Associations in the Greco-Roman World (AGRW)

An expanding collection of inscriptions, papyri, and other sources in translation (run by Philip A. Harland)

Honorific Decree for Lysimachos by Performers Devoted to Dionysos (ca. 246 BCE) Ptolemaïs Hermiou - Upper Egypt


Ptolemaïs Hermiou (Upper Egypt, Egypt — Pleiades map), ca. 246 BCE
GRA III 244 = IProse I 6 = SB V 8855 = PHI 218663 = AGRW ID# 31467
Copenhagen Inventory info: 115


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Slab of white limestone with a pediment (105 x 50 cm) discovered in a house in Menshieh (Ptolemaïs) and now in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo (CG 9284).

The performers (technitai) gathered around Dionysos and the Brother gods (i.e. Ptolemaic rulers) resolved: Since Lysimachos son of Ptolemaios of the Sostratic subdivision (deme), the cavalry commander and president (prytanis) for life, has displayed good will towards the king and to the king’s parents earlier, and even now continues to do so in many ways, and he has a pious and reverent disposition towards Dionysos and the other gods.  Since he also treated the guild of performers generously in all things, readily assisting us individually and as a group and energetically giving himself for the growth of the theatrical profession (techniteuma).  Since it is good to honor such distinguished men with conspicuous honors, the association (koinon) of the performers gathered around Dionysos, whose names are written below, resolved that Lysimachos be crowned with a ivy wreath following ancestral custom on the 11th of the month of Peritios at the festival of Dionysos, on account of the excellence and reverence that he has shown to King Ptolemaios and to Dionysos and the other gods and the good will he has towards the king and his parents and which he has shown to the performers.   For good fortune!  A painted image of him will be set up in the vestibule of the presidential hall (prytaneion).  The secretary of the association, Demarchos, shall inscribe this decree on the slab (stele) and set it up in front of the temple of Dionysos.  Sosibios the manager (oikonomos) will pay the expenses for these things.

(List of members)

Zopyros, who is in charge of the sacred rites for the trienniel and annual festivals and his brothers, namely, Dionysios and Taurinos;
tragic poets: Phainippos and Diognetos;
comic poets: Stratagos and Mousaios;
epic poets: Demarchos;
tragic actor: Metrodoros;
comic actors: Telemachos, Agathodoros, Apollonios, Asklepodoros son of Apollonios, Apollonios, and Diodoros;
tragic fellow-competitors (synagonistai): Apollonides, Archonos, Kleitos, Ptolemaios, and Zopyros;
tragic flute player: Thraikides;
trumpet player: Thrasymachos;
mask maker: Baton;
honorary guests (proxenoi): Demetrios, Phaidimos, Artemidoros, Spoudias, and Dionysios;
friends-of-the-performers (philotechnitai): Demetrios, Stephanos, Leon, Theogenes, and Artemidoros;
singers with a lyre: Menippos;
lyre player: Herakleitos; dancer: Ptolemaios. . .;
chorus director: . . .
. . . Artemidoros, Demetrios, and Aristonous.

Translation by: Ryan J. Olfert (with modifications)



