less wealthy artisans, ship-captains, artists, poverty-stricken old men, dainty fine gentlemen, honest old-fashioned Athenians, bearded Laconizers, not many discreet lovers of the fatherland, very many political newsmongers: an assembly of at most eight thousand men of the most different interests, opinions, manners, but all alike jealous for their sovereignty and unaccustomed to control their southern vehemence of temper, habituated moreover to a vain self-complacency, and an aesthetic rather than matter-of-fact way of looking at things; the task of influencing such an assembly was far more difficult than that of the modern orator.-A sacrifice for purification preceded each assembly. This was followed by the burning of incense and a solemn prayer, which the herald recited following the dictation of the state-clerk. Then the president (éltárηs) laid before the meeting (πρоríðŋσι6) the subjects of the day's deliberations, which in the case of the regular assemblies were usually made known four days before. If these were accompanied by a recommendation of the council (πpoßoúλevμa), the people voted upon it, or commenced independent deliberation (σκοπεῖν or βουλεύεσθαι περὶ or ὑπέρ τινος"): and the herald invited those citizens who would to speak. But of course there were never more than a few who, even after careful preparation, trusted their powers to speak before so spoiled an audience, and possessed boldness enough to give the sovereign people counsel (σvμßovλeveɩv9) concerning the highest interests of the state (Tepi Tv öλwv10). These few speakers who usually came forward (ol elwobres Néyew11), were called especially the statesmen (oi woλɩtevóμevoi12), or the orators (oi 4 So far back as 427 Cleon had to say ειώθατε θεαται μὲν τῶν λόγων για γνεσθαι, ἀκροαταὶ δὲ τῶν ἔργων. Thuc. iii. 88. 5 In the time of Demosthenes the errorárns was chosen by lot from among nine poédρo, themselves daily chosen by lot from each of the non-prytanising pudaí. See Hicks in the Journal of Philology, Vol. iii. 6 Ol. iii. 18. Phil. i. 1, 24, 46. de Cor. 273. 7 Phil. i. 1, 31, 36. Aeschin. Timarch. 23. Ctes. 12. Cf, the phrases λóyor aireîolas, didóvaι, λαβεῖν. 9 Ol. iii. 3. de Chers. 73, 10 Ol. ii. 31. u Phil. i. 1. de Cor. 278. Aeschin. Ctes. 133. 'summa rerum' in Livy. 12 Ol. iii, 30. de Chers. 33. λέγοντες 13, οι οἱ ῥήτορες14), in opposition to the ἰδιῶται 15. Their position, dangerous as it was honourable, was without any official character, merely a matter of the personal confidence which each of them possessed with the people. He who wished to speak stood up (ávéσTη16), and stepping on to the orators' tribune (аρeλ0ŵv17 or past pres. or imperf. #apiv 18) expounded in a speech of more or less detail his view (yμŋv 19, not τὴν γνώμην, or ἃ γιγνώσκει 20, ἀπεφήνατο21, or ἀπεδείξατο). During his speech he wore, as a token of inviolability, a myrtle crown, and though the Proedri might inflict a fine for unbecoming language, he was in other respects legally irresponsible for his utterances (ἡ ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος παρρησία 22). But he became legally responsible for a year if he had previously moved in writing (čypaye 23) that which he proposed to the people (eîïe, Xeye 24). Then, whether the motion had become a decree or not, any one might, within this period, prosecute the mover on a charge of illegality (ypapǹ πapavóμwv 25); the declaration upon oath, that a person wished to institute such a prosecution, effected the suspension of the validity of the decree until a judicial decision had been obtained. The presiding officers (póedρo) examined proposals handed in to them, to see if they contained nothing illegal, and if they seemed admissible, put them to the vote (minpíše 26). The people voted on each proposal by raising the hand (χειροτονεῖ, ἐπιχειροτονεῖ27, most commonly ynpíšeraɩ 28): the view (♂ čôo§€29) of the majority 13 Phil. i. 44. 16 Phil. i. 1. 14 Ol. ii. 29. 19 de Cor. 189. Aeschin. Ctes. 2. 15 Aeschin. Tim. 7. 18 Ol. iii. 21. 20 Phil. i. 1 and 51. 2 yváμnν añoдývaσłac Phil. i. 1. de Cor. 189. Aeschin. Ctes. 2. yv. ἀποδεδειγμένος. Lys. xii. 27. 22 Phil. i. 51. 25 de Halonn. 43. 28 Phil. i. 33. 24 Ol. iii. 12. 18. 19. 34. 26 Aeschin. F. L. 65. Ctes. 75. 27 Phil. i. 30. de Cor. 248. To make valid' is κvρoûv, 'to reject' aπoχειροτονειν. 28 Ol. i. 2, iii. 4. Voting with actual voting-stones po, and therefore in secret, only took place in certain cases where the personal interests of individuals were concerned. 29 Phil. i. 36. The regular initial formula of decrees of the people was edoce τῇ βουλῇ καὶ τῷ δήμῳ. was announced (åvayopeveraι30) by the president as a valid decree of the people (kúpiov †ýpioμa31), and the original document of the decree, if it was not engraven on stone 32, was in any case deposited in the Archives (the shrine of the Mother of the gods To Mŋтрov33) with the other state-documents (τὰ δημόσια γράμματα). 30 Aeschin. Ctes. 3. 31 de Chers. 6. Ol. iii. 14. 83 The usual expression is αναγράψαι ἐν (more rarely εἰς) στήλῃ λιθίνῃ καὶ ornσaι év, see notes to Phil. iii. 41. 43. 33 Harpocration, F. L. 129. Aeschin. F. L. 89. Ctes. 18. GRAMMATICAL PECULIARITIES EXPLAINED IN THE NOTES. The pages of Goodwin's Moods and Tenses and of his Grammar are referred to, unless sections are specially mentioned. 16. Participle after s Partitive Gen. after adj. M. T. 231, n. 10. (b). G. 220. 17. Optative with av of independent sentence retained in dependent without regard to leading verb 18. av with Opt. in protasis 20. oπws, 'See you do not' M. T. 48, 49. M. T. 107, note 2 (a). G. 262, n. 4. M. T. 82. 21. Relative with av and Subj. cf. §§ 6, 39 Dative with Verbal Substantive, cf. § 23 23. Imperf. Infinitive 25. Neuter Pass. Partic. as Substantive Indic, of that which is not the case 33. a, Neuter Pronoun as Cognate Acc. 34. Acc. after πλeîv 39. Infin. with où after deî Relative clause with av and Subj. refer ring to the Future 43. et after θαυμάζω 44. Negatives, double M. T. 128. G. § 185. M. T. 15. M. T. 28, n. 2. G. 268, n. 2. G. 261. 3. M. T. 72, 73. M. T. 135, 5. G. 214, n. 2. G. 215, top. G. 208. 3. M. T. 128. M. T. 120. M. T. 184, 185. 2. 50. Indirect quotation of Compound Sentences vûv of immediate Future condition M. T. 161. M. T. 103. |