Stele with catalogue of ephebes under the kosmetai Aur. Dositheos and Thales son of Dositheos

Provenance: Athens, «Diogeneion». Height: 1.49 m. Width: 0.69 m. Marble: Pentelic.
Chronology: 212/213 AD or later. EAM 1465

The stele is divided into two unequal parts. At the top, inside a rectangular recessed panel, are depicted three relief male figures. In the centre, the kosmetes Aur. Dositheos or Thales, son of Dositheos, wrapped in his himation, is crowned by two ephebes, one wearing a himation and the other a chlamys, who hold palm branches. Next to the kosmetes, is depicted a bundle of scrolls, while an amphora rests next to the ephebe on the right. To the left and right of the panel are relief olive wreaths with inscriptions indicating that the kosmetes honour the ephebes and the ephebes honour the kosmetes. Under the panel are inscribed names of the officials and instructors of the Gymnasium (antikosmetes, paidotribes, grammateus, sophronistai, hyposophronistai, prostates, hypopaideotribes, hegemon, hoplomachos, didaskalos, hypogrammateus, kestrophylax, gymnasiarchoi, systremmatarchai, strategoi, kerykes, basileus, polemarchos, agoranomoi, astynomoi), festivals (Antinoeia, Germanikeia, Antoneia, Hadrianeia, Theseia, Athenaia, Severeia, Amphiareia) and ephebes by tribe. At the bottom, two relief ships, each manned by two oarsmen, refer to the «naval battle» contest in which the sons of the kosmetes had taken part.