Βασιλεὺς Σέλευκος Ἡλιοδώρῳ τῷ ἀδελφῷ χαίρειν· πλείστην πρόνοιαν ποιούμενοι περὶ τῆς τῶν ὑποτεταγμένων ἀσφαλείας καὶ μέγιστον ἀγαθὸν εἶναι νομίζοντες τοῖς πράγμασιν, ὅταν οἱ κατὰ τὴν βασιλείαν ἀδεῶς τοὺς ἑαυτῶν βίους διοικῶσιν, καὶ συνθεωροῦντες, ὡς οὐθὲν δύναται μεταλαμβάνειν τῆς καθηκούσης εὐδαιμονίας ἄνευ τῆς τῶν θεῶν εὐμενείας, ἵνα μέν τὰ καθιδρυμένα κατὰ τὰς ἄλλας σατραπείας ἱερὰ τὰς πατρίους κομίζηται τιμὰς μετὰ τῆς ἁρμοζούσης θεραπείας, ἐξ ἀρχῆς τυγχάνομεν τεταγμένοι, τῶν δέ κατὰ Κοίλην Συρίαν καὶ Φοινίκην πραγμάτων οὑκ ἑχόντων τὸν τασσόμενεν πρὸς τῆι τούτων ἐπιμελείαι, κατενοὴσαμεν ὅτι σωφρόνως προστήσεται τῆς εὐκοσμίας ταγμάτων Ὀλυμπιόδωρος, ὃς τὴν πίστιν ἡμῖν τῆς ὑπὲρ αὑτοῦ διαλήψεως ἐκ τῶν προγεγονότων χρόνων παρεισχημένος, τραφεὶς γὰρ μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν καὶ τὴν ἀρίστην ἐν ἅπασιν ἀπενηνεγμένος διάθεσιν, κατὰ λόγον μὲν ἐπὶ τοῦ κοιτῶνος κατεστάθη τῆς τηλικαύτης πίστεως φανεὶς ἄξιος, δικαίως δὲ τῶν πρώτων πρώτων φίλων ἀπεδείχθη, τῆς τῆς πρὸς ἡμᾶς φιλοστοργίας, τὰς ἐκτενεστάτας ἀποδείξεις ποιησάμενος ἐν δὲ τῆι τοιαύτηι γενόμενος τάξει, καὶ παρηκολουθηκὼς ὡς διακείμεθα πρὸς τὸ συναύξειν τὰς τῶν θεῶυν τιμὰς ἀκολούθως τῆι τῶν προγόνων αἱρέσει καί τὴν φροντίδα τῶν ἱερῶν, ἦι διαπεισθέντες ἐκ τῶν προγεγονότων χρόνων, αὐτοῦ πρὸς τῆς

King Seleucus to Heliodoros his brother, greetings. We, taking the greatest care concerning the security of our subjects, and thinking it to be of the greatest good for our affiars when those who live throughout the kingdom lead their own lives without fear, and observing at the same time that nothing can partake of due good fortune without the favor of the gods, have prescribed from the start that the established sanctuaries throughout the other strapies be provided with the ancestral honours with the proper service. However, as the affairs in Koile Syria and Phoinike lack someone in charge for the care of these things, we thought that Olympiodoros will preside prudently over the orderly conduct of associations (?), [he, who] has demonstrated his loyalty to us because of his attitude, from times gone by, as he had been raised with us and had gained for himself the best disposition in all things, he was, on the one hand, appointed chamberlain with reason, because he has proved himself worthy due to his long-standing loyalty, while on the other, he was justifiably introduced into the (ranks of the) First Friends because of his love for us, having made the most assiduous demonstrations (of loyalty) while in such a [rank], and following the way that we are inclined to [increase] the honour of the gods in accordance with the [attitude] of our ancestors and the care of the temples in which we believed from [times gone by …] … .

