hero. There is a law mentioned by Demosthenes, by which the money set apart for maintaining the public plays and shows, should, in case of extreme necessity, be appropriated for carrying on of war. To ingratiate himself with the commonalty, who were more concerned to maintain the public amusements than to provide for the exigences of the state, Eubulus caused this law to be abrogated, and also declared it a capital crime for any man to propose that those funds should be applied to the service of the army. For the due management of these different treasures, a chief treasurer was appointed, superior to all the rest in honour and power: this officer was created by the people, and remained in office five years. At the expiration of this term, if he conducted himself with integrity and propriety, it was no unusual thing to elect him a second and a third time. Another officer was also appointed, whose business was to keep a check account against the head treasurer. The Athenians had also an officer similar to our paymaster general of the army.

The most troublesome part of the treasurer's office was that of distributing money to the poor citizens, to buy seats in the theatre. This custom was first established by Pericles, to ingratiate himself with the common people; for in the primitive age of the commonwealth, when the Theatres were composed of wood, the people, being eager of getting places, used to quarrel among themselves, and sometimes beat and wounded one another: to prevent this inconvenience, it was ordered, that every one, before he entered the Theatre, should pay two oboli, or a drachm, for admission; and lest by this, the poorer sort of the people should be excluded from this pleasure, any man was allowed to demand this sum of the public exchequer. Certain officers were appointed, whose duty it was to lay in corn for the use of the city. To this end, the arch-treasurer furnished them with the necessary funds. This office and its regulations were the more necessary, as Athens was situated in a dry and barren soil, which was unable to supply its inhabitants with necessary

provisions, so that they were forced to fetch their corà and other vegetables from foreign parts.

The regulation of the price of corn and meal was intrusted to fifteen officers, ten of whom officiated in the city and five in the Piræus. There were also other officers, whose business was to see that the corn measures were just and equal. Ten officers were also appointed to collect the tribute or toll of those persons who brought goods to market for sale. Of these officers five were for the city and as many for the Piræus. Meters were also appointed for the inspection of all sorts of measures, those for corn excepted. The fish market was subjected to the superintendence of officers, who were chosen by the senate. The haven was superintended by ten officers, whose duty it was to see, that two parts, at least, of all the corn that was brought into the port should be brought into the city, and that no silver should be exported, by any private person, except in exchange for corn. Officers were appointed to take cognizance of all differences that arose between merchants and mariners. They also examined persons, who being strangers, both by the father and the mother's side, had fraudulently inserted their names in the public register, thereby claiming the privilege of free-born citizens; this they did on the twenty-sixth day of every month. But to avoid the delay of a month, in cases that called for immediate attention, other persons were added as assistants besides. Differences of a commercial nature, disputes relative to the feasts and public entertainments, were referred to the above-named officers.

In short, every particular department, in which the public interests, convenience, and comforts, were concerned, were subjected to the inspection and control of suitable officers. And there were surveyors of the roads, aqueducts and fountains; also of public edifices in general, and of the city walls in particular, to the care of which special officers were appointed. To other officers belonged the care of attending to the conduct

young men, in order to maintain sobriety and moderation among them. And for the preservation of good order, the Thesmothetæ paraded the streets in the night-time. Even the public feasts were under the care of persons deputed to provide lights, and to see that each person drank his due proportion; while it was the business of others to see that at sacrifices, marriages, and other solemnities, nothing should be done contrary to the established custom.

Magistrates were appointed to regulate the women's apparel, according to the rules of modesty and decency; and to set a fine upon such as were too nice and phantastical in their dresses. A company was selected from among the wealthy citizens, either by their tribe, or by the people at large, who were to perform some public duty, or to provide some necessaries for the commonwealth, at their own expence. Of these there were divers sorts, all of whom were elected out of twelve hundred of the richest of the citizens: these, when necessary, were to undergo all the burdensome and chargeable offices of the commonwealth. These twelve hundred were divided into two parts, one of which consisted of such as possessed the greatest estates; the other of persons of less ability. Each of these

divisions were subdivided into ten companies, having distinct governors and officers of their own: each of these companies were again divided into two parts, according to the estates of the persons that composed them. Out of the first ten companies, three hundred of the most wealthy were, on all cases of emergency, to furnish the state with necessary supplies of money, and, together with the rest of the twelve hundred, were required to perform all extraordinary duties in their turn. Before the institution of the ten companies, called Symmoriæ, such as were unable to bear the expences of the office assigned to them, had relief in this way, which was the invention of Solon, viz.: if he could find another citizen of better substance than himself, and who was not already appointed to some other duty, then by giving information of this, he him

self was excused. But in case the person thus substituted in the place of the other, denied that he was the richer man, then they changed estates, in this manner; the doors of their houses were close shut up and sealed, lest any thing should be removed from either, then each of them took the following oath, "I will truly and faithfully discover all my substance, except that which lies in the silver mines, which the laws have exempted from all taxes and imposts." Then within three days, a full discovery was made of their whole estates. This custom was not indeed wholly superseded by the institution of the Symmoriæ above noticed; for if any one of the three hundred citizens could give information of any person richer than himself, who had been passed by in the nomination, the informer was excused.

Besides these provisions for the extraordinary demands of the state, when the customary means were inadequate to the necessities of the state, in time of long and dangerous war, the rich citizens used voluntarily to contribute, according to their respective abilities, in addition to what was required of them by law. The orators, or advocates appointed by the people to plead, in behalf of the law proposed to be enacted or annulled, were considered as public functionaries, though not exactly of the class of magistrates. Lest this office, which was created for the benefit of the commonwealth, should be converted to the private advantage of individuals, a law was enacted whereby the people were restrained from conferring it twice on the same person. There were also ten orators or advocates, who were elected by lots; these were appointed to plead public causes in the senate house or assembly; and for every cause for which they were retained, they received a drachm out of the public exchequer. No man was admitted to this office under the age of forty years, or as some contend, thirty years; neither were they permitted to plead till their valour in war, piety to their parents, prudence in the management of their affairs, and their frugality and temperance had been enquired into.

Ambassadors to foreign states were chosen by the senate, or most commonly by the suffrages of the people. Sometimes they were sent with full powers to act discretionally, for the benefit of their country, they were then called plenipotentiaries, and were not obliged, on their return home, to render an account of their proceedings; but usually their power was limited, and they were liable to be called in question, if they exceeded their commission, by concluding any business but that which was the immediate object of their embassy; or if they, in any way, deviated from the plan laid down for them. During the time of their employment they received a salary out of the exchequer. When Euthymenes was Archon, the pay was two drachms daily; but it is probable, that at different æras of the government, the pay differed, according to the poverty or riches of the commonwealth. Those who faithfully discharged their embassies, were publicly entertained by the senate in the Prytaneum. Those who had been wanting in care and diligence were fined; but those who undertook an embassy, without the designation of the senate or the people, were punished with death.

The Council of the Amphictyones

Naturally claims the first attention in treating of the councils of the Athenians; though it did not sit at Athens, nor was peculiar to that city, yet the Athenians, and almost all the rest of the Grecians, were concerned in it. It is commonly thought to have been first instituted by Amphictyon, son of Deucalion, from whom its name is supposed to have been derived; but Strabo is of opinion that Acrisius, king of the Argives, was the first that founded and gave laws for the conduct and management of it; in that case the name must be derived from the circumstance of the inhabitants of the countries round about meeting together in that council: but the former opinion derives confirmation from what Herodotus reports, of its being assem

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