Eleusis, Stele for Smikythion, with a suppliant, Demeter, and Kore

Τιμοκήδης Γνάθιδος εἶπεν· ἐπε[ιδ]-
ὴ Σμικυθίων ὁ περιπόλαρχος ἀ[ν]ὴ[ρ]
ἀγαθός ἐστι περὶ τὸν δῆμον τὸν Ἐλ-
ευσινίων καὶ αὐτός τε αὑτ̣ὸν ἔταξ-
εν Ἐλευσῖνάδε καὶ τοὺς στρατιώτ-
ας τοὺς μεθ’ ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ἔπραττεν π-
ρός τε τοὺς στρατηγοὺς καὶ τὸν δῆ-
[μ]ον ὅπως φυλακὴ ἱκανὴ ἔλθοι Ἐλευ-
[σῖ]νάδε καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ὅσων ἐδεῖτο̣
[εἰς φ]υλακὴν Ἐλευσῖνος, ἐψηφίσθα-
[ι Ἐλευσι]ν̣ίο̣ις ἐ[παιν]έ̣[σαι Σμι]κυθ-
[ίωνα O․․․7․․․․ Κεφαλ]ῆθ[εν καὶ στε]-
[φανῶσαι χρυσ]ῶι στεφάνωι· ἀ[νειπε]-
ῖ̣ν δὲ καὶ τὸ̣ν δήμαρχον τὸν μετ̣ὰ Ἴσ-
αρχ̣ον̣ δ̣η̣μ̣α̣ρ[χο]ῦντα Διονυσίοις ἐ-
ν τ̣οῖς τρ̣αγωιδοῖς ὅτι ὁ δῆμος ὁ Ἐλ-
[ευ]σι[νί]ων σ̣τ̣εφανοῖ Σμικυθίωνα Ọ-
[․․․7․․․․ Κε]φα[λῆ]θεν τῶιδε τῶ[ι] στε-
[φάνωι] ἀ̣ρ̣ετῆς ἕνεκα καὶ δικαιοσύ-
[νης] τῆς εἰς τὸν δῆμον τὸν Ἐλευσιν-
[ίων· ε]ἶναι δὲ αὐτῶι καὶ προεδρίαν,
[καὶ] καλεῖν τὸν δή̣μαρχον αὐτὸν τὸ-
[ν ἀεὶ] δ̣η̣μ̣αρχοῦντα καθ<ά>περ καὶ το-
[ὺς ἄλλ]ου[ς] οἷς δέδοται ἡ προεδρία·
[ὅπως δ’] ἂ[ν] καὶ εἰδῶσιν πάντες ὅτι ὁ
[δ]ῆμος ὁ Ἐλε̣[υ]σιν[ί]ων ἀποδίδωσι χά-
[ρ]ιτας το̣[ῖ]ς [εὖ] ποιοῦσιν αὐτόν, ἀνα-
[γ]ράψ̣αι δὲ τόδε τὸ ψήφισμα τὸν δήμ-
[αρχ]ον Ἴσαρχον ἐν στήλει [λ]ιθίνει
[κα]ὶ [σ]τῆσαι ὅπου ἂν δ̣ο̣[κ]εῖ ἐν καλλί-
[στ]ω̣ι εἶναι.

Timokides, son of Gnathis, proposed:

Since Smikytion, commander of the border patrol, is a good man towards the people of Eleusis, and since he stationed himself and the soldiers with him at Eleusis and acted according to the strategoi and the deme in order that sufficient protection might come to Eleusis, and did as much as was necessary to guard Eleusis, the Eleusinians decide to honor Smikythion from Kefale and crown him with a golden wreath.

The next demarch (chief magistrate) after Isarchos should announce at the Dionysia that the people of the Eleusis will crown Smikythion [O…] from Kefale with this crown because of his virtue and rightfulness towards the people of Eleusis. Also, he shall have a seat of honor, and the demarch will announce this every time, just like the others to whom a seat of honor has been awarded.

In order for everyone to know that the people of Eleusis are grateful to its benefactors, the demarch Isarchos shall write down this decision on a slab of stone and place it wherever he thinks is best.

ca. 400 BCE–ca. 300 BCE

I.Eleusis 80 (Greek)

Marco Prins

Eleusis, Museum

CC0 1.0 Universal

Eleusis

Greece

Inscription, Deity, Relief, Source