This translation and transcription is taken from the postscript as it reflects the most updated view of the author. This stele is comprised of two letters which can both be dated to the month of Gorpiaios in 178 BCE. This correspondence in its restored state sheds a light on the political rise of one Olympiodoros as he attains a high priest hood. This stele is the first evidence epigraphical or otherwise for the presence of the class of "First Friends" in the Seleucid Court, which Olympiodoros was evidently a part of. The presence of one of these honorary titles in 186, early within th ereign of Seleucus IV, argues for the establishing of the system either in the very beginning of his reign, or else during the later part of the rule of his father. This text also offers some clarity on the governorship of Koile Syria and Phoinike. This stele suggests that Dorymenes was the successor of Apollonius son of Thraseas and the predessor of Apollonios son of Menestheus. Dorymenes is referred to as "brother" by Heliodoros, making this the only example of a Seleucid official referring to another member of the administration as "brother". The spelling ΘΕΩΥΝ is an example of the engraver's carelessness. It could be causeed that the king in his letter took into account the beliefs of the Jews and Samaritans and the declaration was supposed to be published as τοῦ θεοῦ instead. The final line instead of reading προς τῆς could instead be read as προςστήσεαι

Βασιλεὺς Σέλευκος Ἡλιοδώρῳ τῷ ἀδελφῷ χαίρειν· πλείστην πρόνοιαν ποιούμενοι περὶ τῆς τῶν ὑποτεταγμένων ἀσφαλείας καὶ μέγιστον ἀγαθὸν εἶναι νομίζοντες τοῖς πράγμασιν, ὅταν οἱ κατὰ τὴν βασιλείαν ἀδεῶς τοὺς ἑαυτῶν βίους διοικῶσιν, καὶ συνθεωροῦντες, ὡς οὐθὲν δύναται μεταλαμβάνειν τῆς καθηκούσης εὐδαιμονίας ἄνευ τῆς τῶν θεῶν εὐμενείας, ἵνα μέν τὰ καθιδρυμένα κατὰ τὰς ἄλλας σατραπείας ἱερὰ τὰς πατρίους κομίζηται τιμὰς μετὰ τῆς ἁρμοζούσης θεραπείας, ἐξ ἀρχῆς τυγχάνομεν τεταγμένοι, τῶν δέ κατὰ Κοίλην Συρίαν καὶ Φοινίκην πραγμάτων οὑκ ἑχόντων τὸν τασσόμενεν πρὸς τῆι τούτων ἐπιμελείαι, κατενοὴσαμεν ὅτι σωφρόνως προστήσεται τῆς εὐκοσμίας ταγμάτων Ὀλυμπιόδωρος, ὃς τὴν πίστιν ἡμῖν τῆς ὑπὲρ αὑτοῦ διαλήψεως ἐκ τῶν προγεγονότων χρόνων παρεισχημένος, τραφεὶς γὰρ μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν καὶ τὴν ἀρίστην ἐν ἅπασιν ἀπενηνεγμένος διάθεσιν, κατὰ λόγον μὲν ἐπὶ τοῦ κοιτῶνος κατεστάθη τῆς τηλικαύτης πίστεως φανεὶς ἄξιος, δικαίως δὲ τῶν πρώτων πρώτων φίλων ἀπεδείχθη, τῆς τῆς πρὸς ἡμᾶς φιλοστοργίας, τὰς ἐκτενεστάτας ἀποδείξεις ποιησάμενος ἐν δὲ τῆι τοιαύτηι γενόμενος τάξει, καὶ παρηκολουθηκὼς ὡς διακείμεθα πρὸς τὸ συναύξειν τὰς τῶν θεῶυν τιμὰς ἀκολούθως τῆι τῶν προγόνων αἱρέσει καί τὴν φροντίδα τῶν ἱερῶν, ἦι διαπεισθέντες ἐκ τῶν προγεγονότων χρόνων, αὐτοῦ πρὸς τῆς