The Hellenistic Period Historical Sources in Translation Edited by Roger S. Bagnall and Peter Derow New edition Previous edition published as Greek Historical Documents: The Hellenistic Period
The Hellenistic Period
Blackwell Sourcebooks in Ancient History This series presents readers with new translations of the raw material of ancient history. It provides direct access to the ancient world, from wars and power politics to daily life and entertainment, allowing readers to discover the extraordinary diversity of ancient societies. Published Alexander the Great Waldemar Heckel and John Yardley The Hellenistic Period Roger S. Bagnall and Peter Derow In Preparation The Ancient Near East Mark Chavalas Bread and Circuses Alison Futrell
The Hellenistic Period Historical Sources in Translation Edited by Roger S. Bagnall and Peter Derow New edition Previous edition published as Greek Historical Documents: The Hellenistic Period
1981, 2004 by Roger S. Bagnall and Peter Derow 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148-5020, USA 108 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1JF, UK 550 Swanston Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia The right of Roger S. Bagnall and Peter Derow to be identified as the Authors of this Work has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988, without the prior permission of the publisher. First edition published 1981 by Scholars Press under the title Greek Historical Documents: The Hellenistic Period. Second edition published 2004 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data The Hellenistic Period : historical sources in translation / edited by Roger S. Bagnall and Peter Derow. p. cm. (Blackwell sourcebooks in ancient history ; 1) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-40510-132-6 (alk. paper) ISBN 1-40510-133-4 (alk. paper) 1. Mediterranean Region History To 476 Sources. 2. Greece History Macedonian Hegemony, 323-281 B.C. Sources. 3. Greece History 281-146 B.C. Sources. 4. Hellenism Sources. I. Bagnall, Roger S. II. Derow, Peter. III. Series. DE86.H38 2003 938.08 dc21 2002153416 A catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library. Set in Stone Serif 10/12.5 by SNP Best-set Typesetter Ltd., Hong Kong Printed and bound in the United Kingdom by TJ International Ltd., Padstow, Cornwall For further information on Blackwell Publishing, visit our website: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com
To the memory of C. Bradford Welles
Contents Table of Documents List of Illustrations Preface Note on Editorial Practice Abbreviations Note on Reading Documents ix xv xvii xxi xxii xxiv The Texts 1 I Political History 1 II The Foreign Possessions of the Ptolemies 111 III Life in Greek Cities 119 IV The Bureaucracy of Ptolemaic Egypt 144 V The Royal Economy of Egypt 163 VI The Military and Police of Ptolemaic Egypt 199 VII The Ptolemaic Legal and Judicial System 206 VIII Social Relations and Private Life 229 IX Religion 247 Appendix: Ptolemaic Administration 285 Tables and Charts 289 I Ptolemaic Kings 289 II Seleucid Kings to 96 BC 290 III Antigonid Kings 290 IV Attalid Rulers 291 V Months 291 VI Currency 292
viii CONTENTS Glossary and Index of Greek Terms 293 Concordance: Papyri 301 Concordance: Inscriptions 305 Concordance between Editions 309 Index of Persons, Places and Subjects 311
