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Supplementum Epigraphicum Graecum: 12.373/4


PELLA AND AMPHIPOLIS RECOGNISE THE INVIOLABILITY OF KOS

Greek text:   Asylia_26 ( SEG.12.373 ) ,   Asylia_23 ( SEG.12.374 )
Provenance:     Asklepieion , Kos
Date:   242 B.C.
Tags:     inviolability ,   kinship
Format:   see key to translations

In 242 B.C. the city of Kos sent envoys to many Greek states, to seek agreement that the temple of Asklepios in Kos should be regarded as inviolable. In Macedonia, the envoys obtained the agreement of king Antigonos Gonatas; and they also visited four of the most important Macedonian cities. The responses of two of the cities are shown here. For a commentary on the decrees, see K.J.Rigsby, "Asylia", pp. 134-138 ( Google Books ). Rigbsy points out that the response of Pella is somewhat non-committal about inviolability ("in the same way as other temples"), probably because at that time the envoys had not yet gained the formal support of king Antigonos.


[A]   [Decree] of the Amphipolitans.

In the forty-first year of the reign of Antigonos, when Xenias son of Orgeus was overseer {epistates} and Lysimachos was priest, a decree on the nineteenth day of the month of Gorpiaios; since the chief theoros Aristolochos son of Zmendron, who has been sent by the city of Kos, and the accompanying theoros Makareus son of Aratos, on coming into the assembly have renewed the existing kinship between the Koans and the Macedonians, and have made clear the goodwill that their city has towards king Antigonos and towards the Macedonians; and they have announced the Asklepieia {festival} that will be held in their land and the truce for the festival; and they have requested that the temple of Asklepios in Kos should be inviolable; therefore it is resolved by the city of Amphipolis to accept the announcement of the Asklepieia by the Koans and to accept the truce; and to praise the Koans for the honours that they render to the gods and for their goodwill towards king Antigonos and the Macedonians; and that their temple shall have inviolability, as also king Antigonos wishes; and that the archons shall give a gift of hospitality to the theoroi, the same as is given to those who announce the Pythian games; and that Dionysios son of Epigenes shall be the theorodokos of the Koans.

Voted unanimously.

[B]   [Decree] of the Pellaeans.

When Asklepiodoros was priest, in the month of Gorpiaios. Since the chief theoros Aristolochos son of Zmendron and the theoros Makareus son of Aratos, on arriving here from Kos, have renewed the existing kinship between the Koans and the Macedonians, and have described the goodwill that the city of Kos has towards king Antigonos and towards the Pellaeans and the rest of the country of the Macedonians; and they have announced the Asklepieia {festival} that will be held in their land and the contests that will occur during the festival and the truce for the festival; and they have requested that the temple of Asklepios in Kos should be inviolable; therefore it is resolved by the city to accept the announcement of the Asklepieia by the Koans and to accept the truce; and to praise the Koans for the honours that they render to the gods and for their goodwill towards king Antigonos and the Macedonians; and that their temple shall have inviolability in the same way as other temples; and that the treasurers shall give gifts of hospitality to the theoroi, the same as are given to those who announce games with a prize of crowns; and a theorodokos shall be appointed for the Koans.   Hipp... was appointed.


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