Greek Envoys and Diplomacy

in the Hellenistic and Roman World

GED 06.04.812

Kolotes son of Hekatonymos

Κωλώτης Ἑκατωνύμω

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Envoy

  • ID
    GED 06.04.812
  • Name
    Kolotes
  • Patronymic
    son of Hekatonymos
  • Ethnic/Demotic
    Teian (Τηΐος)
  • Chronology
    About203-201 BC
  • Place of Origin
    Asia MinorIoniaTeos
  • Greek designation/s
    • preigeutas
    • presbeutes
  • Role/s
    • envoy
  • Authors
    • Leon Battista Borsano

Kolotes son of Hekatonymos, together with Apollodotos son of Astyanax, was sent as ambassador by Teos, his home town, to several Cretan cities, in order to obtain their official acknowledgement of the Teian sacred inviolability (ἀσυλία), regarding the city itself and its famous temple of Dionysus.

The chronology of the mission is not clear: terminus post quem should be the royal acknowledgement by Antiochus III, which dates probably to 203 (see Ma 2000, 308-311). Apollodotos and Kolotes were not alone in their diplomatic mission: sometimes they were assisted by two royal emissaries, Perdikkas (ambassador of Philipp V) and Agesandros son of Eukrates (a Rhodian ambassador of Antiochus III), a fact that could indicate the period 203-201, i.e. the central phase of the so-called Cretan War, as the most probable dating. The short reference to a war in LBW 71, ll. 15-6 (“ἐπὶ τὰς τῶ πολέμω διαλύσεις ἀποσταλείς”), in spite of being problematic, seems to conform better to this context (but see the discussion in Vinci 2008/9, pp. 189-211).

The itinerary of the two diplomats is equally unclear: the cities they visited are coastal as much as inland, from eastern Crete (Istron) to the western extremity of the island (Kydonia, Polyrrhenia). The presence of the royal envoys together with them is well attested only in central and eastern Crete: thus, Apollodotos and Kolotes likely were alone in this part of their diplomatic trip. Perdikkas and Agesandros joined them temporarily during the accomplishment of their own tasks, although especially the case of Perdikkas shows a consistent degree of cooperation (he accompanied them for example at Istron, Latos and Latos pros Kamara, three communities which were very close to each other).

Apollodotos and Kolotes used standard patterns to explain their diplomatic mission: they recalled generic values as everlasting philia and suggeneia; the royal help, from both Philipp V and Antiochus III, was surely important to guarantee a successful outcome to their mission.

  • Blümel, W. (2022), ‘Dekrete und Briefe kretischer Städte in Teōs’, EA 55, 23-98.
  • Kvist, K. (2003), ‘Cretan grants of «asylia»: violence and protection as interstate relations’, C&M 54, 185-222.
  • Ma, J. (2000), Antiochos III and the Cities of Western Asia Minor, Oxford.
  • Piejko, F. (1991), ‘Antiochus III and Teos reconsidered’, Belleten 55, 13-69.
  • Vinci, M. (2008/9), ‘Il decreto di Eleutherna e la datazione dei documenti teii di asylia’, Ὅρμος 1, 189-211.

Teos to Knossos, 203-201 BC

Teos to Apollonia, 203-201 BC