Under this heading, Sylloge³ collected the inscriptions referring to the celebration of the Pythaïs in 106/5 B.C. The translation of K is adapted from M.R.Lefkowitz & M.B.Fant, "Women's life in Greece and Rome" (1982), page 118.
Inscription M, which was placed on the Athenian acropolis, was not included in Sylloge³. The priestess Chrysis, who was also honoured in K, belonged to an influential Athenian family; see K.Karila-Cohen, "La famille de Dionysios fils d'Athênobios ..." ( academia.edu ).
Six of the inscriptions have not been translated here: A ( FD_3.2.4 - Greek text ), a fragmentary list of the Athenian archons and other officials; C ( FD_3.2.9 - Greek text ), a list of theoroi; E ( FD_3.2.30 - Greek text ), a fragmentary list of kanephoroi; F ( FD_3.2.25 - Greek text ), a list of 97 ephebes; G ( FD_3.2.28 - Greek text ), a list of 78 knights; and H ( FD_3.2.43-44 - Greek text ), a short list of victors in equestrian contests.
[B] With good fortune for the [council] and the people of Athens. When Xenokrates was archon at Delphi, and Agathokles was archon at Athens, and [Dionysios] son of Demetrios was general of the [hoplites], and Lysias son of Artemon was priest of Apollo, and Phaidros son of Attalos was pythochrēstos exēgētēs, and Kallias son of Habron was the exēgētēs appointed by the people; 10 the following men led the Pythaïs:
[D¹] [ . . . the following were sent out by the Athenian people . . . ]
From the Pyrrhakidai:
Aineias son of Herakleides
Bearer of the fire {purporos} from Delphi: Timō
Pythaists from Eupatridai:
Habrias son of Kallias
Kallias son of Euktemon
Timokrates son of Timokr...
Theaios son of Leon
Seer: Charmylos son of Charmylos
From the Kerykes:
Themistokles son of Theophrastos
Archonides son of Naukrates
Philotades [son of Aristaichmos]
From the Euneidai:
Philoxenos son of Nikias
Dioskourides son of Dioskourides
Nikias son of Nikias
From the Tetrapoleis:
Chairisandros son of Phanoleōs
Officer in charge of the first-fruits: Amphikrates son of [Epistratos]
[D²]
Chief theoros of the pythaists : Agathokles [of Aixone], son of Agathokles
Pythaists chosen by lot:
[I] [Since Eirenaios son of Eirenaios, who (?) was sent by] the people of Athens [as officer in charge of the revenues, has acted as a good man towards the temple and towards the city], and he performed the sacrifices . . . [and he conducted himself during his residence here in a fitting manner, worthy] of the god and of the Athenian people [and of our city; therefore with good fortune it is resolved by the] city of Delphi to praise Eirenaios of Athens, the son of Eirenaios, [and to crown him with the] wreath [of the god], with which the Delphians traditionally crown their benefactors, [on account of] the virtue [and honourable conduct] that he continually shows towards the temple and our city; he shall be granted, both for himself [and for his descendants], proxeny, priority in consulting the oracle, priority in receiving justice, inviolability, freedom from taxes, privileged seating at all the [games that the city] holds, and all the other privileged that [are granted] to the other proxenoi and benefactors [of the city]; and the magistrates shall send to them the largest gifts of hospitality that are permitted by law. When [Xenokrates] was archon and the members of the council for the second half of the year were Timoleon son of Emmenidas, Nikodamos son of [Straton] and Archon son of Kallikrates as secretary of the council.
[K] [The magistrates and the city of Delphi to the council and the people of Athens, greetings. We have appended a copy of the decree given by us to Chrysis daughter of Niketes, to be delivered by . . .] of Athens, our [proxenos, so that] you may be aware of it. Farewell.
Whereas the people of Athens led a Pythaïs to Pythian Apollo in a grand manner worthy of the god and of their particular excellence; and the priestess of Athena, Chrysis daughter of Niketes, who also was present with the procession, conducted herself during her residence here well, appropriately, and in a manner worthy of both the people of Athens 10 and our own city; therefore with good fortune it is resolved by the city of Delphi to praise Chrysis the daughter of Niketes of Athens, and to crown her with the god's crown as is customary at Delphi; she shall be granted by the city, both for herself and for her descendants, proxeny, priority in access to the oracle, priority in receiving justice, inviolability, freedom from taxes, privileged seating at all the games that the city holds, the right to own land and buildings, and all the other privileges that are held by other proxenoi and benefactors 20 of the city. When Xenokrates son of Agesilaos was archon, and the members of the council for the second half the year were Timoleon son of Emmenidas, Nikodamos son of Straton, and Archon son of Kallikrates as secretary of the council.
