This page contains links to Welles' translations of the letters (slightly expanded in some cases to include other material). Letters that are available elsewhere in translation online are flagged with a *.
For a good introduction to the royal letters, see A.Bencivenni, "The King’s Words: Hellenistic Royal Letters in Inscriptions" (chapter 6 in "State Correspondence in the Ancient World", 2014); this ends with a helpful list ( Google Books ) of all the Greek letters from kings that have been discovered in Asia, including many that have been discovered since when Welles wrote his book. Details of some of these additional letters can be found below.
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Welles
RC_1 Letter of Antigonos to Skepsis ( 311 )
RC_2 Letter of Antigonos to Eresos ( c. 306 )
RC_3 First letter of Antigonos to Teos ( c. 303 )
RC_4 Second letter of Antigonos to Teos ( c. 303 )
RC_5 Letter of Seleukos I to Miletos ( 288/7 )
RC_6 Letter of Lysimachos to Priene ( c. 285 )
RC_7 Letter of Lysimachos to Samos ( 283/2 )
RC_8 Letter of a Hellenistic king to Priene ( 3rd century )
RC_9 Letter of Seleukos I and Antiochos to Sopatros ( 281 )
RC_10-12 Letters of Antiochos I to Meleagros ( c. 275 )
RC_13 Letter of Meleagros to Ilion ( c. 275 )
RC_14 Letter of Ptolemaios II to Miletos ( c. 261 ) *
RC_15 Letter of Antiochos (II?) to Erythrai ( c. 270-255 )
RC_16 Letter of Eumenes to the army ( c. 260 )
RC_17 Letter of Antiochos II (?) to Ephesos ( c. 255 )
RC_18 Letter of Antiochos II to Metrophanes ( 254/3 )
RC_19 Letter of Metrophanes to Nikomachos ( 254/3 )
RC_20 Report of a hyparch ( 254/3 )
RC_21 Letter of Ptolemaios II to Kos ( before 250 )
RC_22 Letter of Seleukos II to Miletos ( c. 246 )
RC_23 Letter of Eumenes to Pergamon ( before 245 )
RC_24 Letter of Attalos I (?) to an official ( later half of 3rd century )
RC_25 Letter of Ziailas to Kos ( c. 240 )
RC_26 Letter of Seleukos II (?) to Kos ( c. 240 )
RC_27 Letter of an unknown king to Kos ( c. 240 )
RC_28 Letter of Ptolemaios III to Kos ( c. 240 )
RC_29 Letter of Attalos I (?) to Mylasa ( c. 230 )
RC_30 Letter of Ptolemaios IV (?) to a provincial governor ( late 3rd century )
RC_31 Letter of Antiochus III to Magnesia ( 208/7 )
RC_32 Letter of Antiochus the son to Magnesia ( 208/7 )
RC_33 Letter of Ptolemaios IV to Magnesia ( 208/7 )
RC_34 Letter of Attalos I to Magnesia ( 208/7 )
RC_35 Letter of Theodoros and Amynandros to Teos ( 205-201 )
RC_36 Letter of Antiochos III to Anaximbrotos ( 193 )
RC_37 Letter of Anaximbrotos to Dionytas ( 193 )
RC_38 Letter of (?) Zeuxis to Amyzon ( 203 )
RC_39 Letter of Antiochos III to the army ( 203 )
RC_40 Letter of an official (?) to Amyzon ( 203-190 )
RC_41 Letter of Antiochos III to Tralles ( c. 201 )
RC_42 Letter of Antiochos III (?) to Ilion ( c. 197 )
RC_43 Letter of Antiochos III to (?) Nysa, with a decree of (?) Magnesia ( c. 197 )
RC_44 Letter of Antiochos III to an official concerning the chief priest at Daphne ( 189 )
RC_45 Letter of Seleukos IV to an official at Seleukeia in Pieria ( 186 )
RC_46 Letter of an (?) Attalid king to Priene ( first half of 2nd century )
