Moschion and Athenopolis, the sons of Kydimos – A Noble Family in the Political and Public Life of Priene in the Late 2nd Century BC

The article is dedicated to the life and achievements of two prominent citizens of Priene in the late 2nd century BC – Moschion and Athenopolis, known from the honourable decrees I. Priene2 63–64. They lived in the era of decline of the Attalid kingdom and the establishment of Roman rule. During this period, wealthy and powerful citizens began to play the first role in the public and political life of a Hellenistic polis, gaining political influence through philanthropy. One of the most famous examples of such euergetes in the scholarly literature is Moschion of Priene. His brother Athenopolis is generally less well known. This article is an attempt a complex study of the two brothers’ accomplishments – description of their political careers, assessment of their gifts to the polis, estimation of their wealth and indication of its sources, and family connections with other clans of the polis. The study shows that the combined expenses of the brothers totaled 4.8 talents – a large wealth by the standards of Priene, but small compared to the wealth of the kings. Consequently, fellow citizens viewed the wealth of the brothers as large, but not prohibitive. Besides, Athenopolis, serving as a priest of Dionysus and gaining authority through matrimonial relations, controlled a part of Priene’s cult life and transferred this office to his son. The analysis of Moschion and Athenopolis’ activities confirms W. Tarn’s thesis that euergetes did not want to pay taxes to a polis, but rather to give money as they wished.