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Translations of Hellenistic Inscriptions: 204


HONOURS FOR IATROKLES AT MYLASA

Greek text:   Mylasa_21   ( I.Myl. 109 )
Provenance:   Mylasa
Date:     c. 76 B.C.
Translated by:   B. Gray (lines 4-10)
Format:   see key to translations

This inscription is a good example of the tendency in later Hellenistic decrees to emphasise the worthy motives and ethics of benefactors; see B. Gray, "A civic alternative to Stoicism: the ethics of Hellenistic honorary decrees", p. 206 ( PDF ). The end of the inscription has been lost, but it can be dated: Pliny the Elder ( 2.100 ) records that Silanus was the Roman proconsul in Asia in 76 B.C.

In honour of Iatrokles son of Demetrios.

When Ouliades son of Sibilos, by adoption son of Euthydemos [son of Theoxenos], was stephanephoros; on the eighteenth day of Xandikos, at the elections; it was resolved by the tribe of Otōrkondeis, as proposed by the appointed treasurers of the tribe, namely:

Since Iatrokles Tarkondareus, son of Demetrios, who has been a striver after the finest things since his earliest youth, has made himself useful both to individual citizens and to the people as a whole; he takes in hand his relatives and looks after them with great care; he also gives friendly loans to many of the other citizens and releases them from their contracts, giving back the deposits which have been made and donating even greater signs of faith to many, thinking that justice is more profitable than injustice; 10 he has also acted philanthropically towards a considerable number of foreigners who were in need; and he has acted as benefactor to some cities who needed the assistance of the people, as is shown by the documents written about him; and in addition to this, he had made many contributions to the whole people, to meet the pressing needs of the city, sometimes contributing oil, and sometimes subsidies for the corn supply, providing abundance in provisions to the inhabitants of the city; and also when he was chosen as an envoy to Marcus Junius Silanus, son of Decimus, the patron of our city, after he had crossed over to Asia, Iatrokles went off and persuaded the man to come to our city; he made him take a beneficent attitude towards the whole people, when he saw with his own eyes what zeal the citizens had towards him and towards the people of Rome; and Iatrokles paid back the allowance that he received for his travelling expenses as envoy; and when he was elected as secretary of the council, he conducted himself in a fitting and upright manner, not only towards the citizens 20 but also towards foreigners, always supporting the best point of view; and he did take the money granted by the city for the inscribing of public documents, but paid back this too to the people, wishing in everything to possess praise rather than money; and also when he was chosen as choregos for the games, which had been abandoned in the time of Diokles . . .

→ inscription 205

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