In Athens, every circumstance that required the superintendence and interference of the government had its proper officer appointed to that particular office; to particularize these, would be quite superfluous, and incompatible with the professed object of this work.

Of the Nine Archons.

The chief magistrates in Athens were nine in number, and had the common name of Archontes, or Rulers. They were elected by lots, but were not admitted to their office till they had undergone a two-fold trial, one in the senate house, and one in the forum. The questions which the senate put to them were,

1. Whether they were descended from ancestors who had been citizens of Athens for three generations.

2. Of what tribe and hundred they were, and whether they were related to Apollo Patrius and Jupiter Herceus.

3. Whether they had been dutiful to their parents, had served in the wars, and had a competent estate.

4. Whether they were free from all bodily defects.

Some are of opinion that these questions were put to all other magistrates.

With respect to the question, whether the candidate was related to Apollo Petrius and Jupiter Herceus, it may be proper to remark, that all the Athenians claimed a sort of relationship to these gods, therefore this question implied another, namely, whether they were freeborn citizens of Athens; or rather, being admitted to the Archonship, necessarily implied that they were so, because they could not have been admitted to this dignity without avowing this relationship; and not to be thus related, was being a foreigner. But when the Athenian glory was on the decline, not only men of the half blood of Athens, but even foreigners, who had been

admitted into the city, were made Archons. This is exemplified in Adrian, before he was advanced to be emperor of Rome; and in Plutarch, who was first honoured with the freedom of Athens, then made a member of Leontis, and afterwards admitted to the office of Archon. But what was more peculiar to these magistrates was the oath required of them before their admission, which was to this effect; "That they would observe the laws, and administer justice impartially; that they would never be corrupted by bribes, or if they were, that they would dedicate a statue of gold, of equal weight with their own bodies, to the Delphian Apollo." After this they went into the citadel, and there repeated the same oath. Plutarch attributes the institution of this oath to Solon, and restricts it to the Thesmothetæ; but that it extended to the other Archons, is evident from Plato, by whom Phædrus is introduced, promising to dedicate at Delphi a golden statue, equal to himself in weight, after the manner of the nine Archons.

This being done, these magistrates entered on their office, some duties of which were to be executed by them separately, others equally concerned them all. They all had the power of punishing malefactors with death, and were all crowned with garlands of myrtle; they had a joint commission for appointing persons, chosen by lots, to certain offices; of enquiring into the conduct of magistrates; and of deposing such as were, by the suffrages of the people, declared to be unworthy of bearing the office which had been committed to them. And, as a recompence for their services, they were free from all taxes and contributions levied on other citizens, for the building of ships of war, an immunity never granted to any besides themselves. If any person had the insolence to strike, or publicly affront any of the Archons adorned with their crowns, or any other to whom the citizens had given a crown, or other honour or immunity, he was to be punished with infamy, as guilty of disrespect, not to the person only, whom he had thus insulted, but to the whole.commonwealth.

Thus much concerning the Archons in general, or collectively, we have now to treat of them individually; and first, with regard to the origin of their names, nothing certain is recorded. Sigonius conjectures that the names of Basileus and Archon, were in imitation of the chief magistrate of former ages, when the city was first governed by Kings, and then by Archons; and that of Polemarchus, in reference to the generals of the army, an officer usually appointed by the ancient kings to assist them in time of war; and the Thesmothetæ, seem originally appointed as the name imports, to protect the laws and liberties of the people, from the usurpation of the other Archons, whose power, before Solon's regulations of the commonwealth, seems to have been far greater, and more unbounded than afterwards; for by that legislator it was ordered, that their offices should consist chiefly of the following duties:

THE ARCHON, so called by way of eminence, was chief of the nine. His jurisdiction extended both to ecclesiastical and civil affairs. It was his business to determine all causes between men and their wives, and whatever concerned inheritance-to hear the complaints of such as had been injured by their neighbours, and to punish such as were addicted to drunkenness to take the first cognizance of some particular public actions, which we shall have to notice hereafter. He also kept a court of judicature in the Odeum, were trials about provisions, and other necessaries of life, were brought before him. It was his duty also to ap point persons to make provision for the feasts called Dionysia and Thargalia, together with some other solemnities;-to take care for the regulation of stage players, and to provide them with all necessaries. He was to be punished with death, if convicted of being overcome with drink, during the time of his office. Basileus had a court of judicature in the royal portico, where he decided all disputes which happened among the priests and the sacred families, such as were the Ceryces, Eteobutadæ, &c. to whom certain offices in the celebration of divine worship belonged by inheri

tance. Such also as were accused of impiety, or profanation of any of the mysteries, temples, or other sacred things, were brought before him. It was his business to assist in the celebration of the Eleusinian and Lenæan festivals, and all those on which they ran races with torches in their hands, viz. Panathenæa, Hephæstia, and Promethea; and to offer public sacrifices for the safety and prosperity of the commonwealth. It was required that his wife should be a citizen, wholly of Athenian descent, and a maiden, not widow at the time of marriage. Otherwise, neither of them were qualified to preside over the mysteries and rites of their several religions. This was enjoined to the High Priest, under the law of Moses. Besides this, the Basileus had some authority on secular affairs, for disputes about inanimate things were brought before him, as also accusations for murder; which it was his business to take account of, and then refer them to the Areopagites, amongst whom he had a right of suffrage, but was obliged to lay aside his crown, (which was one of the badges of his office) during the trial.

Polemarchus had under his care all the strangers and sojourners of Athens, and exercised the same authority over them, that the Archons used towards the citizens. It was his duty to offer a solemn sacrifice to Enyalius, who is by some taken for Mars, by others for one of his attendants, and another to Diana, surnamed Agrotera, from one of the Athenian boroughs;-to celebrate the exequies of the famous patriot Harmodious; and to take care that the children of those men, that had lost their lives in their country's service, should have a competent maintenance out of the public exchequer.

But because these three magistrates were often, on account of their youth, not so well skilled in the laws and customs of their country, as was requisite, that they might not be left wholly to themselves, it was customary for each of them to make choices of two persons of age, gravity, and reputation, to sit with them upon the bench, and direct them as occasion

required. These were obliged to undergo the same probation as the magistrates themselves, and like them too, to give an account how they had behaved themselves in their respective trusts, when their offices. expired.

The six remaining Archons were called by one common name, Thesmothetæ. They received complaints against persons guilty of false accusations-of calumniations of bribery-of impiety, which was also part of the king's office, but with this difference, that the accusers did only inform against the impious by word of mouth at the king's tribunal; whereas before the Thesmothetæ, they delivered their indictment in writing, and prosecuted the criminal. Also, to them were referred all causes and disputes between the citizens and strangers, sojourners and slaves; also, all controversies respecting trade and commerce. Appeals were made to the people, the public examination of several of the magistrates performed, and the suffrages in public assemblies, taken by them. They ratified all public contracts and leagues, appointed the days on which the judges were to sit, and hear causes in their several courts of judicature; took care, that no law should be established but such as conduced to the safety and prosperity of the commonwealth, and prosecuted those that endeavoured to seduce the unwary multitude, to give their consent to what was contrary to the interest of the state.

Euthynes were ten officers appointed to assist the Archons to pass the accounts of the magistrates, and. to set a fine upon such as they found to have embezzled the public treasure, or any way injured the commonwealth by their mal-administration.

Another Body of Magistrates were called

The ELEVEN, from their number. They were elected out of the body of the people, each of the tribes send