Coming a few years after Magnesia achieved widespread recognition of its inviolability, the envoys sent out by Teos were following a well established precedent. The conquests of Antiochos III in Asia Minor played a major role in persuading Teos to seek inviolability; see K.J.Rigsby, "Asylia: Territorial Inviolability in the Hellenistic World", pp.280-287 ( Google Books ). But the discovery of an inscription describing the response of Teos to a pirate raid ( SEG_44.949 ) has provided clear evidence of how Teos was vulnerable to attacks by sea; and it can be assumed that one of their motives was to gain some protection from such attacks.
When Alexandros of Kalydon was general, at the Panaitolika; since the Teians have sent Pythagoras and Kleitos as envoys to renew our close relationship and friendship, and to urge the Aetolians to concede that their city and territory is sacred to Dionysos and inviolable; it is resolved by the Aetolians to maintain our existing friendship and close relationship with the Teians, and that the previous decree about their privileges shall remain valid; and that the Aetolians shall regard their city and territory as sacred and inviolable, as the envoys have requested; and that none of the Aetolians or those who dwell in Aetolia shall seize any of the Teians or those who dwell in Teos, from wherever they set out; but that security and inviolability shall be provided to them by the Aetolians and those who dwell in Aetolia. If anyone seizes either them or their possessions from the city or its territory, the obvious cases shall be dealt with by the general and the councillors in office, but in the less obvious cases those who seized them shall be brought to trial; legal redress and the other arrangement shall be provided to the Teians, in the same way as the law has granted to the Dionysiac artists. In order that their sacred and inviolable status may be recorded in the laws, the appointed legislators {nomographoi} shall incorporate them in the laws, whenever laws are drafted.
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