75-77 | Dickinson College Commentaries

[75] ἐπειδὴ δὲ Θησεὺς συνῴκισεν αὐτοὺς καὶ δημοκρατίαν ἐποίησεν καὶ ἡ πόλις πολυάνθρωπος ἐγένετο, τὸν μὲν βασιλέα οὐδὲν ἧττον ὁ δῆμος ᾑρεῖτο ἐκ προκρίτων κατ᾽ ἀνδραγαθίαν χειροτονῶν, τὴν δὲ γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ νόμον ἔθεντο ἀστὴν εἶναι καὶ μὴ ἐπιμεμειγμένην ἑτέρῳ ἀνδρὶ ἀλλὰ παρθένον γαμεῖν, ἵνα κατὰ τὰ πάτρια θύηται τὰ ἄρρητα ἱερὰ ὑπὲρ τῆς πόλεως, καὶ τὰ νομιζόμενα γίγνηται τοῖς θεοῖς εὐσεβῶς καὶ μηδὲν καταλύηται μηδὲ καινοτομῆται.

[76] καὶ τοῦτον τὸν νόμον γράψαντες ἐν στήλῃ λιθίνῃ ἔστησαν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ τοῦ Διονύσου παρὰ τὸν βωμὸν ἐν Λίμναις (καὶ αὕτη ἡ στήλη ἔτι καὶ νῦν ἕστηκεν, ἀμυδροῖς γράμμασιν Ἀττικοῖς δηλοῦσα τὰ γεγραμμένα), μαρτυρίαν ποιούμενος ὁ δῆμος ὑπὲρ τῆς αὑτοῦ εὐσεβείας πρὸς τὸν θεὸν καὶ παρακαταθήκην καταλείπων τοῖς ἐπιγιγνομένοις, ὅτι τήν γε θεῷ γυναῖκα δοθησομένην καὶ ποιήσουσαν τὰ ἱερὰ τοιαύτην ἀξιοῦμεν εἶναι. καὶ διὰ ταῦτα ἐν τῷ ἀρχαιοτάτῳ ἱερῷ τοῦ Διονύσου καὶ ἁγιωτάτῳ ἐν Λίμναις ἔστησαν, ἵνα μὴ πολλοὶ εἰδῶσιν τὰ γεγραμμένα· ἅπαξ γὰρ τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ ἑκάστου ἀνοίγεται, τῇ δωδεκάτῃ τοῦ ἀνθεστηριῶνος μηνός.

[77] ὑπὲρ τοίνυν ἁγίων καὶ σεμνῶν ἱερῶν, ὧν οἱ πρόγονοι ὑμῶν οὕτως καλῶς καὶ μεγαλοπρεπῶς ἐπεμελήθησαν, ἄξιον καὶ ὑμᾶς σπουδάσαι, ὦ ἄνδρες Ἀθηναῖοι, καὶ τοὺς ἀσελγῶς μὲν καταφρονοῦντας τῶν νόμων τῶν ὑμετέρων, ἀναιδῶς δ᾽ ἠσεβηκότας εἰς τοὺς θεοὺς ἄξιον τιμωρήσασθαι δυοῖν ἕνεκα, ἵνα οὗτοί τε τῶν ἠδικημένων δίκην δῶσιν, οἵ τ᾽ ἄλλοι πρόνοιαν ποιῶνται καὶ φοβῶνται μηδὲν εἰς τοὺς θεοὺς καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἁμαρτάνειν.

notes

After Theseus united the people of Attica, the people passed a law that the king had to select a wife who was both a citizen and a virgin.

ἐπειδὴ δὲ Θησεὺς συνῴκισεν: according to myth, the hero Theseus united the towns of Attica into one polis (this is called the “synoecism” of Attica, from συνοικίζω).

οὐδὲν ἧττον: “no less,” i.e., “nonetheless”

ᾑρεῖτο < αἱρέω: note the middle voice. What is being referred to here—choosing from a list of pre-selected men—is a sort of double election. Whether Apollodoros is correct is a point of debate (see, e.g., Kapparis 1999: 334–35); either way, by the fourth century, the archons were selected by double sortition (that is, by lots, rather than by vote).

χειροτονῶν < χειροτονέω

τὴν δὲ γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ νόμον ἔθεντο ἀστὴν εἶναι: “they established a law that his wife should be a citizen,” i.e., of Athenian birth

ἐπιμεμειγμένην < ἐπιμείγνυμι: here with a sexual sense

γαμεῖν: supply as subject the βασιλεύς

νομιζόμενα < νομίζω, frequently in passive, “to be customary”; the neuter participle is used to mean “customs, customary rites.”

ἐν Λίμναις: the location of “the Marshes” isn’t clear, but it has been suggested that it was in the Ilissos area south of the Acropolis (Patteson 1978: 107–8; Carey 1992: 124). Kapparis 1999: 336 suggests that it may not be a literal marsh, but is meant to represent the lake where Dionysos arises on earth, coming up from the underworld.

γράμμασιν Ἀττικοῖς: the Athenians switched from the Attic to the Ionic alphabet in 403/2 BCE.