RC_47 Letter of Attalos the brother of Eumenes II ( 185 )
RC_48 Letter of Eumenes II to Temnos ( 197-159 )
RC_49 Letter of Eumenes II to Iasos ( 182 )
RC_50 Letter of Eumenes II to Kos ( 182 )
RC_51 Letter of an Attalid king to military cleruchs ( first half of 2nd century )
RC_52 Letter of Eumenes II to the Ionian League ( 167/6 )
RC_53 Letter of Eumenes II to the Guild of Dionysiac Artists at Teos ( 197-160 )
RC_54 Letter of Attalos to Amlada ( c. 160 )
RC_55 Letter of Eumenes II to Attis ( 163 )
RC_56 Letter of Eumenes II to Attis ( 163-160 )
RC_57 Letter of Attalos to Attis ( 163-160 )
RC_58 Second letter of Attalos to Attis ( 163-160 )
RC_59 Third letter of Attalos to Attis ( 163-160 )
RC_60 Fourth letter of Attalos to Attis ( 162-159 )
RC_61 Letter of Attalos II to Attis ( 159/8 )
RC_62 Letter of Attalos II to Ilion ( 160-139 )
RC_63 Letter of Orophernes to Priene ( c. 157 )
RC_64 Letter of a king to Nysa ( 2nd century )
RC_65 Letter of Attalos II to Athenaios ( 142 )
RC_66 Letter of Attalos III to Kyzikos ( 135 )
RC_67 Letter of Attalos III to Pergamon ( 135 )
RC_68 Letter of Attalos III to Hierakome in Lydia ( 138-133 )
RC_69 Letter of Attalos III concerning Hierakome in Caria ( 138-133 )
RC_70 Letter of Antiochos to Euphemos concerning grants to Zeus of Baitokaike ( late 2nd century )
RC_71 Letter of Antiochos Grypos to Ptolemaios X ( 109 )
RC_72 Letter of Antiochos Grypos to Seleukeia in Pieria ( 109 )
RC_73 Letter of Mithridates to Leonippos ( 88 )
RC_74 Second letter of Mithridates to Leonippos ( 88 )
RC_75 Letter of Artabanus III to Susa (Seleuceia on the Eulaeus) ( A.D. 21 )
Additional Letters
The following 51 letters, which have been discovered since the time when Welles wrote his book, are available in English translation either on this website, or in one of two books, "The Hellenistic World from Alexander to the Roman Conquest" by Michel Austin and "Antiochos III and the Cities of Western Asia Minor" by John Ma. Click on the G symbols to go to the Greek text of some of the letters translated by Austin.
SEG_28.1224 | Letter of Ptolemaios II to Telmessos ( 282 ) |
Austin_226 | Letter of Philetairos to Kyme ( c. 280-278 ) |
SEG_42.994 | Letter of Tlepolemos to Kildara ( 246 ) |
SEG_36.1218 | Letter of Ptolemaios III to Xanthos ( 243/2 ) |
THI_81 | Letter of a (?) Spartokid king to Kos ( c. 240 ) |
Austin_179.a G | Letter of Seleukos II to Olympichos ( c. 240 ) |
Austin_179.b G | Letter of Olympichos to Mylasa ( c. 240 ) |
SEG_65.996 | Letter of Olympichos to Mylasa, concerning Labraunda ( c. 240-235 ) |
THI_33 | Letter of Olympichos to Mylasa, concerning dedicated land ( c. 235 ) |
SEG_39.1426 | Letter of Thraseas to Arsinoē ( 238-221 ) |
THI_31.B | Letter of Philippos to Mylasa ( c. 220 ) |
THI_31.A | Letter of Philippos to Olympichos ( 220 ) |
Austin_179.c G | Letter of Olympichos to Mylasa ( 220 ) |
THI_31.C | End of a letter from Olympichos to Mylasa ( 220 ) |
SEG_39.1283 | End of a letter of Antiochos III to Sardis ( 213 ) |
SEG_39.1284 | Letter of Laodike to Sardis ( 213 ) |
SEG_39.1285 | Letter of Antiochos to Sardis ( 213 ) |
Ma_4 | Letter of Antiochos to Zeuxis, concerning Nikanor the high priest ( 209 ) |
