the athenian constitution-第1章

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　　　　　350　BC
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　ATHENIAN　CONSTITUTION
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Aristotle
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　translated　by　Sir　Frederic　G。　Kenyon
Part　1

　　。。。＇They　were　tried＇　by　a　court　empanelled　from　among　the　noble　families；　and　sworn　upon　the　sacrifices。　The　part　of　accuser　　was　taken　by　Myron。　They　were　found　guilty　of　the　sacrilege；　and　their　bodies　were　cast　out　of　their　graves　and　their　race　banished　for　　evermore。　In　view　of　this　expiation；　Epimenides　the　Cretan　performed　a　　purification　of　the　city。

Part　2

　　After　this　event　there　was　contention　for　a　long　time　between　the　upper　classes　and　the　populace。　Not　only　was　the　constitution　at　this　time　oligarchical　in　every　respect；　but　the　poorer　classes；　men；　women；　and　children；　were　the　serfs　of　the　rich。　They　were　known　as　Pelatae　and　also　as　Hectemori；　because　they　cultivated　the　lands　of　the　rich　at　the　rent　thus　indicated。　The　whole　　country　was　in　the　hands　of　a　few　persons；　and　if　the　tenants　failed　to　pay　their　rent　they　were　liable　to　be　haled　into　slavery；　and　their　children　with　them。　All　loans　secured　upon　the　debtor's　person；　a　custom　which　prevailed　until　the　time　of　Solon；　who　was　the　first　to　appear　as　the　champion　of　the　people。　But　the　hardest　and　bitterest　part　of　the　constitution　in　the　eyes　of　the　masses　was　their　state　　of　serfdom。　Not　but　what　they　were　also　discontented　with　every　other　feature　of　their　lot；　for；　to　speak　generally；　they　had　no　part　nor　share　in　anything。

Part　3

　　Now　the　ancient　constitution；　as　it　existed　before　the　time　of　Draco；　was　organized　as　follows。　The　magistrates　were　elected　according　to　qualifications　of　birth　and　wealth。　At　first　they　governed　for　life；　but　subsequently　for　terms　of　ten　years。　The　first　magistrates；　both　in　date　and　in　importance；　were　the　King；　the　Polemarch；　and　the　Archon。　The　earliest　of　these　offices　was　that　of　the　King；　which　existed　from　ancestral　antiquity。　To　this　was　added；　secondly；　the　office　of　Polemarch；　on　account　of　some　of　the　kings　proving　feeble　in　war；　for　it　was　on　this　account　that　Ion　was　invited　to　accept　the　post　on　an　occasion　of　pressing　need。　The　last　of　the　three　offices　was　that　of　the　Archon；　which　most　authorities　state　to　have　come　into　existence　in　the　time　of　Medon。　Others　assign　it　to　the　time　of　Acastus；　and　adduce　as　proof　the　fact　that　the　nine　Archons　swear　to　execute　their　oaths　'as　in　the　days　of　Acastus；'　which　seems　to　suggest　that　it　was　in　his　time　that　the　descendants　of　Codrus　retired　from　the　kingship　in　　return　for　the　prerogatives　conferred　upon　the　Archon。　Whichever　way　it　may　be；　the　difference　in　date　is　small；　but　that　it　was　the　last　of　these　magistracies　to　be　created　is　shown　by　the　fact　that　the　　Archon　has　no　part　in　the　ancestral　sacrifices；　as　the　King　and　the　Polemarch　have；　but　exclusively　in　those　of　later　origin。　So　it　is　only　at　a　comparatively　late　date　that　the　office　of　Archon　has　become　of　great　importance；　through　the　dignity　conferred　by　these　later　additions。　The　Thesmothetae　were　many　years　afterwards；　when　these　offices　had　already　become　annual；　with　the　object　that　they　might　publicly　record　all　legal　decisions；　and　act　as　guardians　of　　them　with　a　view　to　determining　the　issues　between　litigants。　Accordingly　their　office；　alone　of　those　which　have　been　mentioned；　was　never　of　more　than　annual　duration。　　　Such；　then；　is　the　relative　chronological　precedence　of　these　offices。　At　that　time　the　nine　Archons　did　not　all　live　together。　The　King　occupied　the　building　now　known　as　the　Boculium；　near　the　Prytaneum；　as　may　be　seen　from　the　fact　that　even　to　the　present　day　the　marriage　of　the　King's　wife　to　Dionysus　takes　place　there。　The　Archon　lived　in　the　Prytaneum；　the　Polemarch　in　the　Epilyceum。　The　latter　building　was　formerly　called　the　Polemarcheum；　but　after　Epilycus；　during　his　term　of　office　as　Polemarch；　had　rebuilt　it　and　fitted　it　up；　it　was　called　the　Epilyceum。　The　Thesmothetae　occupied　the　Thesmotheteum。　In　the　time　of　Solon；　however；　they　all　came　together　into　the　Thesmotheteum。　They　had　power　to　decide　cases　finally　on　their　own　authority；　not；　as　now；　merely　to　hold　a　preliminary　hearing。　Such　then　was　the　arrangement　of　the　magistracies。　The　Council　of　Areopagus　had　as　its　constitutionally　assigned　duty　the　protection　of　the　laws；　but　in　point　of　fact　it　administered　the　greater　and　most　important　part　of　the　government　of　the　state；　and　inflicted　personal　punishments　and　fines　summarily　upon　all　who　misbehaved　themselves。　This　was　the　natural　consequence　of　the　facts　that　the　Archons　were　elected　under　qualifications　of　birth　and　wealth；　and　that　the　Areopagus　was　composed　of　　those　who　had　served　as　Archons；　for　which　latter　reason　the　membership　of　the　Areopagus　is　the　only　office　which　has　continued　to　be　a　life…magistracy　to　the　present　day。

