Associations in the Greco-Roman World (AGRW)


Decrees by Zenon About Burial Plots for Aphrodisiasts (II BCE) Rhodos on Rhodes - Southeastern islands

Rhodos on Rhodes (Southeastern islands, Aegean Islands — Pleiades map), ca. 169 or 109 BCE
IRhodPC 18 = A. Maiuri, "Un nuovo decreto di associazione a Rodi," ASAA 4–5 (1921-22) 223–32 = SEG 3:674 = PHI 189902 = AGRW ID# 16742
Copenhagen Inventory info: 2016


Slab of Lartian marble with inscriptions on both sides, found in the necropolis south-east of Rhodes (60 x 61-63 x 15-16 cm; Rhodes museum inv. 1037). The first two decrees here arrange for the inscribing of legal documents concerning properties and communal burial plots owned by the association devoted to Aphrodite (and founded by someone named Hermogenes, hence "the association of Hermogeneian Aphrodisiasts"). After the association elected a person to achieve this, the person died, and so they passed a second decree choosing two people who (in light of the existence of this monument) succeeded in having the documents inscribed in stone. Only one of the deeds of ownership discussed in the decrees on side A remains here on side B; the other documents concerning ownership of communal burial plots do not survive. If those mentioned as coming from Selge (in Pisidia), Pharselis (in Lycia), Galatia, and Arabia are in fact members of the association, then the group consisted of a mixture of immigrants. Regarding date, men by the name of Aratophanes held the position of priest of Helios on Rhodes in the periods ca. 169-167 BCE (Aratophanes I; e.g. IMT 1440 = SGDI 3572, line 3) and ca. 109 BCE (Aratophanes II; see C. Habicht, "A Decree for Koan Judges" Hyperboreus 13 [2007] 134, based on the amphora stamps as dated by G. Finkielsztejn). Without reference to the Rhodian amphora stamps, Maiuri and Pugliese Caratelli both dated the monument to the first half of the second century, which suggests the earlier Aratophanes is more likely involved here. However, if the Zenon of Selge in this inscription is to be identified with the Zenon of Selge in an inscription from the Rhodian Peraia (dated ca. 100-79 BCE by Bresson; see IRhodPeraiaBresson 169 on this site), then our present inscription would involve Aratophanes II of the later era (ca. 109 BCE).

(side A)

Decree of Zenon of Selge, benefactor: When Aratophanes was priest, on the seventeenth of the month of Panamos, Zenon the Selgian proposed: In order that the documents regarding ownership of properties belonging to the association (koinon) and of the burial plots (taphiai) may be most visible to all the contributors (eranistai) for ever and that nothing unjust happens to them (i.e. members), the association resolved–to good fortune–to elect a person immediately after the ratification of this decree.  Now let the one who is elected prepare the monument (stelē) of Lartian stone after receiving from the leaders (archontes) the documents regarding ownership of all the properties belonging to the association (koinon) and of the burial plots, and let him have them (i.e. the documents) inscribed on the monument.  Also let him set up the monument at the communal burial plots in a place which seems to him clearly visible and secure.  Also let the leaders give to the elected man a duplicate copy of all the documents regarding ownership to have them inscribed, and let them give him money from the common fund for preparing the monument and inscribing of documents.  But if there should still be need of anything, let this decree be valid by a vote of the association.

(A subsequent decree in light of the former decree remaining unfulfilled)

Another: When Agoranax was priest, on the seventeenth of Sminthios, Zenon the Selgian, benefactor, proposed: Since the association voted to prepare the monument with inscriptions concerning the salvation and security of the association and to set them up in the common areas, and it happens that the things the association expected to take place remained incomplete because the man they elected died (literally: ceased).  Everything else is to take place concerning those matters in keeping with what the association previously resolved and, ratifying this decree, it was resolved by the association to immediately choose two men who will accomplish everything previously decided by the association concerning those matters just as prescribed in the previously ratified decree.  Let the men who were elected accomplish what was prescribed in the previously ratified decree within sixty days from the election, and the head of the contributors (archeranistēs) who is in . . .  (The remainder of decree is missing and would have continued on another slab, since this is the end of this slab.)

(side B, containing the first of the documents of ownership which were to be inscribed)

From the archives. . . for Hermogenes of Phaselis (i.e. the city in Lycia), . . . Menogenes the Galatian, and Theodotos the Arab, and for the association of Hermogeneian Aphrodite-devotees (Aphrodisiastai).  (The remaining lines detail transactions pertaining to the purchase of one particular plot of land in the city.)