SEG_54.1353 | Letter of Aineas to Demetrios, concerning Nikanor the high priest ( 209 ) |
Ma_15 | Letter of (?) Zeuxis to the army at Labraunda ( 203 ) |
SEG_35.1476 | Letter of Ikadion to Anaxarchos, concerning the island of Ikaros ( c. 203 ) |
SEG_29.1613'B-F | Three letters of Antiochos III to Kleon ( 202/1 ) |
SEG_29.1613'A | Letter of Antiochos III to Ptolemaios son of Thraseas ( 200 ) |
SEG_12.399 | Letter of Philippos to the Athenians in Hephaistia ( c. 200 ) |
Ma_36 | Letter of a Royal Official (?) to Sardis ( c. 197 ) |
Ma_25 | Letter of Zeuxis to Kildara ( c. 197 ) |
Austin_198 G | Letter of Laodike to Iasos ( c. 196 ) |
SEG_29.1613'G-I | Letters of Antiochos III to Marsyas and Heliodoros ( 195 ) |
Ma_31.a | Letter of Antiochos III to Herakleia ( 196-193 ) |
Ma_31.b | Letter of Zeuxis to Herakleia ( 196-193 ) |
Austin_200 G | Letter of Antiochos III to Menedemos, concerning the cult of Laodike ( 193 ) |
THI_28 | Letter of Antiochos to Menedemos, forwarded to Thoas ( 193 ) |
Ma_19.a | Letter of Antiochos III to Teos ( 203-190 ) |
Ma_19.b-c | Two letters of Antiochos the son of Antiochos III to Teos ( 203-190 ) |
SEG_64.1386 | Letter of a royal official to Limyra ( 197-190 ) |
SEG_33.673 | Letter of Antiochos III to Kos ( 220-187 ) |
SEG_47.1745 | Three letters of Eumenes II to Tyriaion ( after 188 ) |
Ma_49 | Letter of Euthydemos to Asklepiades, concerning a petition from Kadoos ( after 188 ) |
Austin_238 G | Letter of Eumenes II to Artemidoros, concerning the Kardakes ( 181 ) |
SEG_57.1838 | Letter of Seleukos IV to Heliodoros ( 178 ) |
SEG_57.1109 | Letter of Eumenes II to Tabai ( c. 166 ) |
SEG_57.1157 | Letter of Eumenes II about Apolloniou Charax ( 165/4 ) |
SEG_41.1556 | Letter of Antiochos V, concerning a petition from Iamnia ( 163 ) |
THI_101 | Beginning of a letter of Eumenes (?) II to Kaunos ( 197-159 ) |
SEG_64.1296 | Letter of Attalos to Sosthenes and Herodes ( 188-159 ) |
SEG_44.1108 | Letter of Attalos II to Olbasa in Pisidia ( 158 ) |
Austin_246 G | Letter of Attalos II to Ephesos, concerning the tutor of Attalos III ( c. 150-140 ) |
This website also contains a few royal letters and ordinances found in Macedonia and Thessaly, as follows:
Syll_332 | Kassandros grants land near Potidaia to Perdikkas ( 306-297 ) |
SEG_56.703 | Letter of Demetrios, concerning Demetrias and Pherai ( 291 ) |
SEG_38.619 | Lysimachos grants land to Limnaios ( 285/4 ) |
Syll_459 | Letter of Demetrios to the governor of Beroia ( 248/7 ) |
SEG_60.605 | Letter of Demetrios II to Therson ( c. 231-229 B.C. ) |
SEG_60.585 | Letter of Antigonos III, concerning the son of Nikarchos ( 222 ) |
SEG_60.586 | Letters of Antigonos, concerning men who fought at Sellasia ( 221 ) |
Syll_543 | Two letters from king Philippos to Larisa in Thessaly ( 217 and 215 ) |
Syll_552 | Letter from Philippos to the city of Abai ( c. 213-203 ) |
Syll_1158.C | Letter of king Philippos to Dion ( c. 200 ) |
THI_58 | Ruling of king Philippos about the property of Sarapis ( 187/6 ) |
SEG_56.635 | Edict of king Philippoa about the huntsmen of Herakles ( 186 ) |
SEG_13.403 | Letter of king Philippos to Archippos ( 181/0 ) |