Collection: Athens, Acropolis Museum
Title: Decree honoring the Proxenoi from Abydos (Troad)
Context: From Athens, Acropolis
Findspot: Found at Athens, Acropolis
Summary: Athena seated on a rock, with an eagle perched on her knee, and a possible personification of the demos of Abydos
Object Function: Honorary
Material: Marble
Sculpture Type: Stele, relief-decorated
Category: Single monument
Style: Late Classical
Technique: Low relief
Original or Copy: Original
Date: ca. 400 BC - ca. 375 BC
Dimensions: H. 0.51 m; W. 0.435 m
Scale: Miniature (pictorial field)
Region: Attica
Period: Late Classical

Subject Description: In the right half sits Athena, in 3/4-view to the left. She wears a himation and her gorgoneion over her peplos, and rests her feet on a footstool. Her helmet sits on the ground, at her left side. She rests her left arm on her shield, and raises her right hand, in which she probably held a painted spear (not now visible). An eagle is perched on her knees, profile to the left, although he turns his head profile to the right. In front of Athena stands a man, shown at a smaller scale, standing in 3/4-view to the right. He wears a chiton and himation and raises his right hand, in salute or adoration. He may be one of the proxenoi or a personification of the Demos (people) of Abydos.

Form & Style: A moulding comprised of a taenia above an ovolo separates the relief from the document,

Condition: Intact

Condition Description: Two rejoined fragments (with slight restorations) preserve the upper part of a decree and most of the attached relief, above. Parts of the right and left edges are preserved (although chipped), but the relief is broken at the top and bottom. The surface is stained and pitted.

Material Description: Pentelic, according to Brouskari

Inscription: [*K*U]*D*H*N*W*R *K*U*D*H*N*O*R*O*S *A*L*W*P*E*K*H*Q*E*N *E*G*R*A*M*M*A*T*E*U*E*N*A*B*Y*D*H*N*O*I *P*R*O*C*E*N*O*I *K*A*I *E*U*E*R*G*E*T*A*I *A*Q*H*N*A*I*W*N*M*H*S*T*W*R *L*E*W*M*H*S*T*O*R*O*S *P*R*O*K*L*E*H*S *L*E*W*M*H*S*T*O*R*O*S*A*R*I*S*T*H*I*D*H*S *D*I*A*G*O*R*O*U *D*H*M*O*F*A*N*H*S *D*I*A*G*O*R*O*U*[*S]*A*T*U*R*O*S *D*I*A*G*O*R*O*U *K*A*I *T*O*U*T*W*N *E*K*G*O*N*O*I[*E*D]*O*C*E*N *T*H*I *B*O*U*L*H*I *E*R*E*C*Q*E*I*S *E*P*R*U*T[*A*N]*E*U*E *K*U*D*H*N*W*R *K*U*D*H[*N*O]*R[*O*S *A*L*W*P*E*K*H*Q*E*N *E*G*R*A*M*M*A*T*E*U*E ...]

Inscription Bibliography: IG II.2, 49; ArchEph 1957, 84-87, fig. 1

Sources Used: Brouskari 1974, 168-69, fig. 361

Other Bibliography: Casson 1921, 231-32