Athenian Honorary Decree for Thymondas (or Memnon) of Rhodes

Abstract

The stele bears an Athenian honorary decree from 327‑326 BC. The honoured person is Thymondas, whose paternal uncle was the well-known Memnon of Rhodes. The reasons why Athens decided to honour him seems to lie in his having spent himself with Alexander on behalf of Greek and Athenian mercenaries and ambassadors who had fallen captive to the Macedonian after the death of Darius III. The document would attest, therefore, to a form of opposition on the part of Athens to the policy by which the Macedonian, by settling in the East the Greek mercenaries he had captured and/or incorporated into the ranks of his army, wished to avoid the risk of masses of citizens accustomed to fighting returning home.