Three royal replies to Magnesia: the son Antiochus, Ptolemy IV and Attalus I recognize the Leucophryena magalia.wiki — Epigraphy Matrix Hub reading text and apparatus afterW. Dittenberger, Orientis Graeci Inscriptiones Selectae I (Leipzig 1903), nos. 232 (the son's letter) and 282 (Attalus' letter) — the two bases, located by render. magalia.wiki — Epigraphy Matrix Hub magalia.wiki — Epigraphy Matrix Hub Beijing 2026 magalia.wiki welles-magnesia-royal-replies OGIS 232 + I.Magn. 23 + OGIS 282 (Welles, RC 32-34) 232+282 232 282 19, 23, 22 32-34 CC-BY 4.0 — EpiDoc TEI edition for study and reuse. see provenanceOGIS 232 + I.Magn. 23 + OGIS 282 (Welles, RC 32-34) 232+282 232 282 19, 23, 22 32-34 Marble blocks of the market-place portico, Magnesia on the Maeander; three royal letters of the Leucophryena dossier. Letter 32 on block B, letter 34 on block C (both Berlin); the letter-33 stone left at Magnesia c. 208/205 BCE Magnesia on the Maeander Magnesia on the Maeander, the market-place portico south wall (Humann/Kern 1891/2) — 32 and 34 well preserved; 33 broken on all sides W. Dittenberger, Orientis Graeci Inscriptiones Selectae I (Leipzig 1903), nos. 232 (the son's letter) and 282 (Attalus' letter) — the two bases, located by render. O. Kern, Die Inschriften von Magnesia am Maeander (Berlin 1900), nos. 19, 23, 22 (the editiones principes; no. 23 = the Ptolemy letter, not held locally — single-witness via Welles). C. B. Welles, Royal Correspondence in the Hellenistic Period (New Haven 1934), nos. 32-34 (texts, translations, commentary; the witness prints). On the campaign: the epiphany and oracle dossier I.Magn. 16 = SIG³ 557; the Cretan koinon decree (edited with Welles 31 in the magalia Magnesia asylia dossier). Linked data and external resources Pleiades 599778 magalia.wiki edition

Leiden conventions rendered as EpiDoc: restorations as supplied(reason=lost), gaps as gap, abbreviations as expan(abbr+ex), omitted letters as supplied(reason=omitted), surplus as surplus, corrections as corr. Critical apparatus as listApp. The facing translation is div type=translation; the historical commentary is div type=commentary.

