[...] les hiéromnémons.

(Voici) ce que les archousai donnent toutes deux en commun à la prêtresse pour (5) la fête et l’organisation des Thesmophories : un demi-setier d’orge, un demi-setier de blé, un demi-setier de farine d’orge, un demi-setier de farine de blé, un demi-setier de figues, un chous (10) de vin, un demi-chous d'huile, deux kotyles de miel, un chénice de sésame blanc, un chénice de (sésame) noir, un chénice de pavot, deux fromages frais (ne pesant) pas moins d’un statère chacun, (15) de l’ail pour deux statères, des flambeaux (ne valant) pas moins de deux oboles, et 4 drachmes d’argent. C’est ce que donnent les archousai. Afin que cela soit à jamais dans l'intérêt du dème de Cholargos, (20) selon ce qui est écrit, qu'une stèle soit dressée dans le Pythion et que le présent décret soit transcrit sur une stèle de pierre par ceux qui sont en fonction sous l’archontat de Ktesiklès. Qu'ils reportent la dépense (25) sur les habitants de Cholargos.

This decree (cf. line 22), emanating from the Attic deme of Cholargos, is only fragmentarily preserved, but has stimulated a long-standing commentary on the role of women in ancient rituals: cf. notably Detienne. An earlier section of the regulation perhaps dealt with the responsibilities of other officials in the deme, the hieromnemones (see below, lines 1-2). Much of the remainder, the bulk of the extant text (lines 3-18), is a section concerned with the organisation of the festival of the Thesmophoria, very probably the festival occasion that was held at the level of the deme itself. This section records the duties of the two female officials called archousai, listing the various provisions which they must give to the priestess, for the rituals with which she is charged. As Isaeus informs us, two "female chiefs" were chosen by the wives of demesmen for the Thesmophoria (Is. 8.19-20; the deme in question here may be Phlya). It was probably expected that the women's husbands would pay for these provisions; Isaeus (3.80) describes how it is the demesmen who pay to "let the women feast" (ἑστιᾶν τὰς γυναῖκας). Though this is not explicitly specified, the provisions in the inscription might be connected to the third day of the festival, on which the Kalligeneia (Beautiful Birth) was celebrated with a meal (after a day of fasting, the Nesteia), though they could also have been used on the preceding days (cf. e.g. the torch in lines 15-16, suggesting a nightime celebration). As such, the inscription does not provide us with any other information concerning the practicalities of the office of the archousai. They probably helped the priestess in her duties of supervising the women and performing the rites, but Isaeus (8.19-20) also speaks of ποιεῖν τὰ νομιζόμενα. The twofold number of the archousai, apparently common in at least two demes, also remains intriguing in this light, though we can only speculate: were the women divided into two groups? Or were the two archousai somehow connected with the pairing of Demeter and Kore, despite only a single priestess being mentioned in the text?

Of the context of the decree, not much else is known. The inscription concludes with fairly standard decree formulae (lines 18-25), which incidentally provides us with a date for the text. The decree was to be set up in the Pythion, very likely the local sanctuary of Apollo Pythios in the deme. This was perhaps a location where official publications of the deme were displayed, or it may have been close to the site of the deme's Thesmophorion. The officials responsible for the inscribing have been omitted in line 23 (perhaps due to the poor copying of the cutter; cf. also lines 4 and 18, and the general appearance of the text). Cholargos is one of the many demes in which local Thesmophoria were organised; for the Thesmophoria in Athens, see Parker (for a different view, see Broneer, who thinks that a local committee appointed in the deme provided the contributions for the city Thesmophoria on 11-13 Pyanopsion). For local, deme celebrations of festivals of Demeter, see here CGRN 25 (Paiania), CGRN 32 (Thorikos), lines 14, 38, 43-44. For rites involving female authority, torches and νομιζόμενα, perhaps analogous to the Thesmophoria, see CGRN 97 (Mylasa), line 5; for provisions for the Thesmophoria on Delos, see IG XI.2 287.

Lines 1-2: Hieromnemones, literally "sacred rememberers" or "remembers of sacred matters", are attested in wide-ranging capacities (such as the organisation of festivals, the care of temple finances and temple property). The word concludes a preceding section of the decree; most of line 2 has been left empty to mark the end of this section.

Line 4: Michon plausibly corrected τῆς ἱερείας to τῆι ἱερείαι. Sokolowski took this as a genitive of quality (i.e. reading "the archousai, as priestesses"), but it is not wholly clear that the archousai acted as priestesses (cf. the introduction to the Commentary, above). The correction to τῆι ἱερείαι, with the priestess as the indirect object and recipient of these provisions (so that she can organise the festival) perhaps yields a better sense. This priestess is most probably the priestess of Demeter (and Kore?) in the deme of Cholargos.

Lines 6-15: The items in this elaborate list seem to include both offerings and libations, as well as perhaps provisions for a meal. It is tempting to read a specific application for the items listed, such as for instance the making of sesame and honey cakes, which are known to have been frequently used in rituals in honour of Demeter and Kore (see esp. LSCG 63, from Melita in Lakonia); see also Michon for further discussion of the uses of these provisions. Beyond such general inferences, the practical use of the provisions cannot be precisely determined. Moreover, the inventory closely resembles other analogous lists of offerings and provisions, for example the worship of Dionysus in the civic sacrificial calendar of Miletos (barley, wheat, honey, cheese, garlic and a torch, CGRN 6, lines 4-5), and it finds parallels in other such lists, for instance the inclusion of figs or sesame (among others) in the provisions for the Posideia and the Eilethyaia respectively on Delos, CGRN 199; see these commentaries for further discussion. Though the term τροφαλίς occurs in literary sources (cf. LSJ s.v.), we have here the only epigraphical occurrence of this type of "fresh cheese". This cheese, and also garlic, are measured in terms of the unit called στατήρ, almost certainly denoting weight rather than price (cf. Kirchner).

Lines 15-16: Cf. Ar. Thesm. 280 and 655, which mention the use of lamps and torches in connection with the nocturnal celebration of the Thesmophoria. The minimum requirement of two obols will not have resulted in a very substantial torch, perhaps simply one for the use of the priestess herself.

Line 17: This sum of money is most likely to be interpreted as a payment or perquisite for the priestess. Cp. priestly ἱερώσυνα in Athens, which could involve portions of meat, other supplies and sums of money (e.g. CGRN 57, Aixone, passim, and CGRN 103, Phrearrhioi, line 5).

Lines 20-22: The reference to "writings" (τὰ γράμματα, only here instead of the more usual τὰ γεγραμμένα) emphasizes the "writ" of the regulation.

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