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Royal Correspondence: 66


LETTER OF ATTALOS III TO KYZIKOS

Greek text:   IvP_1.248   ( OGIS_331 )
Date:     135 B.C.
Format:   see key to translations

This letter refers to the same Athenaios son of Sosandros, who was appointed as a deputy priest in RC_65. By this time, six years after the first letter, Athenaios' father had died and there was a new king ruling in Pergamon, but he continued to be held in high esteem by the new king, who no doubt intended that Athenaios should receive suitable honours from Kyzikos.


King Attalos to the council and people of Kyzikos, greetings. I am sure that you know that Athenaios the son of Sosandros, former priest of Dionysos Kathegemon and comrade of my father, is our relative, since Sosandros married the daughter of Athenaios son of Midias - that Athenaios who was the cousin of my father - and so begat him. To him in the first place as to one worthy of our house, during the lifetime of Sosandros, Attalos my uncle gave with my approval the hereditary priesthood of Zeus Sabazios, which is in great honour with us, and afterwards, on the death of Sosandros, because of his goodness and his piety towards religion and his goodwill and faith towards us, we though him worthy of the priesthood of Dionysos Kathegemon also, judging - I and my uncle Attalos - that he was worthy of the honour and that he would preside satisfactorily over such mysteries; that is on record in the eighteenth year of his reign. Knowing then that on his mother's side he is one of your citizens, I have decided to write to you, sending also the other decrees and benefactions which we have put in writing concerning him, so that you may know what affection we have towards him.

Year 4, Dios 7; Menes delivered the letter from Pergamon.

letter 67


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