Table of Documents I Political History 1 A Alexander the Great (336 323) 1 1 Priene Honours Antigonus 334 1 2 Letter of Alexander to the Chians 332 2 3 Cyrene Supplies Grain to the Greeks 330 326 3 4 Restoration of Exiles to Tegea 324 4 5 Restoration of Exiles to Mytilene 324 5 B The Successors of Alexander (323 276) 8 6 Antigonus and Skepsis 311 8 7 Two Letters of Antigonus to Teos 306 302 11 8 The Hellenic League of 302 16 9 Ephesos Recovers from War after 297 19 10 The Ionian League Honours Hippostratos of Miletos 289/8 23 11 Lysimachus and Priene c.285 24 12 Letter of Lysimachus to Samos 283/2 26 13 Athens Honours Philippides 283/2 27 14 Knidian Loans to Miletos 283/2 29 15 Letter of Seleucus I and his Son to an Official 281 32 16 Ilion and Antiochus I 279 274 32 17 Kos Gives Thanks for Defeat of the Gauls 278 34 C The Period of Stability (276 221) 36 18 Gift of Land by Antiochus I c.274 36 19 Chremonides Decree 265/4 38 20 Antiochus I and the Ionian League 268 262 41 21 Ptolemy II and Miletos c.262 42 22 Letter of Antiochus II to Erythrai after 261 (?) 45 23 Eumenes I and his Mercenaries 263 241 46 24 Berenike s Journey to Syria 252 48
x TABLE OF DOCUMENTS 25 Correspondence about a Sale of Land by Antiochus II 254/3 49 26 Ptolemy III Euergetes: the Adoulis Inscription c.246 51 27 Report on the Third Syrian War c.246 53 28 Delphi, Smyrna and Seleucus II 242 (?) 55 29 Magnesia, Smyrna and Seleucus II after 242 (?) 56 30 Decree of the Achaean League c.234 62 D The Period of Roman Intervention (221 189) 64 31 Pharos and Rome after 219 (?) 64 32 Philip V and Larisa 215 66 33 Alliance Between Rome and the Aetolian League 211 68 34 Enslavement During a Native Revolt 197 69 35 Lampsakos, Massilia and Rome 197/6 70 36 Letter of Flamininus to Chyretiai 197 194 73 37 Statue of Flamininus at Gytheion 195 74 38 Eumenes II and the War Against Nabis 195 74 39 M. Valerius Messalla Writes to the Teans 193 75 40 The Scipios Write to Herakleia-by-Latmos 190 76 41 Letter of C. Livius Salinator to Delphi 189/8 77 42 An Honorary Decree from Chios c.188 78 E The Struggle for the Survival of Hellenism (189 30) 80 43 A Letter of Eumenes after 188 80 44 Rome and Perseus 172/1 82 45 Decree of the Senate on the Affairs of Thisbe 170 83 46 Dispatch from the Front in the Civil War of 169/8 c.169/8 85 47 Eumenes II and the Ionian League 167/6 87 48 Chalkis Honours Ariston of Soloi 170 168 89 49 Alliance Between Maroneia and Rome 167 90 50 Eumenes II, Attalus II and the Gauls c.156 91 51 Will of Ptolemy the Younger 155 92 52 Letter of Q. Fabius Maximus to Dyme 144/3 93 53 Letter from Esthladas to his Parents 130 94 54 Decree of Amnesty and Regulation 118 95 55 Letter of King Antiochus to King Ptolemy 109 101 56 Decree for Diophantos, Strategos of King Mithridates VI c.107 102 57 Chaeremon of Nysa, Mithridates and Rome 88 and following 104 58 Correspondence of Platon 88 106 59 Cn. Pompeius Magnus c.67 107 60 Report on Disturbance in the Country probably 58 107 61 Disturbance in the Province of Asia probably 51/50 108 62 An Egyptian View of Rabirius Postumus after 55/54 109 63 Cleopatra s Golden Handcuffs for a Roman 33 109
TABLE OF DOCUMENTS xi II The Foreign Possessions of the Ptolemies 111 64 Ordinances about Registration 260 111 65 Letters of Toubias 257 113 66 Letter of Apollonios about Grain 261 115 67 Memorandum to Zenon 258/7 115 68 Affairs in Kalynda 248 116 69 Visit of a Roman Senator 112 118 III Life in Greek Cities 119 70 Mausolus and Cretan Knossos 350s 119 71 Isopolity between Pergamon and Temnos early third century 120 72 Praxikles Loan to Arkesine late fourth early third century 121 73 The Delians Honour Philokles, King of the Sidonians c.280 123 74 Athens Honours Herakleides of Cyprian Salamis 325/4 124 75 A Samian Grain Law second century 126 76 Decree for Boulagoras of Samos c.240 129 77 Polythroos Provides for Education at Teos second century 131 78 Decree and Gymnasiarchic Law of Beroia 200 170 133 79 Ilion Honours Physician of Antiochus I 275 268/7 138 80 Eumenes I and Pergamon c.260 245 139 81 The Thessalian League Sends Grain to Rome 129 (?) 140 82 Coinage Decree of the Delphic Amphictyons 150 100 142 IV The Bureaucracy of Ptolemaic Egypt 144 83 Appointment of a Komogrammateus 119 144 84 Oath of Office 246 222 145 85 Letter of Marres to Menches c.119 111 146 86 Account of a Postal Station c.255 147 87 Announcement of a Government Auction c.223 148 88 Avoiding a Liturgy 257 149 89 Letter to Zenon from Kaunians Seeking Help 257 150 90 Letter to Zenon about Petitioner 249 151 91 Zenon Petitions the King c.246 240 152 92 Petition about Assessment 254 253 153 93 The Bureaucrats Open a Sluice-Gate 232 154 94 Official Correspondence: Don t Move the Hives; Send Calves 226 155 95 Declaration of House-property 210 183 156 96 Letter about Collection of Taxes 228 157 97 Letter about Protection of Tax-farmer 117 158