Part　4

　　Such　was；　in　outline；　the　first　constitution；　but　not　very　long　after　the　events　above　recorded；　in　the　archonship　of　Aristaichmus；　Draco　enacted　his　ordinances。　Now　his　constitution　had　the　following　form。　The　franchise　was　given　to　all　who　could　furnish　　themselves　with　a　military　equipment。　The　nine　Archons　and　the　Treasurers　　were　elected　by　this　body　from　persons　possessing　an　unencumbered　property　of　not　less　than　ten　minas；　the　less　important　officials　from　those　　who　could　furnish　themselves　with　a　military　equipment；　and　the　generals　＇Strategi＇　and　commanders　of　the　cavalry　＇Hipparchi＇　from　those　who　could　show　an　unencumbered　property　of　not　less　than　a　hundred　minas；　and　had　children　born　in　lawful　wedlock　over　ten　years　of　age。　These　officers　were　required　to　hold　to　bail　the　Prytanes；　the　Strategi；　and　the　Hipparchi　of　the　preceding　year　until　　their　accounts　had　been　audited；　taking　four　securities　of　the　same　class　as　that　to　which　the　Strategi　and　the　Hipparchi　belonged。　There　was　　also　to　be　a　Council；　consisting　of　four　hundred　and　one　members；　elected　by　lot　from　among　those　who　possessed　the　franchise。　Both　for　this　and　for　the　other　magistracies　the　lot　was　cast　among　those　who　were　over　thirty　years　of　age；　and　no　one　might　hold　office　twice　until　every　one　else　had　had　his　turn；　after　which　they　were　to　　cast　the　lot　afresh。　If　any　member　of　the　Council　failed　to　attend　when　　there　was　a　sitting　of　the　Council　or　of　the　Assembly；　he　paid　a　fine；　to　the　amount　of　three　drachmas　if　he　was　a　Pentacosiomedimnus；　two　　if　he　was　a　Knight；　and　One　if　he　was　a　Zeugites。　The　Council　of　Areopagus　was　guardian　of　the　laws；　and　kept　watch　over　the　magistrates　to　see　that　they　executed　their　offices　in　accordance　with　the　laws。　Any　person　who　felt　himself　wronged　might　lay　an　information　before　the　Council　of　Areopagus；　on　declaring　what　law　was　broken　by　the　wrong　done　to　him。　But；　as　has　been　said　before；　loans　were　　secured　upon　the　persons　of　the　debtors；　and　the　land　was　in　the　hands　of　a　few。

Part　5

　　Since　such；　then；　was　the　organization　of　the　constitution；　and　the　many　were　in　slavery　to　the　few；　the　people　rose　against　　the　upper　class。　The　strife　was　keen；　and　for　a　long　time　the　two　parties　were　ranged　in　hostile　camps　against　one　another；　till　at　last；　by　common　consent；　they　appointed　Solon　to　be　mediator　and　Archon；　and　　committed　the　whole　constitution　to　his　hands。　The　immediate　occasion　of　his　appointment　was　his　poem；　which　begins　with　the　words：

　　I　behold；　and　within　my　heart　deep　sadness　has　claimed　its　place；　　　As　I　mark　the　oldest　home　of　the　ancient　Ionian　race　　　Slain　by　the　sword。

　　In　this　poem　he　fights　and　disputes　on　behalf　of　each　party　in　turn　against　the　other；　and　finally　he　advises　them　to　come　to　terms　and　put　an　end　to　the　quarrel　existing　between　them。　By　birth　and　reputation　Solon　was　one　of　the　foremost　men　of　the　day；　but　　in　wealth　and　position　he　was　of　the　middle　class；　as　is　generally　agreed；　and　is；　indeed；　established　by　his　own　evidence　in　these　poems；　where　he　exhorts　the　wealthy　not　to　be　grasping。

　　But　ye　who　have　store　of　good；　who　are　sated　and　overflow；　　　Restrain　your　swelling　soul；　and　still　it　and　keep　it　low：　　　Let　the　heart　that　is　great　within　you　he　trained　a　lowlier　way；　　　Ye　shall　not　have　all　at　your　will；　and　we　will　not　for