Sui rapporti fra Cartagine e Tebe alla metà del iv sec. a.C.: una riflessione a partire da IG VII 2407

Among the few Greek inscriptions containing references to Carthage there is a lost decree of the Boeotian League, datable to the 60s of the fourth century BC, concerning the granting of proxenia to a Carthaginian (IG VII 2407). It was suggested by Glotz that the Carthaginian - probably a craftsman skilled in shipbuilding - was made proxenos because Thebes needed outside skills in developing the naval programme proposed by Epaminondas, and, at the same time, the political support of Carthage. Through a new analysis of the contents of the decree, and of the political context, this paper points out that the honours granted to the Carthaginian can be better explained as a reward for services rendered to the Boeotian League in the commercial field.