The city of Delphi crowns Chrysis, the daughter of Niketes 30 of Athens.
[L] The magistrates and the city of Delphi to the Dionysiac artists, greetings. We have appended a copy of the response [that we gave] to you, so that [you may be aware]. Farewell.
Since the Dionysiac [artists] at Athens and their supervisor Alexandros son of Ariston, a [comic] poet, are piously disposed towards the divinity, and honour their own people, and wish to increase the devotion that they give to the gods, because they were the first benefactors of all culture and the founders of dramatic contests; and they have had particular concern for [everything] that contributes to glory, for which they have been granted inviolability and the other privileges that contribute to security and glory, by the Amphictyons and the other Greeks and the Roman commanders - and now, when the Athenians following [tradition] and the previous decrees sent the customary sacred Pythaïs every ninth year, in accordance with the oracle [of the god] for the health and safety of all the citizens and their children and wives and their friends and allies, they offered the ancestral sacrifices to the god sumptuously, 10 and they adorned the procession in a fine manner, worthy of the god and their homeland and the guild of the artists and their own good repute and virtue in all matters, offering many more [sacrifices] and first fruits and ministrations than on previous occasions - they sang the traditional paian magnificently, and from the beginning of the games they performed songs to the god through their own professional skills, and honoured Apollo Patroïos with pleasing and memorable expressions of gratitude, by which they exalted the excellent founder of piety as much as they could, and assigned honours to the gods from the personal vocations; and they sent as supervisor and chief theoros on their behalf Alexandros son of Ariston, a comic poet, and as theoroi Diokles son of Aischines, a tragic subdirector, Glaukon son of Herakleides, a comic actor, Aristomenes son of Aristomenes, a tragic poet, Agathokles son of Sokrates, a comic actor, Ariston son of Menelaos, a tragic poet, Chairestratos son of Philagros, a tragic supporting actor {synagonist}, and . . . son of Poseidonios, a tragic supporting actor; and they sent as director of the great choir Diokles son of Aischines, a tragic subdirector; as citharists: . . . , Demetrios son of Moschion, Apollonios son of ...naios, Dionysios son of Dionysios, and Leonides son of ...lonides; as accompanists on the cithara: He... son of Theobios, Dionysion son of Simalos, and Solon son of ...kles; 20 as pipers: Eretymenes son of Theodoros, Agon son of Kleon, Kleitophon son of Menodotos, Theodoros son of Eretymenes, Eunomos son of Nikodromos, and Leon son of Leon; and as singers of the paian and the chorus:
Therefore in order that the Delphians may remember and show appropriate thanks, with good fortune it is resolved by the city of Delphi 40 to praise the association of Dionysiac artists and to crown them with the golden crown of the god, with which it is the ancestral custom to crown our private benefactors; and they shall set up two golden statues of the guild, one at Delphi in the most prominent places in the temple, and one at Athens in the court of Dionysos; they shall ask the Athenian people to set this up, and they shall write on the base of each of the statues, that the city of Delphi has dedicated a statue of the guild of the artists at Athens, on account of their virtue and their reverence towards the divinity; the magistrates shall make the proclamation of the crowns in the athletic contest of the [ Pythian ] and the Soteria games, in accordance with the decree. Likewise they shall give the [same] honours to their supervisor and chief theoros Alexandros; and they shall also crown the chorus director Diokles and the theoroi with the {laurel} crown of the god; and they shall praise 50 the rest of the artists who have visited us and have performed their sacred duties, for their good behaviour and zealousness; and there shall be granted to all the artists in Athens inviolability , priority in consulting the oracle, a leading place in processions, and proxeny, both for themselves and for their descendants; and they shall be given the other honours and privileges by
the Delphians, which are given to other benefactors. So that the [honourable conduct and goodwill] of such men may be evident to all future generations, [this decree shall be inscribed] in the [temple] of Apollo [on the treasury of the Athenians]; and a copy of it [shall be sent] to the council and people [of Athens], 60 and likewise to the guild of the artists at Athens.
[M] This statue of [the priestess] of Athena Polias, Chrysis of Pergasē, [the daughter of Niketes] - their [cousin] - was dedicated to Athena Polias by [Dionysios] and Niketes and Philylla, the children [of Athenobios] of Eupyridai.
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