Isokrates and Diodorus speak loosely of this vote, in language
which might make us imagine that it was one of distinct
restitution, giving back property _actually enjoyed_. But the
Athenians had never actually regained the outlying private
property lost at the close of the war, though they had much
desired it, and had cherished hopes that a favorable turn of
circumstances might enable them to effect the recovery. As the
recovery, if effected, would be at the cost of those whom they
were now soliciting as allies, the public and formal renunciation
of such rights was a measure of much policy, and contributed
greatly to appease uneasiness in the islands; though in point of
fact nothing was given up except rights to property not really
enjoyed.
An Inscription has recently been discovered at Athens, recording
the original Athenian decree, of which the main provisions
are mentioned in my text. It bears date in the archonship of
Nausinikus. It stands, with the restorations of M. Boeckh
(fortunately a portion of it has been found in tolerably good
preservation), in the Appendix to the new edition of his
work,—“Über die Staats-haushaltung der Athener—Verbesserungen und
Nachträge zu den drei Banden der Staats-haushaltung der Athener,”
p. xx.
Ἀπὸ δὲ Ναυσινίκου ἄρχοντος μὴ ἐξεῖναι μήτε ἰδίᾳ μήτε δημοσίᾳ
Ἀθηναίων μηδενὶ ἐγκτήσασθαι ἐν ταῖς τῶν συμμάχων χώραις μήτε
οἰκίαν μήτε χώριον, μήτε πριαμένῳ, μήτε ὑποθεμένῳ, μήτε ἄλλῳ
τρόπῳ μηδενί. Ἐὰν δέ τις ὠνῆται ἢ κτᾶται ἢ τίθηται τρόπῳ ὁτῳοῦν,
ἐξεῖναι τῷ βουλομένῳ τῶν συμμάχων φῆναι πρὸς τοὺς συνέδρους τῶν
συμμάχων. Οἱ δὲ σύνεδροι ἀπο- -μενοι ἀποδόντων [τὸ μὲν ἥ]μισυ
τῷ φῄναντι, τὸ δὲ ἄ[λλο κοιν]ὸν ἔστω τῶν συνμμάχων. Ἐὰν δέ τις
[ἴῃ] ἐπὶ πολέμῳ ἐπὶ τοὺς ποιησαμένους τὴν συμμαχίαν, ἢ κατὰ γῆν
ἢ κατὰ θάλασσαν, βοηθεῖν Ἀθηναίους καὶ τοὺς συμμάχους τούτοις καὶ
κατὰ γῆν καὶ κατὰ θάλασσαν παντὶ σθένει κατὰ τὸ δυνατόν. Ἐὰν δέ
τις εἴπῃ ἢ ἐπιψηφίσῃ, ἢ ἄρχων ἢ ἰδιώτης, παρὰ τόδε τὸ ψήφισμα,
ὡς λύειν τι δεῖ τῶν ἐν τῷδε τῷ ψηφίσματι εἰρημένων, ὑπαρχέτω μὲν
αὐτῷ ἀτίμῳ εἶναι, καὶ τὰ χρήματα αὐτοῦ δημόσια ἔστω καὶ τῆς θεοῦ
τὸ ἐπιδέκατον· καὶ κρινέσθω ἐν Ἀθηναίοις καὶ τοῖς συμμάχοις ὡς
διαλύων τὴν συμμαχίαν. Ζημιούντων δὲ αὐτὸν θανάτῳ ἢ φυγῇ ὅπου
Ἀθηναῖοι καὶ οἱ σύμμαχοι κρατοῦσι. Ἐὰν δὲ θανάτῳ τιμήθῃ, μὴ
ταφήτω ἐν τῇ Ἀττικῇ μηδὲ ἐν τῇ τῶν συμμάχων.
Then follows a direction, that the Secretary of the Senate of
Five Hundred shall inscribe the decree on a column of stone,
and place it by the side of the statue of Zeus Eleutherius;
with orders to the Treasurers of the goddess to disburse sixty
drachmas for the cost of so doing.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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