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Translations of Hellenistic Inscriptions: 206


RENTAL AGREEMENT FOR PRECINCT OF DIONYSAS AT TEOS

Greek text:   Philia 4(2018), pp.3-4
Provenance:   Teos
Date:     175-150 B.C.
Tags:     land_ownership
Format:   see key to translations

This inscription was first published in 2018 with a German translation and commentary by M. Adak & K. Stauner, "Die Neoi und das Temenos des Dionysas: Eine hellenistische Pachturkunde aus Teos" ( PDF ). The editors suggest that the inscription does not contain the whole of the rental contract, because it lacks some details, such as a full description of the property covered by the agreement; but it does contain all the conditions and penalties that were imposed on the tenant.

For other evidence that the associations of young men {neoi} in Greek cities engaged in financial activities, see inscription 165. For some reason, the contract uses a very rare Greek word, which is usually said to mean 'slave', but in this context clearly means the annual rent paid by the tenant.


mail online report   ( Mail Online, 2016 )

With good fortune.   The men appointed by by the young men {neoi} and those who share in the use of the gymnasium - namely Zenodotos son of Hekatōnymos and Hekataios son of Pythodotos - let out for rent the precinct of Dionysas son of Dionysas the son of Athenopolis, on these conditions.

The tenant shall pay rent of one hundred and fifty drachmas per year to the young men for ever. He shall deposit the amount of his bid through a bank in the month of Demetriōn in the current year of Theotimos as prytanis. The rental agreement shall begin in the month of Leukatheon when Hestiaios is prytanis. If he does not pay the amount of his bid as is prescribed, 10 he shall pay twice the amount and a penalty of two drachmas for each of the additional days. The tenant shall take over the property that has been described previously immediately after the contract is ratified. When the tenant takes over the precinct and the building that is rented out with it, he shall keep the borders that are handed over to him and he shall repair the buildings as is required, unless it seems better to him to demolish some of them and to rebuild them - as long as he does not make them worse than they were before. He shall also repair the structures within the precinct and he shall rebuild everything that has fallen down there within six months, and he shall show what he has done to the lessors. If he does not do so, he shall pay five hundred drachmas as a penalty for what he has not repaired or has not rebuilt. 20 The tenant shall not prevent the presidents appointed by the young men each year from entering the precinct by the gate that leads to the torch-store, if in the spring they want to gather in the precinct for three days, and to sacrifice to the hero and to distribute portions of the sacrifice. If he prevents them from entering, he shall pay a penalty to the hindered men of thirty drachmas for each prevention. In each year the tenant shall pay the rent to the appointed presidents, in the first year at the latest in the month of Anthesterion when Theotimos is prytanis, and likewise at the same time in subsequent years. If he does not pay it in time, he shall pay double the amount 30 and also he shall owe a penalty of two drachmas for each day, until he has paid double the amount; and he shall depart from the precinct and the buildings let out with it. If any of the buildings or the other structures in the precinct falls down, the tenant shall rebuild it within a year; if he does not repair the building as necessary, or does not rebuild something that has fallen down, as is prescribed, he shall owe five hundred drachmas, and he shall depart from the precinct and the buildings let out with it; he shall also pay a fine of two drachmas for each day, until either he has paid the penalty or it has been extracted from him; and the young men shall be permitted to let out the property to another tenant. The tenant shall pay the one-percent tax and any other dues that the city demands, 40 and he shall also pay three drachmas to Antiphanes the herald and five drachmas to the man who writes the contract; and none of this shall be counted towards the rent. And the tenant shall set up a stele on (?) a pedestal in the grove of Dionysos, on which he shall inscribe this contract, carving it in clear letters that are acceptable to the lessors, within one year from the month of Leukatheon when Hestiaios is prytanis. If he does not inscribe it, it shall be permitted for the lessors to put out a contract for the stele and its inscription, and to exact double the cost of it from the tenant. If the tenant does not ratify the contract on the day on which he is chosen or on the following day, we shall choose another tenant, 50 and if the bid price is less, he shall owe ten times the difference to the lessors.

In the month of Heraiōn when Hestiaios was prytanis, Demetrios son of Apollonios the son of Dionysios became the tenant, with a rent of one hundred and fifty drachmas for each year, and a bid of four hundred and fifty drachmas; and he has provided as guarantor for all the conditions in the contract Nympholochos son of Ainetides.



inscription 207


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