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Translations of Hellenistic Inscriptions: 88


SAMOS HONOURS JUDGES FROM KOS

Greek text:   IG_12.6.1.150
Provenance:     Asklepieion , Kos
Date:   306-301 B.C.
Tags:     divine_honours ,   foreign_judges
Format:   see key to translations

This inscription is dated on the assumption that it refers to the cult of queen Phila, the wife of Demetrios I; Phila is known to have had a cult in Attica, where there was a shrine to Phila Aphrodite ( Athen_6.255'C ). It is possible, but less likely, that the inscription refers to her daughter-in-law Phila, the wife of Antigonos II.   The translation is taken from C.V.Crowther, "Koan decrees for foreign judges", pp.253-257 ( Chiron, 1999 - Google Books ), with a few minor changes.


[. . . and] to inscribe them as benefactors of the people of the [Samians and to] crown them with a golden crown, and the sacred herald is to announce the names of each of them with their fathers' names at the tragic contest at the Dionysia, to the effect that "the people of the Samians crowns the judges and the proxenoi who came from Kos, because they judged the cases correctly and justly for the Samians", and the agonothete shall take responsibility for announcement together with the demiourgos; they shall have the right to sail into and out of the port without reprisal and without the need for a treaty both in war and in peace; a position of honour in all the games which the city puts on shall also be given to them; they shall have precedence in access to the council and the people, if they require anything, immediately after religious matters and matters concerning the kings, and the magistrates in office at all times shall look after them, if they happen to need anything; they shall also be proxenoi of the city; citizenship with equal and full rights shall be given to them and the people shall put it to the vote at the assembly for elections in accordance with the law, and the prytaneis who holds the prytany for the month of Anthesterion shall bring the proposal forward concerning their citizenship and proxeny, so that the people may vote on it as prescribed by law; and if any of them wish to live on Samos, they shall have exemption from taxes for whatever they may import and if they to export any of these things, they shall be allowed to export them free from taxes. These honours shall belong to them and to their descendants. So that everyone may know what has been voted by the Samians concerning the judges and proxenoi, the secretary of the council shall inscribe this decree on two marble steles and shall set up one in the sanctuary of Hera, and the other one, when the honours for queen Phila have been completed, in the precinct voted to Phila; the steward {oikonomos} shall see to the expenditure.

An envoy to Kos shall be chosen, who should both convey the decree and request the Koan people to vote for it to be inscribed and set up in a sanctuary wherever the people votes and to proclaim the honours given to [the] judges and the proxenoi there, just as they are here.  

Resolved by the people, as proposed by Eperatos the son of Philteas: in general [as] Battos and Hermodikos proposed; but [the] prytaneis and the steward {oikonomos} shall send this decree to Kos to the proxenoi [who] brought the courts and request [them to] act [according] to what has been written.

inscription 89


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