Smith, William: A smaller dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities (London, 1871)

ARCHON.

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ARCHON.

a good son, and qualified in point of property,
but the latter limitation was either done away
with by Aristides, or soon became obsolete.
Yet, even after passing a satisfactory ana-
crisis, each of the archons, in common with
other magistrates, was liable to be deposed on
complaint of misconduct made before the
people, at the first regular assembly in each
prytany. On such an occasion the cpicheiro-
tonia (e7rix«poTOj<ia), as it was called, took
place : and we read that in one case the whole
college of archons was deprived of office
(aTroxet-poToveitrOai). In consequence of the
democratical tendency of the assembly and
courts of justice established by Solon, the
archons lost the great political power which
they at one time possessed. They became, in
fact, not as of old directors of the government,
but merely municipal magistrates, exercising
functions and bearing titles described below.
It has been already stated, that the duties of
the single archon were shared by a college of
nine. The first, or president of this body,
was calied Archon, by way of pre-eminence,
or Archon Eponymus (apx">v en-wi-u^os), from
the year being distinguished by and regis-
tered in his name. The second was styled
Archon Basileus (ap\u>v (SacriAeus), or the
King Archon; the third Polemarchus (tto\£-
/uapxo;), or commander-in-chief; the remain-
ing six, Thesmothetac (0eTfj.o8eVai), or legis-
lators. As regards the duties of the archons,
it is sometimes difficult to distinguish what
belonged to them individually, and what col-
.ectively. It seems that a considerable por-
tion of the judicial functions of the ancient
kings devolved upon the Archon Epo?iymus,
who was also constituted a sort of state pro-
tector of those who were unable to defend
themselves. Thus he was to superintend
orphans, heiresses, families losing their repre-
sentatives, widows left pregnant, and to see
that they were not wronged in any way.
This archon had also the superintendence
of the greater Dionysia, and the Thargelia.
The functions of the King Archon were almost
all connected with religion ; his distinguishing
title shows that he was considered a repre-
sentative of the old kings in their capacity of
high priest, as the Rex Sacrificulus was at
Rome. Thus he presided at the Lenaea, or
older Dionysia ; superintended the mysteries
and the games called Lampadcphoriae, and
had to offer up sacrifices and prayers in the
Eleusinium, both at Athens and Eleusis.
Moreover, indictments for impiety, and con-
troversies about the priesthood, were laid be-
fore him ; and, in cases of murder, he brought
the trial into the court of the areiopagus, and
voted with its members. His wife, also, who
was called Basil issa OatnAiovra), had to offer

certain sacrifices, and therefore it was re-
quired that she should be a citizen of pure
blood, without stain or blemish. The Pole-
march was originally, as his name denotes,
the commander-in-chief, and we find him
discharging military duties as late as the
battle of Marathon, in conjunction with the
ten Stratcgi; he there took, like the kings of
old, the command of the right wing of the
army. This, however, seems to be the last
occasion on record of this magistrate ap-
pointed by lot being invested with such im-
portant functions; and in after ages we find
that his duties ceased to be military, having
been, in a great measure, transferred to the
protection and superintendence of the resident
aliens, so that he resembled in many respects
the praetor peregrinus at Rome. Thus, all
actions affecting aliens, the isoteles and
proxeni were brought before him' previously
to trial. Moreover, it was the polemarch's
duty to offer the yearly sacrifice to Artemis,
in commemoration of the vow made by Calli-
machus, at Marathon, and to arrange the
funeral games in honour of those who fell in
war. The six Tlicsmothctae were extensively
connected with the administration of justice,
and appear to have been called legislators,
because, in the absence of a written code,
they might be said to make laws, or thesmi
(Secriuoi), in the ancient language of Athens,
though in reality they only explained them.
They were required to review, every year,
the whole body of laws, that they might
detect any inconsistencies or superfluities,
and discover whether any laws which were
abrogated were in the public records amongst
the rest. Their report was submitted to the
people, who referred the necessary alterations
to a legislative committee chosen for the pur-
pose, and called yomothctae (ra/ioSeVat). The
chief part of the duties of the thesmothetae
consisted in receiving informations, and bring-
ing cases to trial in the courts of law, of the
days of sitting in which they gave public
notice. They did not try them themselves,
but seem to have constituted a sort of grand
jury, or inquest. The trial itself took place
before the Dicastae. [Dicastae.] It is ne-
cessary to be cautious in our interpretation of
the words a-PXV and apxovrei;, since the}' have
a double meaning in the Attic orators, some-
times referring to the archons peculiarly so
called, and sometimes to any other magistracy.
The archons had various privileges and ho-
nours. The greatest of the former was the
exemption from the Hierarchies—a boon not
allowed even to the successors of Harmodius
and Aristogeiton. As a mark of their office,
they wore a chaplet or crown of myrtle ; and
if any one struck or abused one of the archons,

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