Conceptions and Sources
ultimately unsuccessful ‘‘Chremonidean War’’ against Antigonus Gonatas.
TheinscriptionperfectlyillustratestheuseofPlataeaasasymbolicrallying
pointandtheattachmenttotheidealoffreedom,andontheotherhandthe
limitationsimposedbythepowerstructureofthetime,whichmeantthat
(asinthecaseofthepreviousinscription)aspirationstofreedomfromthe
ruleofonemajorpowerinevitablymeantbeingdrawnintothediplomatic
ormilitaryorbitofanother.Ratherthansummariseorisolateparticularfea-
tures—whichtendsinanycasetoallowtheall-importantceremonial,ritual,
andreligiouscontexttobeobscured—Igiveatranslationofthecomplete
document:
AtthetimewhenNicocleidessonofChacreaswaspriestandArchelaus
sonofAthenaeuswasagonothete,decreeoftheHellenes.Euboulusson
ofPanormostustheBoeotianspoke:
SinceGlauconsonofEteocles,theAthenian,whenformerlyhewas
dwelling in his native city, neverceased to show his goodwill either
publiclytoalltheHellenesorprivatelytothosewhovisitedthecity,
and afterwards when he held office at the court of King Ptolemy
showedthesameattitude,wishingtomakecleartheextentofhisgood-
willtowardtheHellenes,andadornedthesanctuarywithofferingsand
revenueswhichitisappropriatetoreserveforZeustheLiberatorand
the Harmony [Homonoia] of the Hellenes, and also enriched the sac-
rifices offered to Zeus the Liberator and to Harmony, as well as the
contestwhichtheHellenescelebrateoverthetombsoftheheroeswho
foughtagainstthebarbariansforthelibertyoftheHellenes—inorder
thatallmaybeawarethatthecommoncounciloftheHellenesreturns
tothose,bothlivinganddead,whohonourthesanctuaryofZeusthe
Liberator,thanksappropriatetothebenefitstheyhavebestowed,ithas
beendecidedbytheHellenestopraiseGlauconandtoofferprecedence
to him and his decendants in respect of anyoccasion when the ath-
leticcontestsarebeingcelebratedatPlataea,onthesamebasisasother
benefactors,andthattheagonotheteshouldhavethisdecreeinscribed
onastonesteleanddedicatedbesidethealtarofZeustheLiberatorand
Harmony,andthatthetreasurerinchargeofthesacredfundsshould
maketheexpenditureforthispurpose.Ithardlyneedstobeemphasisedhowcomplexaretheadministrative,reli-
giousandceremonialinstitutionswhichprovidethemachineryandframe-
workofthehonoursvotedhere.Thesignificanceoftheceremonialsatthe
siteofthebattleofPlataeain,whichwerestillcarriedoutinPlutarch’s