AIUK11 no. 9 List of ephebic friends

List of ephebic friends

AIUK 11 (Ashmolean Museum, Oxford) no. 9 Date: 175/6 AD

ἐπὶ ἄρχοντος Κλ(αυδίου) Ἡρακλεί- [δ]ου Μελιτέως, κοσμητεύ- οντος Ἀττικοῦ τοῦ [Χάρη]- τος Γαργηττ[ίου φίλοι] (5)καὶ συστάται αὑτο[ὺ]ς ἀνέ- γραψαν. Πό(πλιος) Αἴλιος Λεύκιος Παλλη Φιλοίτιος Γάμου Μελιτ Ὀνήσιμος Μενεκράτ(ους) Φιλ (10)Ζώσιμος Ἰσιγένους Παλ Τελεσφόρος Μενεκρ[άτ]- vacat ους [Φ]ιλ[ά]δ[ης] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

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Translated text

References:

AIUK 11 (Ashmolean Museum, Oxford) no. 9 (Translated text) (AIO) (AIUK)

IG II² 2104 (PHI)

Wilson, Ephebic Inscriptions E.214

Translation by: Chris de Lisle

AIO Images: 1 2 3

Monument type: Stele

Inscription type: List of names

Original location: [Diogeneion?]

Findspot: Athens (Ashmolean Museum, Oxford ANChandler 2.53)

Transliterations on Places on

[1] This is one of ten inscriptions acquired by George Wheler on his visit to Athens in 1676 and donated to the University of Oxford 1683. He bought it from the English consul in Athens, Jean Giraud (cf. AIUK 11 (Ashmolean), no. 4). The plaque has been incorporated into a Roman ash chest; it is unclear when or why this happened.

The plaque is a list of ephebic friends, on which see AIUK 11 (Ashmolean), no. 5 and AIO Papers 12 sect. 1.2. The official ephebic catalogue for the year is SEG 29.152, which reveals that Leukios (l. 7) and Telesphoros (l. 11) had served as ephebic gymnasiarchs (on this position, see IG II² 1990 and AIO Papers 12 sect. 2.3.). Unlike AIUK 11, no. 5, the inscription is attributed to all of the friends collectively, rather than being the work of a single individual. A sense of fraternity is also conveyed by the term systatai (“partners, men who stand together”). However, it is probably not by chance the Leukios is listed first, since his family was very prominent in this period (Byrne, RCA, p. 18), while none of the other ephebes are attested, except for Telesphoros (l. 11), who went on to be ephebic trainer, ca. 197-219 AD (e.g. IG II² 2193, l. 34). Thus, there seems to have been a disparity in status between Leukios and his friends. The egalitarian phrasing may hide a patron-client relationship.

For more detailed discussion of the inscription see AIUK 11 (Ashmolean), no. 9. For a general discussion of the ephebate in Roman Athens see AIO Papers 12.

Added: 14 Jan 2021
Updated: 14 Jan 2021
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