ἐπιγιγνομένοις < ἐπιγίγνομαι; the substantive is often used for “those coming after,” i.e., “posterity.”

παρακαταθήκη: take metaphorically here.

τήν γε θεῷ: Dilts 2009 adds the definite article τῷ before θεῷ, following Gernet.

τοιαύτην: take in the predicate position.

ἔστησαν: sc. τὴν στήλην

τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ ἑκάστου: genitive of time within which, G. 515.

ἀνοίγεται < ἀνοίγνυμι, “open”

τῇ δωδεκάτῃ τοῦ ἀνθεστηριῶνος: the 12^th of the month Anthesterion, that is, the Choes

ἐπεμελήθησαν: “have provided for” < ἐπιμελέομαι

ἄξιον: supply a verb like ἐστί both times this adjective appears in this section.

ἡδικημένων: “for their crimes” (see §5, LSJ δίκη IV.3, and S. 1376).

πρόνοιαν ποιῶνται: “to beware, take care”

μηδέν: translate as “at all” or “in any way” (μηδέν does not have a negative force here, but is used because it is in a fear clause).

vocabulary

Θησεύς -έως ὁ: Theseus, Theseus, national hero of Athens and Attica

συνοικίζω: combine or join in one city

δημοκρατία –ας ἡ: democracy

πολυάνθρωπος: full of people, populous

πρόκριτος: preselected, chosen

ἀνδραγαθία –ας ἡ: bravery, manly virtue, the character of a brave honest man

χειροτονέω χειροτονήσω ἐχειροτόνησα κεχειροτόνηκα κεχειροτόνημαι ἐχειροτονήθην: to elect by a show of hands

ἀστή –ῆς ἡ: fem. of ἀστός

ἐπιμίγνυμι: to mingle with (+ dat.)

παρθένος –ου ἡ: maiden, girl, virgin

γαμέω γαμῶ ἔγημα γεγάμηκα γεγάμημαι –––: marry

πάτριος –α –ον: of or belonging to one's father, paternal

ἄρρητος –ον: not to be spoken, not to be divulged, secret

εὐσεβής –ές: pious, religious, righteous

καταλύω καταλύσω κατέλυσα καταλέλυκα καταλέλυμαι κατελύθην: put an end to, dissolve, destroy

καινοτομέω: to open a new vein (in mining); to innovate

στήλη –ης ἡ: stone slab inscribed with record of victories, dedications, votes of thanks, treaties, laws, decrees, etc.

λίθινος: of stone

ἰερόν –οῦ τό: temple

Διόνυσος: Dionysos

βωμός –οῦ ὁ: altar

λίμνη –ης ἡ: pool, swamp, marsh

ἀμυδρός: indistinct, dim, obscure

Ἀττικός –ή –όν: Attic, Athenian

μαρτυρία –ας ἡ: witness, testimony, evidence

εὐσέβεια –ας ἡ: piety, reverence towards gods/parents

παρακαταθήκη: a deposit of money or property entrusted to oneʼs care

καταλείπω καλλείψω κάλλιπον καταλέλοιπα καταλέλειμμαι κατελείφθην: to leave behind

ἐπιγίγνομαι ἐπιγενήσομαι ἐπιγενόμην ἐπιγέγονα ἐπιγεγένομαι –––: come after

ἀρχαῖος –α –ον: ancient, old-fashioned, primitive

ἅγιος: devoted to the gods, sacred, holy

ἅπαξ: once, once only

ἐνιαυτός –οῦ ὁ: anniversary, year

ἀνοίγνυμι ἀνοίξω ἀνέῳξα ἀνέῳχα ––– ἀνεῴχθην: open, (pass.) be open, stand open

δωδέκατος –η –ον: twelfth

Ἀνθεστηριών: the month Anthesterion

μείς μηνός ὁ: month

σεμνός –ή –όν: holy; august

πρόγονος –ου ὁ: ancestor

μεγαλοπρεπής –ές: benevolent, generous; magnificent

ἐπιμελέομαι ἐπιμελήσομαι ἐπεμελήθην ἐπιμεμέλημαι ––– –––: to take care of, charge of (+ gen.)

σπουδάζω σπουδάσομαι ἐσπούδασα ἐσπούδακα ἐσπούδασμαι ἐσπουδάσθην: make haste, be eager, do hastily

Ἀθηναῖος –α –ον: Athenian

ἀσελγής: licentious, wanton, brutal

καταφρονέω καταφρονήσω κατεφρόνησα καταπεφρόνηκα καταπεφρόνημαι κατεφρονήθην: disdain, scorn, despise

ἀναιδής –ές: shameless

ἀσεβέω ἀσεβήσω ἠσέβησα ἠσέβηκα ἠσέβημαι ἐσεβήθην: to be impious, commit sacrilege, sin against

τιμωρέω τιμωρήσω ἐτιμωρησάμην τετιμώρηκα τετιμώρημαι ἐτιμωρήθην: help, avenge

πρόνοια –ας ἡ: foresight

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