Commantary

19

..5.. Άνδριον καί ετεφ[ανώ]-
[cai κι]ττοϋ [οτε]φάνωι άρ[ετή]-
[c ένεκα καί δικ]αιοεύν[ηο· εί]-
[ναι δε αυτόν πρ]όξενον [καί ε]-
[ύεργέτην τοΰ] δήμου τ[οϋ Άθη]
[ναίων]
In the archonship of Niketes ... because Anphis son of Di[-] of Andros
remains well-disposed towards the people of Athens both at present and
in the past, the Popular Assembly has resolved to praise Anphis son of
Di[—] of Andros and to crown him with an ivy-wreath for his virtue and
righteousness; and that he be a “proxenos” (public friend) and benefactor of
the Athenian People.
This is an honourary decree issued by the Athenian Assembly. The mention
(1. 1) of the eponymous archon (Niketes) allows us to date it in the year 332/1
BC. Hereby the Athenian people bestow on a certain Anphis (with assimi-
lation: Amphis) originating from the island of Andros the titles of proxenos
(“public friend”) and euergetes (“benefactor”). This act means that Amphis
was appointed to represent Athens’ interests (political and other) in his own
community, i. e. the island of Andros. The very fact that he represents Athens’
interests outside Athens speaks against the hypothesis that this person might
be the same individual as the one mentioned by Suda (Test. 1) as an Athenian
citizen. Besides, the bestowal of the titles of proxenos and euergetes does not
entail the conferral of Athenian citizenship as well.
It is noteworthy that the phraseology πρόξενος καί ευεργέτης τού δήμου
τοΰ Αθηναίων (11. 20-22) experiences over time an increasingly frequent oc-
currence in the Attic inscriptions, and especially so during the second half of
the fourth century BC (over twenty cases during the period 352-322 BC). For
further discussion and detailed analysis of the twin offices of proxenos and
euergetes see Walbank (1978) 2-30; Henry 1983; Marek 1984; Reiter (1991)
1-28, 313-334 (featuring a catalogue of all proxenos and euergetes cases in
Athens during the fifth century BC); Ginesti Rosell 2013.