Honorary Decree for Demokrates of Tenedos plaque, from the Olympia (300–250 BCE). It celebrates Demokrates, an Olympic wrestling champion from the island of Tenedos. Inscribed in the local Eleian dialect, the tablet displays the emblems of his homeland—a bunch of grapes flanked by two axes—above a text detailing the high honors bestowed upon him by the Council of the Eleians.
This inscribed tablet represents a formal decree by the Eleians to honor Demokrates for his victory in the men's wrestling contest at the Olympic Games. The council granted the athlete significant civic privileges, declaring him a public friend and benefactor with rights to hold land in Elis, tax exemptions, and the prestigious right of proedria (front-seat priority) at theaters, public assemblies, and games. According to the inscription, this bronze dedication was intended for the Temple of Zeus, with a copy sent to the victor's compatriots to immortalize his achievement in both his host city and his home island.
Source: National Archaeological Museum in Athens, Greece.
Anthemions and Palmettes Art Athens Athletics Attica Bronze Floral Hellenistic Inscriptions Ionic National Archaeological Museum Olympia Olympic Games Original Photo Relief Sculpture Stele