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

TAMIAE. 362 TAMIAE.

times called mvra\i0i£eiv, because five bones
or other objects of a similar kind were em-
ployed ; and this number is retained among
ourselves. "When the sides of the bone were
marked with different values, the game be-
came one of chance. [Alba ; Tessera.] The
two ends were left blank, because the bone
could not rest upon either of them on account
of its curvature. The four remaining sides
were marked with the numbers 1, 3, 4, 6 ;
1 and G being on two opposite sides, and
3 and 4 on the other two opposite sides.
The Greek and Latin names of the numbers
were as follows : — 1. Moras, ets, Kviav, Xios ;
Ion. Olyr) : Vnio, Yulturius, canis: 3. Tptas,
Ternio ; 4. Terpas, Quaternio; 6/Efds, eft'rrjs,
Kwo; ; Senio. Two persons played together
at this game, using four bones, which they
threw up into the air, or emptied out of a
dice-box, and observing the numbers on the
uppermost sides. The numbers on the four
sides of the four bones admitted of thirty-five
different combinations. The lowest throw
of all was four aces (jacere vultorios qua-
tuor). But the value of a throw was not in
all cases the sum of the four numbers turned
up. The highest in value was that called
Venus, or jactus Venereus, in which the
numbers cast up were all different, the sum
of them being only fourteen. It was by ob-
taining this throw that the king of the feast
was appointed among the Romans [Sympo-
sium], and hence it was also called Basilicus.
Certain other throws were called by particu-
lar names, taken from gods, illustrious men
and women, and heroes. Thus the throw,
consisting of two aces and two trays, making
eight, which number, like the jactus Vene-
reus, could he obtained only once, was de-
nominated Stesichonts.

TAMIAE (Ta/xuu), the treasurers of the
temples and the revenue at Athens. The
wealthiest of all the temples at Athens was
that of Athena on the Acropolis, the treasures
of which were under the guardianship of ten
1a mine, who were chosen annually by lot
from the class of pentacosiomedimni, and
afterwards, when the distinction of classes
had ceased to exist, from among the wealthi-
est of Athenian citizens. The treasurers of
the other gods were chosen in like manner ;
but they, about the 90th Olympiad, were all
united into one board, while those of Athena
remained distinct. Their treasury, however,
was transferred to the same place as that of
Athena, viz., to the opisthodomus of the
Parthenon, where were kept not only all the
treasures belonging to the temples, but also
the state treasure (6<rta xPVtliaTa> as contra-
distinguished from itpa), under the care of
the treasurers of Athena. All the funds of |

the state were considered as being in a man-
ner consecrated to Athena; while on the
other hand the people reserved to themselves
the right of making use of the sacred mo-
nies, as well as the other property of the
temples, if the safety of the state should re-
quire it. Payments made to the temples
were received by the treasurers in the pre-
sence of some members of the senate, just as
public monies were by the Apodectae; and
then the treasurers became responsible for
their safe custody.—The treasurer of the
revenufc (t<xp.tas or imixeX-qrqs rij9 KOll'ij?
vpoo-o&ov) was a more important personage
than those last mentioned. He was not a
mere keeper of monies, like them, nor a
mere receiver, like the apodectae; but a
general paymaster, who received through the
apodectae all money which was to be dis-
bursed for the purposes of the administration
(except the property-taxes, which were paid
into the war-office, and the tribute from the
allies, which was paid to the hcllenotamiae
[Hellexotamiae]), and then distributed it in
such manner as he was required to do by the
law ; the surplus (if any) he paid into the
war-office or the theoric fund. As this per-
son knew all the channels in which the
public money had to flow, and exercised a
general superintendence over the expendi-
ture, he was competent to give advice to the
people upon financial measures, with a view
to improve the revenue, introduce economy,
and prevent abuses ; he is sometimes called
rap.t'as -nj? SioiKriTizUis, or 6 e77t TTj<; StOLKr}-
o-ews, and may be regarded as a sort of minis-
ter of finance. He was elected by vote (xeipo-
tovio), and held his office for four years, but
was capable of being re-elected. A law,
however, was passed during the administra-
tion of Lycurgus, the orator, prohibiting re-
election ; so that Lycurgus, who is reported
to have continued in office for twelve years,
must have held it for the last eight years
under fictitious names. The power of this
officer was by no means free from control;
inasmuch as any individual was at liberty to
propose financial measures, or institute crimi-
nal proceedings for malversation or waste of
the public funds ; and there was an avnypa-
c/>eus t)); Stoi/cTjcrews appointed to check the
accounts of his superior. Anciently there
were persons called Puristae (iropi'aroi), who
appear to have assisted the tamiae in some
part of their duties. The money disbursed
by the treasurer of the revenue was some-
times paid directly to the various persons in
the employ of the government, sometimes
through subordinate pay offices. Many pub-
lic functionaries had their own paymasters,
who were dependent on the treasurer of the