Translation by: Harland

{side A}

ψάφισμα Ζήνωνος Σελγέως εὐεργέτα. | ἐπ’ ἰερέως Ἀρατοφάνευς Πανάμου ἑβδόμαι ἐπὶ δέκα. | Ζήνων Σελγεὺς εὐεργέτας εἶπε· ὅπως οἱ ἀμφουριασμοὶ | τῶν ἐγγαίων τῶν ὑπαρχόντων τῷ κοινῷ καὶ τᾶν ταφιᾶν || ἐνφανεῖς ὑπάρχωντι ὡς ἐν δυνατῷ πᾶσι τοῖς ἐρανισταῖς | εἰς πάντα τὸν χρόνον καὶ μηθὲν ἀδίκημα γίνηται περὶ αὐτούς, | ἀγαθᾶι τύχαι δεδόχθαι τῷ κοινῷ· κυρωθέντος τοῦδε τοῦ ψαφίσ|ματος ἑλέσθαι τὸ κοινὸν παραχρῆμα ἄνδρα, ὁ δὲ αἱρεθεὶς | κατασκευάσθω στάλαν λαρτίαν καὶ λαβὼν παρὰ τῶν ἀρχόν||των τοὺς ἀμφουριασμοὺς πάντων τῶν ὑπαρχόντων τῷ κοινῷ | ἐγγαίων καὶ τᾶν ταφιᾶν ἀναγραψάτω αὐτοὺς εἰς τὰν στάλαν | καὶ ἀναθέτω τὰν στάλαν εἰς τοὺς τοῦ κοινοῦ τάφους εἰς τό|πον ὅς κα αὐτῷ δοκῇ εὐσαμότατος καὶ ἀσφαλὴς εἴμειν, | τοὶ δὲ ἄρχοντες δόντω τῷ αἱρεθέντι ἀνδρὶ ἀντίγραφον τῶν || ἀμφουριασμῶν πάντων ποτὶ τὰν ἀναγραφάν, δόντω δὲ | αὐτῷ ἐκ τοῦ κοινοῦ καὶ ὅ κα γένηται τέλεσμα εἰς τὰν κατασκευὰν | τᾶς στάλας καὶ τὰν ἀναγραφὰν τῶν ἀμφουριασμῶν. εἰ δέ τινός | κα ποτιδέῃ τόδε τὸ ψάφισμα κύριον ἔστω τὸ κοινὸν ποτιψαφιζόμενον. | ἄλλο. ἐπ’ ἰερέως Ἀγοράνακτος Σμινθίου ἑβδόμαι ἐπὶ δέκα. || Ζήνων Σελγεὺς εὐεργέτας εἶπε· ἐπειδὴ ψαφιξαμένου τοῦ κοινοῦ | κατασκευάξαι στάλαν καὶ ἀναγράψαντα εἰς αὐτὰν τὰ διατείνον|τα ποτὶ σωτηρίαν καὶ ἀσφάλειαν τοῦ κοινοῦ θέμειν εἰς τοὺς κοινοὺς | τόπους συνβαίνει ἀσυντέλεστα γεγόνειν τὰ δεδογμένα τῷ κοι|νῷ διὰ τὸ τὸν αἱρεθέντα ἐπ’ αὐτὰ ἄνδρα μεταλλάγειν, τὰ μὲν ἄλλα || πάντα γίνεσθαι περὶ τούτων κατὰ τὰ προδεδογμένα τῷ κοινῷ, | κυρωθέντος δὲ τοῦδε τοῦ ψαφίσματος δεδόχθαι τῶι κοινῶι ἑλέσθαι παρα|χρῆμα ἄνδρας δύο οἵτινες ἐπιτελεσεῦντι πάντα τὰ προδεδογμένα | τῷ κοινῷ περὶ τούτων, καθὼς ἐν τῷ προκεκυρωμένῳ ψαφίσματι | ποτιτέτακται, τοὶ δὲ αἱρεθέντες ἄνδρες ἐπιτελεσάντω || τὰ ποτιτεταγμένα ἐν τῷ προκεκυρωμένῳ ψαφίσματι ἐν ἁμέ|ραις ἀφ’ ἇς κα α[ἱ]ρεθέωντι ἑξήκοντα, ὁ δὲ ἀρχερανιστὰς ὁ ἐν ἀρχᾶι[— — —]