xii TABLE OF DOCUMENTS 98 A Komarch s Extortion Racket 151 158 99 Receipt for Medical and Police Taxes 231 160 100 Letter to Zenon about Wax 253 161 101 Tax-farmer s Petition for Relief 236 162 V The Royal Economy of Egypt 163 102 Letter to Apollonios about Reminting Coins 258 163 103 Instructions of the Dioiketes to an Oikonomos late third century 165 104 Hard and Soft Stone for Irrigation Works 256 169 105 Plans for Reclamation Work 259 169 106 Correspondence about the Sowing Schedule 190 172 107 Receipt for Seed Grain 261 173 108 Flooding of a Field 218 174 109 Loss of Water Supply 112/1 175 110 Protection of the Crops 111 176 111 Order for Delivery of Grain 265 178 112 Receipt for Embarkation of Grain 252 178 113 Lease of a Vineyard 170 179 114 Revenue Laws of Ptolemy Philadelphos 259 181 115 Assault on an Oil Contractor 114 195 116 Overcharging for Oil 217 196 117 Regulating the Price of Myrrh 267 197 VI The Military and Police of Ptolemaic Egypt 199 118 Reimbursement of Naval Expenses 257 199 119 A Letter from Apollonios about Wood for the Navy 250 201 120 Pay for Elephant-hunters 223 201 121 Complaint about Owner of Lodging 244/3 202 122 Royal Ordinances c.240 203 123 The Allotment of the Orphan Son of a Military Man 142 205 VII The Ptolemaic Legal and Judicial System 206 124 City Laws of Alexandria mid third century 206 125 Regulations about Self-identification in Contracts late third century 211 126 Petition about Usury and Illegal Detention 245/4 212 127 Letter from a Man in Jail mid third century 213 128 Sent to Break Rocks for Representing a Woman Illegally 241/0 (?) 214 129 Contract for Sureties 264 215 130 Decree about a Surety 237 216 131 Report on an Investigation 114 217
TABLE OF DOCUMENTS xiii 132 Trial of Hermias and the Choachytai 117 218 133 Action before the Chrematistai 154 or 143 225 134 Getting Help to Collect a Debt second century 227 135 Problems with a Brewery 254 227 VIII Social Relations and Private Life 229 136 Bilingualism third century 229 137 Complaint by a Non-Greek about Contemptuous Treatment c.256 255 230 138 Petition about an Assault 161 232 139 Learning Egyptian second century 233 140 Scalding in the Baths 221 234 141 Ordinance about Slave Sales c.198 197 234 142 Procedural Laws about Slaves third century 236 143 Sale of a Slave girl 259 237 144 Offer of Reward for Escaped Slaves 156 237 145 Marriage Contract 311 238 146 Request for a Guardian 218 240 147 Will 284 240 148 A Military Settler s Will 238/7 241 149 A Greek Will in an Egyptian Milieu 123 242 150 Preparations for a Festival c.245 244 151 A Dancer Hires a Flautist 231 244 152 Ungrateful Daughter 221 245 IX Religion 247 A Greek Sanctuaries and Cities 247 153 Magnesia-on-the-Maeander and Artemis Leukophryene after 208/7 247 154 Royal Letters to Magnesia-on-the-Maeander c.205 248 155 Epidamnos and Magnesia after 208/7 250 156 Letter of Kings Theodoros and Amynander to Teos 205 201 252 157 Accounts and Inventories of the Temple of Apollo on Delos 179 253 158 Establishment of a Royal Cult of Laodike 193 259 159 Antiochus III Appoints a Chief Priest at Daphne 189 260 B Cults in Ptolemaic Egypt 261 160 Decree about the Dionysiac Artists c.215 205 261 161 Returning Home for the Festival 230 (?) 262 162 The Synodos of Zeus Hypsistos c.69 58 263 163 Release on the King s Birthday 254 264 164 The Canopus Decree 238 264