 Ancient Greek English Antiochus the sonSeleucid co-regent (writer of 32)Co-regent of Antiochus III from c.210, dead 193 BCE before reigning alone; his letter follows 'my father's guidance' — the corpus's only crown-prince chancery. Ptolemy IV PhilopatorKing of Egypt (writer of 33)Recognizes the games and the inviolability in the campaign's most damaged stone — the corpus's first securely-named Ptolemy IV. Attalus I SoterKing of Pergamon (writer of 34)Recognizes the games, funds an aparchē, and writes to 'the cities obedient to me' and the Pergamenes — the only reply that mobilizes a whole hegemony. The corpus's first securely-named Attalus I. Demophon, Philiscus and PheresMagnesia's envoys to the SeleucidsThe theōroi who saw Antiochus III at Antioch-in-Persis (Welles 31) and delivered the parallel decree to the son (32). Diopithes and IthalidesMagnesia's envoys to EgyptDelivered the decree to Ptolemy IV (33). Pythion and LykomedesMagnesia's envoys to PergamonBrought the decree to Attalus I and asked that his subject cities join the recognition (34). Artemis LeucophryeneThe goddessThe archēgetis (foundress-patron) of Magnesia, whose epiphany and Delphic oracle launched the campaign; her quadrennial games are the Leucophryena.
Three royal replies to Magnesia: the son Antiochus, Ptolemy IV and Attalus I recognize the Leucophryena — edition Βασιλεὺς Ἀντίοχος — Βασιλεὺς Πτολεμαῖος — Βασιλεὺς Ἄτταλος Μαγνήτων τῆι βουλῆι καὶ τῶι δήμωι χαίρειν Βασιλεὺς Ἀντίοχος Μαγνήτων τῆι βουλῆι καὶ τῶι δήμωι χαίρειν· Δη- μοφῶν καὶ Φιλίσκος καὶ Φέρης οἱ πα- ρ’ ὑμῶν πεμφθέντες πρὸς τὸν πατέ- ρα θεωροὶ ἕνεκεν τοῦ ἐπαγγεῖλαι τὸν ἀγῶνα καὶ τἄλλα ἃ ἐψήφισται ὁ δῆμος συντελεῖν διὰ πεντετη- ρίδος τῆι ἀρχηγέτιδι τῆς πόλεως Ἀρτέμιδι Λευκοφρυηνῆι ἀπέδωκαν καὶ τὸ πρὸς ἐμὲ ψήφισμα καὶ διελέχθη- σαν μετὰ σπουδῆς ἀκολούθως τοῖς ἐν τούτωι κατακεχωρισμένοις, παρα- καλοῦντες ἀποδέξασθαι στεφανί- την ἰσοπύθιον τὸν ἀγῶνα ὃν τίθετε τῆι θεᾶι. ἔχοντος οὖν τοῦ πατρὸς περὶ τοῦ δήμου τὴν φιλανθρωποτάτην δι- άληψιν καὶ ταῦτα ἀποδεδεγμένου, θέ- λων καὶ αὐτὸς ἀκολουθεῖν τῆι προαιρέ- σει αὐτοῦ, νῦν τε ἀποδέχομαι τὰς ἐψη- φισμένας ὑφ’ ὑμῶν τιμὰς τῆι θεᾶι καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν πειράσομαι κατακολουθῶν τῆι τοῦ πατρὸς ὑφηγήσει συναυξεῖν ὑμῖν ἐν οἷς ἂν παρακαλῆτε ἢ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπινοῶ. ἔρρωσθε. Βασιλεὺς Πτολεμαῖος Μαγνήτων τῆι βουλῆι καὶ τῶι δήμωι χαίρειν· οἱ παρ’ ὑμῶν ἀποσταλέντες πρεσβευ- ταὶ Διοπείθης — — — — — καὶ Ἰθαλίδης — — τοῦ δήμου τὸ ψήφισμα μοι ἀπέδωκαν — — — — — τὸν ἀγῶνα τῶν Λευκοφρυηνῶν κατὰ τὸν χρησμὸν τοῦ θεοῦ ὃν συντελεῖτε τῆι Ἀρτέμιδι τῆι Λευκοφρυηνῆι, καὶ περὶ τοῦ νομίζειν τὴν πόλιν καὶ τὴν χώραν ἱερὰν καὶ ἄσυλον — — δὲ καὶ ἐγὼ ἀποδέξασθαι τὸν ἀγῶνα στε- φανίτην ἰσοπύθιον ταῖς τιμαῖς — — Βασιλεὺς Ἄτταλος Μα- γνήτων τῆι βουλῆι καὶ τῶι δή- μωι χαίρειν· Πυθίων καὶ Λυκομή- δης οἱ παρ’ ὑμῶν ἀνεκόμισαν πρός με ψήφισμα, καθ’ ὃ παρεκα- λεῖτε τὸν ἀγῶνα ὃν τίθετε τῆι Ἀρτέμιδι τῆι Λευκοφρυηνῆι μουσικὸν καὶ γυμνικὸν καὶ ἱπ- πικὸν ἀποδέξασθαι στεφανίτην ἰσοπύθιον, καὶ αὐτοὶ διελέχθησαν ἀκολούθως τοῖς γεγραμμένοις· ἠξίουν δὲ καὶ τὰς ὑπ’ ἐμὲ πόλεις ἀποδέξασθαι ὁμοίως. θεωρῶν δὲ τὸν δῆμον μεμνημένον τῶν ὑπ’ ἐ- μοῦ γεγενημένων εἰς αὐτὸν εὐεργε- σιῶν καὶ ὁμιλοῦντα ἐμ Μούσαις δει- νῶς, τόν τε ἀγῶνα ὥσπερ παρακαλεῖ- τε ἀποδέχομαι καὶ ἀπαρχὴν ἐγώ τε ἔτα- ξα δοῦναι, καὶ αἱ πόλεις δὲ αἱ πειθόμε- ναι ἐμοὶ ποιήσουσιν ὁμοίως· ἔγραψα γὰρ αὐταῖς παρακαλῶν· καὶ Περγαμη- νοῖς δὲ καθ’ ὅσον ὁ δῆμος αἰτεῖται συναυξήσω τὸν ἀγῶνα — — — —
Three royal replies to Magnesia: the son Antiochus, Ptolemy IV and Attalus I recognize the Leucophryena — translation
The son approves as the father approved — Demophon, Philiscus and Pheres deliver the decree (ll. 1–23)

King Antiochus to the council and the people of Magnesia, greeting. Demophon and Philiscus and Pheres, the envoys sent by you to my father to proclaim the games and the other honors which your people have voted to perform every four years for the mistress of the city Artemis Leucophryene, delivered the decree addressed to me also and spoke with enthusiasm in accordance with its contents, summoning me to recognize as 'crowned' and of Pythian rank the games which you hold in honor of the goddess. Since my father has the kindliest feelings toward your people and has given his approval in this case, being anxious myself to follow his policy, I approve the honors voted the goddess by you now and in the future shall try, following my father's guidance, to aid you in furthering them in whatever matters you summon me or I myself think of. Farewell.

