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I O . R O M E O U T S I D E R O M E<br />

SEGxr.923.7-40<br />

10.5a Festival regulations from Greece (c. A.D. 15)<br />

This Greek inscription from Gvthetim (near Sparta} records the regulations<br />

for celebrating various fesrivals of the imperial cult—to be conducted by a local<br />

magistrate, the agoranomos. It is striking how far the celebration of these<br />

imperial festivals is linked to the celebration of local benefactors of the traditional<br />

religious institutions of the city.<br />

See further: Rostovtzeff (1930); Price (1984) 210-11*; for images in the<br />

worship of the emperor, Price (1984) 170-206.<br />

[The agoranomos] shall celebrate the first day for the god Caesar Augustus, son of the god<br />

, our Saviour and Deliverer; the second day for the emperor [Ti]berius Caesar<br />

Augustus, father of the fatherland; the third day for Julia Augusta, the Fortune of our<br />

nation and city; the fourth day (of Victory) for Getmanicus Caesar; the fifth day (of<br />

Aphrodite) for Drusus Caesar; and the sixth day for Titus Quinctius Flamininus; 1<br />

[the<br />

agoranomos] shall be responsible for the good order of the contestants. He shall render<br />

accounts to the city for all payments to the performers and for the administration of the<br />

sacred monies at the first assembly meeting after the contest. If he is found to have<br />

misappropriated funds or to have rendered false accounts, after conviction he shall be<br />

ineligible for public office and his possessions shall be confiscated. What is confiscated<br />

shall be sacred property and used by the annual archontes to provide for the decoration<br />

[of the city . . . ]<br />

Following on the days for the gods and rulers, the agoranomos shall introduce thymellc<br />

games 2<br />

for two more days, one to the memory of Gains Julius Eurycles, many times<br />

benefactor of our nation and city, and a second day in honour of Gaius Julius Laco, 3<br />

protector of the security of our nation and city. The games of the goddess he shall celebrate on whatever days he can; and when he leaves the office, the<br />

city shall hand over, with written record, to his successor all the sacrificial victims for the<br />

games and obtain a handwritten receipt for them. When the agoranomos is holding the<br />

thymelic games, 2<br />

he shall conduct a procession from the temple of Asklepios and Health,<br />

including the ephebes, 4<br />

the young men and the other citizens, wearing bay-leaf garlands<br />

and white clothes. Also in the procession will be the sacred maidens and the women in<br />

sacred clothes. When the procession reaches the Caesareion, 5<br />

the ephors 6<br />

shall sacrifice a<br />

bull on behalf of the safety of our rulers and gods and the eternal continuance of their<br />

rule. After their own sacrifice, they will bid the common messes 7<br />

and the magistrates to<br />

sacrifice in the agora . If they fail to hold the procession, or fail to sacrifice,<br />

or after sacrificing fail to make the messes and magistrates sacrifice in the agora, they shall<br />

pay two thousand sacred drachmae to the gods. Any willing citizen of Gytheum may<br />

accuse them.<br />

During the office of Chairon as strategos and as priest of the god Augustus<br />

Caesar, the ephors/' the colleagues of Terenritis Biadcs, shall deliver three painted images<br />

254

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