IG XI 4, 613
Praxiphanes of Mytilene, the son of Dionysiphanes: philosopher and γραμματικός
Date:
Edition:
270-260 BC
θεοί.
ἔδοξεν τῆι βουλῆι καὶ τῶι δήμωι·
Χοιρύλος Θαρσύνοντος εἶπεν·
ἐπειδὴ Πραξιφάνης vacat
5 Διονυσιφάνους χρήσιμος ὢν
διατελεῖ τῆι πόλει τῆι Δηλίων
καὶ ποεῖ ὅ τι δύναται ἀγαθὸν
Δηλίους καὶ λόγωι καὶ ἔργωι·
δεδόχθαι τῶι δήμωι· εἶναι
10 Πραξιφάνη Διονυσιφάνους
εὐεργέτην τε τοῦ ἱεροῦ τοῦ ἐν
Δήλωι καὶ πρόξενον Δηλίων καὶ
αὐτὸν καὶ ἐγγόνους αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶναι
αὐτοῖς ἀτέλειαν πάντων καὶ γῆ[ς]
15 καὶ οἰκίας ἔγκτησιν καὶ πολι-
τείαν καὶ προεδρίαν ἐν τοῖς
ἀγῶσι· ἐπιμελεῖσθαι δὲ αὐτῶν
καὶ τὴν βουλὴν τὴν ἀεὶ βουλεύ-
ουσαν ἐάν τινος δέωνται χρη-
20 ματίζουσαν πρώτοις μετὰ τὰ
ἱερά· ὅπως δὲ εἶ κύρια τὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ
δήμου ἐψηφισμένα, ἀναγράψαι
τόδε τὸ ψήφισμα τὴν μὲν βουλὴν
εἰς τὸ βουλευτήριον, τοὺς δὲ
25 ἱεροποιοὺς εἰς τὸ ἱερόν.
Translations (it):
“Sembrò bene al consiglio e all’assemblea. Choirylos figlio di Tharsynon propose: poiché Praxiphanes figlio di Dionysiphanes continua a essere utile alla città dei Delii e fa per i Delii ciò che di buono gli è possibile sia con le parole sia con le azioni: è sembrato bene al consiglio che Praxiphanes figlio di Dionysiphanes sia evergete del santuario a Delo e prosseno dei Delii, sia lui sia i suoi discendenti, e che essi abbiano l’esenzione da tutte le tasse, il possesso di terra e casa, la cittadinanza e la proedria negli agoni. Si occupi di loro anche il consiglio, quello che via via è in carica, se abbiano bisogno di qualcosa, dando loro udienza per primi dopo gli affari sacri. Affinchè queste deliberazioni (prese) dall’assemblea siano legittime, il consiglio faccia incidere questo decreto presso il bouleuterion e gli hieropoioi presso il santuario.”
Translations (en):
“It was resolved by the boule and the demos: since Praxiphanes, the son of Dionysiphanes, continues to be useful to the city and the Delians and behaves towards the Delians as positively as he can with words and actions: it was resolved by the demos that Praxiphanes shall be benefactor of the sanctuary in Delos and proxenos of the Delians, he and his descendants, and they shall have exemptions from public burdens, the right to own land and buildings, citizenship and privileged seating at contests; the boule, the one that is always in charge, shall take care of them whether they shall be in need of anything, granting them access second only to sacred matters. In order to make these pronouncements legitimate, the council shall inscribe this decree in the council-hall, and the hieropoioi shall inscribe it in the sanctuary.”
Commentary (en):
In this inscription, the famous philosopher and γραμματικός Praxiphanes of Mytilene is recognized as proxenos and benefactor of the Delians. He was active for long time in Rhodes, where he was conceivably granted honorary citizenship, as well as in Delos (ll. 15-16). He was ἐταῖρος and μαθητής of Theophrastus, with whom he probably entertained a difficult relationship, as well as with Callimachus, who was Praxiphanes’s pupil together with Aratus. His relations with Epicurus and also other intellectuals allow us to include Praxiphanes at the center of the cultural milieu of the 3rd century BC.