Diopithes and Ithalides at Alexandria — the games crowned, the city inviolable (fragmentary) (ll. 1–13)

King Ptolemy to the council and the people of Magnesia, greeting. The envoys sent by you, Diopithes [...] and Ithalides [...], delivered [to me] the decree about [the games] of the Leucophryena which you celebrate in accordance with the [god's] oracle in honor of Artemis Leucophryene, and concerning [the proposal] to consider [the city and its] land as holy and [inviolable]; I also [was summoned (?)] to recognize [the games] as 'crowned' and of Pythian rank as you have proclaimed them to us. Your envoys also themselves spoke with all zeal on the other contents [of the decree as they had been] instructed. [I have, therefore,] recognized as 'crowned' [the games] as you requested [and I have granted that your city be inviolable (?)] …

'The cities obedient to me will do likewise' — recognition, the aparchē, and a letter-campaign (ll. 1–23)

King Attalus to the council and the people of Magnesia, greeting. Pythion and Lycomedes your envoys have delivered to me a decree in accordance with which you summon me to recognize as 'crowned' and of Pythian rank the games which you celebrate in honor of Artemis Leucophryene, musical and gymnastic and equestrian; and they spoke themselves to the same effect, and asked that the cities subject to me also grant their approval in the same manner. Seeing that your people are mindful of the favors conferred upon them by me, and that they are zealous in the service of the Muses, I recognize the games as you ask and I have ordered a contribution to be made (toward them), and the cities dependent on me will do likewise, for [I have written] summoning them to do so. [And for the Pergamenes too,] in so far as your people [request], I shall aid in furthering the games […].

Three royal replies to Magnesia: the son Antiochus, Ptolemy IV and Attalus I recognize the Leucophryena — commentary

The crown prince's letter is a study in dynastic choreography. The same three theōroi who saw Antiochus III — Demophon, Philiscus and Pheres — delivered a decree addressed to the son as well, asking him to recognize the quadrennial games for 'the foundress of the city, Artemis Leucophryene' as crowned and of Pythian rank. His reasoning is openly filial: 'since my father has the most benevolent regard (φιλανθρωποτάτην διάληψιν) for your people and has approved, wishing myself to follow his policy (προαίρεσις), I too approve' — and he will aid the city 'following my father's guidance' (κατακολουθῶν τῆι τοῦ πατρὸς ὑφηγήσει). A co-regent practising kingship under his father's eye: the corpus's only letter from a Seleucid crown prince's chancery (OGIS 232; Welles 1934, 141-143). He died in 193, before ever reigning alone.

The Ptolemaic reply survives worst — its stone, left at Magnesia when the others went to Berlin, is broken on every side. But the structure is clear: the envoys Diopithes and Ithalides delivered the decree 'about the games of the Leucophryena which you celebrate in accordance with the god's oracle', and about 'considering the city and its land holy and inviolable'; the king recognizes the games as crowned and of Pythian rank, as requested. It is the corpus's first securely-named letter of Ptolemy IV Philopator (the Soli letter's attribution carries a question mark), and the only Ptolemaic voice in the Magnesia campaign (Kern, I.Magn. 23; Welles 1934, 143-144 — single-witness, disclosed).

Attalus answers like the campaigner he was. Pythion and Lykomedes brought the decree; the envoys also asked 'that the cities subject to me grant their approval in the same manner'. The king — 'seeing your people mindful of my benefactions and conversant with the Muses to a marvel' (ὁμιλοῦντα ἐμ Μούσαι[ς δει]νῶς) — does three things no other king does: he recognizes the games, he orders a funded first-fruits contribution (ἀπαρχή), and he mobilizes his hegemony: 'the cities obedient to me will do likewise, for I have written summoning them' — extending the recognition, in Kern's restoration, to the Pergamenes themselves. The corpus's first securely-named Attalus I (OGIS 282; Welles 1934, 144-145).

Critical apparatus (fragmentary) — Kern's/Welles's supplements stand in brackets throughout; the stone (left at Magnesia) is broken on all sides; single-witness, disclosed. πεντετηρίδος — Welles's print; OGIS πεντ(α)ετηρίδος — orthographic variant of the quadrennial term. τὴν φιλανθρωποτάτην διάληψιν — the chancery word διάληψις ('regard') — the same word restored at athamania-teos l.11: a corroborating parallel across the corpus. ὑφηγήσει — Dittenberger (OGIS 232), 'the father's guidance'. (An earlier draft recorded a Welles ἐφηγήσει variant; flagged unverified by audit and removed pending re-collation.) θεωρῶ[ν δὲ] — δέ Dittenberger; δ’ ἐγώ Kern (Welles n.13) — competing restorations, recorded. ὁμιλοῦντα ἐμ Μούσαι[ς δει]νῶς — 'conversant with the Muses to a marvel' (Welles: 'zealous in the service of the Muses'); the assimilated ἐμ is the stone's form. κα[ὶ Περγαμη]νοῖς — Kern's restoration (Welles n.21): Attalus extends the recognition to Pergamon itself.
Editions and commentary W. Dittenberger, Orientis Graeci Inscriptiones Selectae I (Leipzig 1903), nos. 232 (the son's letter) and 282 (Attalus' letter) — the two bases, located by render. O. Kern, Die Inschriften von Magnesia am Maeander (Berlin 1900), nos. 19, 23, 22 (the editiones principes; no. 23 = the Ptolemy letter, not held locally — single-witness via Welles). C. B. Welles, Royal Correspondence in the Hellenistic Period (New Haven 1934), nos. 32-34 (texts, translations, commentary; the witness prints). On the campaign: the epiphany and oracle dossier I.Magn. 16 = SIG³ 557; the Cretan koinon decree (edited with Welles 31 in the magalia Magnesia asylia dossier).