English translation

Translation by: Catherine Dobias-Lalou

[--- To Good Fortune. It seemed good to the Council:

- that the proedroi assigned by lot for the next assembly should deliberate about that matter and that] the opinion of [the council of the Six Hundred should be communicated to] the people, which is :

- [to compliment Philoxenos son of Philiskos and by birth son of] Euphanes, a Cyrenaean, [for his behaviour on every occasion towards the city of Athens];

- to award him a golden crown [with a purple strip in accordance with] the law;

- to dedicate [two portaits of him] painted on gilded shields in the agora and in the Ptolemaion;

- [to honour him also with a portrait] painted on a gilded shield at the most prominent [place of the his fatherland] ;

- to [erect also for him] a statue with the following words inscribed: 'The [people of the Athenians [ . . . ] dedicated (scil. the statue of)] Philoxenos son of Philiskos, a Cyrenaean, [who was . . . ] because of the valour and goodwill [that he continuously expresses towards them]'.

French translation

Translation by: Catherine Dobias-Lalou

[ . . . A la bonne fortune. Plaise au conseil:

- que les proèdres tirés au sort pour la prochaine assemblée se saisissent de cette affaire et que rapport soit fait] au peuple de l'avis [du conseil des 600], à savoir qu'il plaît au conseil:

- de décerner l'éloge [à Philoxénos fils de Philiskos et par la naissance fils d'Eupha]nès, Cyrénéen, pour la conduite qu'il tient [en toute occasion à l'égard de la cité d'Athènes];

- de le couronner d'une couronne d'or [avec un bandeau de pourpre conformément] à la loi;

- de consacrer de lui [deux portraits peints] sur des boucliers dorés à l’agora et au Ptolémaion;

- [de l'honorer d'un portrait peint] sur un bouclier doré dans l'endroit le plus en vue [de sa patrie];

- [d’ériger aussi de lui] une statue portant inscrits les mots suivants: 'Le [peuple des Athéniens a consacré (scil. la statue de)] Philoxénos fils de Philiskos et par la naissance fils d’Euphanès, Cyrénéen , [ . . . ], en raison de sa valeur et du dévouement [qu’il manifeste sans cesse à son égard]'.

Commentary

The stone preserves under the moulding a projecting part that was probably intended as a tenon for fixing the stone into a hole, a device similar to that used for fixing Ptolemaios's will (IGCyr 112) along the sustaining wall of the Fountain Terrace in the Sanctuary of Apollo.

Lines 2-3: this probouleutic formula, along with some linguistic features, points to Athens as the city which issued this decree. This would be the latest instance of the formula attested up to now. The precision 'council of the 600', often omitted, is here necessary because of the space available.

At lines 4 and 10, the honorand may be identified with Φιλόξενος Φιλίσκω φύσι δέ Εὐφάνευς, on record in a list of priests of Apollo from Cyrene of the Augustan period (C.48), whereas other members of this prominent family are on record in the first century CE as eponymous magistrates in Cyrene.

Line 7. The mention of Πτολεμαῖον has been debated. From the beginning, it was thought by Gasperini, Luni and Paci (in 1986) that this was the the name (otherwise unknown) of the place where the stone was found, i.e. the Hellenistic gymnasium that preceded the Roman Caesareum. However the multiple honors decreed seem to be followed by the dedication of several portraits or statues, both at Cyrene and at Athens. For the latter, a gymnasium named Πτολεμαῖον is attested. See further C. Dobias-Lalou, art.cit.

Images

None available (2020).