{side B, beginning at line 1}

ἀπὸ τοῦ χρηματισμ̣[οῦ ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ Ἑρμογένει Φασηλίτα]ι Μ̣η̣νογένει | Γαλάται Θευδότωι Ἄραβι καὶ Ἀφροδισιασ̣[τᾶν Ἑρμ]ογενείων κοινῶι· ἔχετε. | ἐπ’ ἰερέως Ἀρχίνου Καρνείου πέμπται ἱσταμένου, Νικασίωνι Νικασίωνος Λιν|δοπολίται ὃ ἔδοξε ἐν τῶι συλλόγωι κατὰ τὸ ψάφισμα (δραχμὰς) ͵α ἀμφούριον (διωβέλιον). || Νικασίωνι Νικασίωνος Λινδοπολίται, ἐπ’ ἰερέως Ἀρχίνου Καρνείου π̣έμπται | ἱσταμένου, Ἑρμογένης καὶ Μηνογένης καὶ Θεύδοτος καὶ Ἀφροδισιαστᾶν | Ἑρμογενείων κοινὸν ὃ ἔδοξε ἐν τῶι συλλόγωι κατὰ τὸ ψάφισμα (δραχμὰς) ͵α | ἀμφούριον (διωβέλιον)· ἔχει. ἐ̣π̣ὶ̣ Ἀρχ[ί]ν̣ου Καρνείου πέμπται ἱσταμένου (δραχμὰς) ͵α. | Ἀφροδισιαστᾶν Ἑρμογε̣ν̣[εί]ων κ̣ο̣[ιν]ὸν Σωσιστράτωι Ἀγοράνακτος Βρυγινδαρ̣ί̣||[ωι] ο[ἰκί]α̣ς ἐν τῶι ἄστε̣[ι π]ά̣σας [κ]α̣ὶ οἰκοπέδου τοῦ ποτὶ τᾶι οἰκίαι π̣αντὸς ἇι | γ̣ε̣ί̣τ̣ο[νες] Μ̣ουσᾶν τέ[με]νος Δ̣[αμ]α̣ίνετος Σωκράτευς Ἄμι[ος κ]αθ’ ὑοθεσίαν δὲ | [Δ]αμο̣[κ]ρ̣ά̣[τευς Σ]ιλύριος [καὶ] Τ̣ρι̣[․․․ συ]ν̣νομᾶς κοινὸν ὥστε κομ[ισά]μ[ε]νόν τε τὰν ὑ|πόλο[ι]πον [τιμὰ]ν̣ (δραχμὰς) μ(υρίας) [͵β] τ̣ὸ [καθόλ?]ον ἐμ μηνὶ Πεδαγειτνύω̣ι [τ]ῶι ἐπὶ Ἀρχίνου | παρ̣α̣σ̣[χέσθαι Θε]αίδ[η]τ̣ο̣[ν Φιλ]έ̣α̣ Ἀσ̣[τ]υ̣παλαιῆ {ι} παραδιδόντ̣α̣ [τὸν] ἀ̣μφουριασμὸν || Ἀμεινῆ̣[ι ․․․․․․․․]ω̣[․․․․․] εἰ̣ς̣ τὰ̣ν̣ τιμὰ̣ν̣ (δραχμὰς) ͵α. ἐ̣κ τοῦ̣ λ̣όγ̣ου ἁ̣μῶν ποτιδιαγρά|φει. ἐπ’ ἰ[ερέως Ἀρχίνου Π]εδα̣γειτνύου τρίται ἐξ ἰκάδο[ς] Νικασί[ω]ν̣ Νικασίωνος | Λινδοπολίτας [καὶ Ἀφροδισι]αστ̣ᾶν̣ [Ἑ]ρμογενε[ί]ων κοιν̣ὸν Σ[ω]σ̣ισ̣τράτωι Ἀγοράνα|κτος Βρυγινδαρ̣ίωι̣ [πρόδομα] εἰς τὰν τι̣μ̣ὰ̣ν̣ τ̣ᾶ̣ς̣ οἰκίας (δραχμὰς) ͵α. Ἀφροδισιαστᾶν Ἑρμο|γενείων κοινῶι Ἑ̣ρμο[γ]έ̣[νει] Φασηλίτα̣ι με̣τοίκωι καὶ Μηνογένει Γαλάται μετοί||κωι καὶ Θευδότωι Ἄραβι· ἔ[χ]ε̣τε. ἐπ̣ὶ̣ Ἀ̣ρχίν̣ου Βα̣δ̣ρ̣ο̣μ̣[ί]ου δευτέραι Ν̣ι̣κασί|ων Νικασίωνος Λινδοπολίτας καὶ Ἀφροδισιαστᾶν Ἑρμογενείων κοινὸν | Σωσιστράτωι Ἀγοράνακτος Βρυγινδαρίωι οἰκίας ἐν τῶι ἄστει τιμὰν τὰν | ὑπόλοιπον ὥστε παρασχέσ[θα]ι̣ τε Θεαίδητον Φι̣λ̣έ̣α Ἀστυπαλαιῆ παραδιδόν|τα τὸν ἀμφουριασμὸν Περδίκ[κ]αι Σατύρου Ἀργείωι καὶ Ἀφροδισιαστᾶν vac. || vac. κοινῶι (δραχμὰς) μ(υρίας) ͵α ἀμφ̣ο̣ύρια (δραχμὰν) αʹ. vac.

Item added: March 5, 2015
Item modified: February 23, 2021
ID number: 16742
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