Abdera on the Thracian coast was founded in the middle of the 6th century BC by Teians. This document shows that for many centuries a good relationship existed between the mother city and her colony. Sometime during the 2nd century BC – Rome was meanwhile the ruling power of the Mediterranean world – the Abderians came into trouble when the Thracian king Kotys occupied Abderian territory. While the king had many supporters among the Roman ruling class, the Abderians had no lobby in Rome. They asked the Teians, who had some patrons among the Roman senators, for help. The Teians Amymon and Megathymos were sent to Rome to solve the diplomatic affair. Amymon and Megathymos knocked on the doors of many senators to persuade them to support the Abderian affair. It seems that they were not very successful, and the Thracian king was the winner. Nevertheless, the Abderians honored both Teians for their diplomatic mission. The date of the affair is not very clear. For long time the document was dated to the years soon after the Battle of Pydna (168 BC). A later date about 90 BC is also possible.
The People of Abdera (honor) Amymon (son) of Epikouros, Megathymos (son) of Athenaios.
When our People had need of an embassy to Rome about our country’s [territory,] concerning which the king of the Thracians, Kot[ys], had delivered a request [to the] senate and through his son and he envoys whom he sent with him had laid claim to our ancestral territory, envoys were selected [by the] People of Teos, Amymon (son) of Epikouros and M[egathym]os (son) of Athenaios, fine and good and worthy [of their] country and well disposed toward our People, and all their zeal and enthusiasm did they exercise, and of their [eagerness] nothing did they omit; in the meetings that took place about our territory they [made use of] all their foresight in order not to neglect any of the things that could make the situation turn out favorably, always proposing the best opinion to bring recovery in our difficulties; in their embassy to [Rome] on behalf of our People they suffered both mental and bodily distress, but they met with the Roman [leading men], winning them over by their daily [salutation,] and they induced the (Roman) patrons of our country to come to the aid of our People, and when [some (of the Romans)] preferred our antagonist (Kotys) and stood up in his defense, [by] their exposition of the situation and by daily morning-calls at their atria (our envoys) won over their friendship. Concerning [these matters] it was decreed by the Boule and the People of Abdera to praise the aforementioned men and to summon them to front-[row seats each] year at the Dionysiac festival as long as they live, and [to crown them] with a gold crown at the festival while the herald makes the announcement: ‘The People crown with a gold crown A[mymon (son) of E]pikouros of Teos, because of his excellence and goodwill toward them, [and Me]gathymos (son) of Athenaios of Teos with a gold crown, because of his excellence [and goodwill] toward them’.