DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.13851#0131
of the civil government of athens.
109
wards it was increased to two, then to three, and at length to a druchm,
which was six oboli, as we have before observed from the scholiast upon
Aristophanes (1). And though these rewards may seem trifling and in-
considerable expences, yet the troublesome temper of the Athenians, and
their nice exaction of every little duty, or privilege, occasioned so great
a number of law-suits, that the frequent payment of these small sums by
degrees so exhausted the exchequer, that they became a burden to the
commonwealth, and are particularly reflected upon by Aristophanes (2),
who takes occasion every where.to ridicule this litigious humour, which
was then grown to such a height, that every corner of the streets was
pestered with swarms of turbulent rascals, that made it their business to
pick up stories, and catch at every occasion to accuse persons of credit
and reputation : these they called 2vxo<pav<ra,i, which word sometimes sig-
nifies false witnesses, but is more properly taken for what we call common
barretors, being derived dno Ovxx 4>#i'v£iv, from indicting persons that
exportedjigs: for amongst the primitive Athenians, when the use of that
fruit was first found out, or in the time of a dearth, when all sorts of pro-
vision were exceeding scarce, it was enacted, that no figs should be ex-
ported out of Attica ; and this law not being actually repealed, when a
plentiful harvest had rendered it useless, by taking away its reason, gave
occasion to ill-natured and malicious men, to accuse all persons they
caught transgressing the letter of it ; and from them all busy informers
have ever since been branded with the name of sycophants (3). Others
will have the stealing of figs to have been prohibited by a particular law,
and that thence informations grew so numerous, that all vexatious inform-
ers were afterwards termed sycophants.
CHAP XXII.
OF THE TstftfasgeiXQVTi* and Aiouryrai.
O'l TsFtf«6gaxovTa, were forty men that went their circuits round the se-
veral boroughs, and had cognizance of all controversies about money,
when the sum exceeded not ten drachms ; also, as Demosthenes re-
ports (4), had actions of assault and battery brought to their hearing.
Pollux tells us, that at their first institution, they were no more than thir-
ty in number ; but Hesychius reports, the magistrates or judges called
Oi T£i<xxov<ra, were those that amerced the people for absenting themselves
from the public assemblies.
Atatmrai, or arbitrators, wq#e of two sorts.
1. KAijgwre;, were forty-four men in each tribe, above the age of sixty,
as Pollux, or fifty, as Suidas reports, drawn by lots, to determine contro-
versies in their own tribe about money, when the sum was above ten
drachms. Their sentence was not final ; so that if either of the contest-
ing parties thought himself injured by it, he might appeal to the superior
courts of justice (5). At their first institution, all causes whatsoever
(1) Ran. Vesp. item Suidas, Pollux. Hesy- (3) Suidas, Aristoph. Schol. Pluto, Equit,
chius. &c.
(2) Ran. pag. 280. edit. iErail. Porti, et (4) Orat. in Pantasnet.
Scholiast, ibid. (5) Demosthen, Orat. in Aphobum,
109
wards it was increased to two, then to three, and at length to a druchm,
which was six oboli, as we have before observed from the scholiast upon
Aristophanes (1). And though these rewards may seem trifling and in-
considerable expences, yet the troublesome temper of the Athenians, and
their nice exaction of every little duty, or privilege, occasioned so great
a number of law-suits, that the frequent payment of these small sums by
degrees so exhausted the exchequer, that they became a burden to the
commonwealth, and are particularly reflected upon by Aristophanes (2),
who takes occasion every where.to ridicule this litigious humour, which
was then grown to such a height, that every corner of the streets was
pestered with swarms of turbulent rascals, that made it their business to
pick up stories, and catch at every occasion to accuse persons of credit
and reputation : these they called 2vxo<pav<ra,i, which word sometimes sig-
nifies false witnesses, but is more properly taken for what we call common
barretors, being derived dno Ovxx 4>#i'v£iv, from indicting persons that
exportedjigs: for amongst the primitive Athenians, when the use of that
fruit was first found out, or in the time of a dearth, when all sorts of pro-
vision were exceeding scarce, it was enacted, that no figs should be ex-
ported out of Attica ; and this law not being actually repealed, when a
plentiful harvest had rendered it useless, by taking away its reason, gave
occasion to ill-natured and malicious men, to accuse all persons they
caught transgressing the letter of it ; and from them all busy informers
have ever since been branded with the name of sycophants (3). Others
will have the stealing of figs to have been prohibited by a particular law,
and that thence informations grew so numerous, that all vexatious inform-
ers were afterwards termed sycophants.
CHAP XXII.
OF THE TstftfasgeiXQVTi* and Aiouryrai.
O'l TsFtf«6gaxovTa, were forty men that went their circuits round the se-
veral boroughs, and had cognizance of all controversies about money,
when the sum exceeded not ten drachms ; also, as Demosthenes re-
ports (4), had actions of assault and battery brought to their hearing.
Pollux tells us, that at their first institution, they were no more than thir-
ty in number ; but Hesychius reports, the magistrates or judges called
Oi T£i<xxov<ra, were those that amerced the people for absenting themselves
from the public assemblies.
Atatmrai, or arbitrators, wq#e of two sorts.
1. KAijgwre;, were forty-four men in each tribe, above the age of sixty,
as Pollux, or fifty, as Suidas reports, drawn by lots, to determine contro-
versies in their own tribe about money, when the sum was above ten
drachms. Their sentence was not final ; so that if either of the contest-
ing parties thought himself injured by it, he might appeal to the superior
courts of justice (5). At their first institution, all causes whatsoever
(1) Ran. Vesp. item Suidas, Pollux. Hesy- (3) Suidas, Aristoph. Schol. Pluto, Equit,
chius. &c.
(2) Ran. pag. 280. edit. iErail. Porti, et (4) Orat. in Pantasnet.
Scholiast, ibid. (5) Demosthen, Orat. in Aphobum,