ἔδοξεν τεχνίταις τοῖς περὶ τὸν Διόνυσον καὶ | θεοὺς Ἀδελφούς· vac. ἐπειδὴ Λυσίμαχος Πτολεμαίου | Σωστρατεύς, ὁ ἱππάρχης καὶ π̣ρ̣ύ̣τανις διὰ βίου, τήν τε̣ | εἰς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ τοὺς τούτου γονεῖς εὔνοιαν || καὶ πρότερον μέν, ἔτι καὶ νῦν δὲ διὰ πλειόνων ἀπο|δέδεικται καὶ πρὸς τὸν Διόνυσον καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους | θεοὺς εὐσεβῶς καὶ ὁσίως διακείμενος τυγχάνει | τοῖς τε τεχνίταις φιλανθρώπως ἅπαντα χρῆται | καὶ κατ’ ἰδίαν ἑκάστου καὶ κατὰ κοινὸν πάντων ἀντι||λαμβάνεται προθύμως καὶ ἐκτενῶς ἑαυτὸν συν|επιδιδοὺς εἰς τὸ συναύξεσθαι τὸ τεχνίτευμα, | καλῶς δ’ ἔχει τοὺς τοιούτους τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐπι|σημαινομένους τιμᾶν ταῖς πρεπούσαις τιμαῖς, | δεδόχθαι τῶι κοινῶι τῶν περὶ τὸν Διόνυσον τεχνιτῶν̣, || ὧν καὶ τὰ ὀνόματα ὑπογέγραπται, στεφανῶσαι | Λυσίμαχον κιττοῦ στεφάνωι κατὰ τὰ πάτρια | τῇ ιαʹ τοῦ Περιτίου μηνὸς τοῖς Διονυσίοις ἀρετῆς | ἕνεκα καὶ εὐσεβείας τῆς εἴς τε βασιλέα Πτολεμαῖον | καὶ τὸν Διόνυσον καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους θεοὺς καὶ εὐνοίας || τῆς εἰς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ τοὺς τούτου γονεῖς καὶ τῆ[ς] | εἰς τοὺς τεχνίτας τύχηι τῆι ἀγαθῆι. ἀναθεῖναι δ’ αὐτ[οῦ] | καὶ εἰκόνα γραπτὴν ἐν τῇ προστάδι τοῦ πρυτανείο̣υ̣. | ἀναγράψαι δὲ καὶ τὸν γραμματέα τοῦ κοινοῦ | Δήμαρχον τὸ ψήφισμα τόδε εἰς στήλην καὶ ἀναθεῖναι || πρὸ τοῦ νεὼ τοῦ Διονύσου· τὸ δ’ εἰς ταῦτ’ ἀνάλωμα | δοῦναι τὸν οἰκονόμον Σωσίβιον. | Ζώπυρος ὁ πρὸς τοῖς ἱεροῖς τῆς τριετηρίδος καὶ | ἀμφιετηρίδος καὶ τούτου ἀδελφοί· | Διονύσιος, || Ταυρῖνος· | τραγῳδιῶν ποιηταί, | Φαίνιππος, | Διόγνητος· | κωμωιδιῶν ποιηταί, || Στράταγος, | Μουσαῖος· | ἐπῶν ποιηταί, | Δήμαρχος, | Θεογένης, || Ἀρτεμίδωρος· | κιθαρωιδός, | Μένιππος· | κιθαριστής, | Ἡράκλειτος· || ὀρχηστής, | Πτολεμα̣[ῖος]· | — — — — — | τραγῳδός, | Μητρόδωρος· | κωμωιδοί, || Τελέμαχος, | Ἀγαθόδωρος, | Ἀπολ[λώνιο]ς, | Ἀσκληπιό[δ]ωρος Ἀπολλωνίου, | Ἀπο[λλ]ώνιος, || Διόδωρος· | συναγωνισταὶ τραγικοί, | Ἀπολλωνίδης Ἄρχωνος, | Κλεῖτος, |[Π]τολεμαῖος, || [Σά]τ̣υρος· | [χορ]ο̣διδ[ά]σκ[αλος], | — — — — — | αὐλητὴς τραγικό̣[ς], | Θραικίδης· | σαλπικτής {σαλπιγκτής}, || Θρασύμαχος· | σκευοποιός, Βάτων· | πρόξενοι, | Δημήτριος, | Φαίδιμος, ||Ἀρτεμ[ίδωρος], | Σπουδί[αιος], | Διονύσιο[ς]· | φιλοτεχνῖται | Δημήτριος || Στέφανος, | Λέων, | Ἀρτεμίδωρος, | Δημήτριος, | Ἀριστόνους.

Item added: July 14, 2020
Item modified: July 14, 2020
ID number: 31467
Short link address:
http://www.philipharland.com/greco-roman-associations/?p=31467

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