic association (xustarchēn) in Bithynia (5) for life, for his good will (eunoias) and decorum (kosmiotētos) regarding the ephebes and for his oversight (epimeleias) regarding the Diogeneion.^[1] uninscribed space (10) In the tenth year of the trainership of Abaskantos son of Eumolpos of Kephisia (145/6 AD).^[2]

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Greek text

References:

Wilson, Ephebic Inscriptions E.040 (Translated text) (AIO)

IG II² 3741 (PHI)

Translation by: Chris de Lisle

Monument type: Base

Inscription type: Statue base

Original location: [Diogeneion]

Findspot: Athens, St. Demetrios Katephores (EM 10302)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] This is a statue base erected by decree of the Athenian Assembly in honour of the ephebic superintendent (kosmetes). On this office in the Roman period, see IG II² 3739 and AIO Papers 12 sect. 2.1. This inscription clearly indicates the dual role of the office as conceived in the Roman period: role model to the ephebes and practical manager of the ephebate and their headquarters, the Diogeneion gymnasium. Important for the role model aspect is the emphasis placed on Athenaios’ past athletic accomplishments – “sacred victor” indicates that he had achieved a victory at one of the Panhellenic games that had been granted “sacred” status by the emperor, while the position of the president of the athletic association (xystarch), responsible for overseeing all athletic events at games in the province of Bithynia, was reserved for former athletes of means (cf. IG II² 2193). Superintendents were regularly honoured by the Council and People in the Hellenistic period (cf. IG II² 1039), but by the second century AD it was unusual – they were usually honoured by the ephebes themselves, with an honorific herm erected in the Diogeneion, like IG II² 3739. For decrees of the People in the Roman period, see AIUK 4.2 (BM), no. 17. [2] For the trainer Abaskantos, see IG II² 3737. Four other ephebic inscriptions survive from this year: two fragments of catalogues (IG II² 2052+3395 and 2054), a victory dedication (IG II³ 4, 418), and a systremma list (IG II³ 4, 419).

Textual note: AIO follows the Greek text of Wilson, which excludes l. 1 of the IG text.

Added: 14 Jan 2021
Updated: 29 Mar 2024
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ID: AIO_2123