Magnesian Inviolability

Abstract

In 221/20 the citizens of Magnesia on the Maeander sought to create crowned games in honor of Artemis Leukophryene. The goddess had appeared to them and Delphi instructed that "it is more agreeable and better for those who revere Apollo Pythios and Artemis Leukophryene and treat the city and territory of the Magnesians on the Maeander as sacred and inviolable." But why it took Magnesia more than a decade to secure asylia and inaugurate the enhanced games has remained a puzzle. It has been thought since Kern (1901) that the Magnesians first attempted to win acceptance of inviolability and the games in 221/20, that their invitations were almost universally snubbed, and that the city did not succeed in securing international recognition until 208/7. This paper argues that there was no failed campaign of invitations in 221, that Magnesia did not canvass the Greek world until 208/7.

Carving communities in stone

“…171 Buraselis 2003; Rigsby 1996: 22-29. 172 See on the Magnesian asylia effort for instance Sosin 2009;Van Nijf et al 2016;Hammerschmied 2018. The inscriptions are published in .…”

“…II provides an excellent reconstruction drawing of the wall inscribed with this dossier. See Van Nijf et al 2016: 46-50 for an interpretation of the display of the Magnesian texts within the context of connectivity, and also Sosin 2009 andCeccarelli 2018. 74 Rigsby, Asylia: p.111.…”

“…Another and later spectacular example of an asylia dossier is the inscribed wall of a stoa on the agora at Magnesia on the Meander, which does include such foundational texts. On Magnesia, see among othersRigsby, Asylia: pp.179-279, nos.66-31;Sosin 2009; Van Nijf et al 2016: 46-50;Ceccarelli 2018.…”