the athenian constitution-第8章

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lsion　of　the　party　of　Isagoras。　After　this　Xanthippus　was　the　leader　of　the　people；　and　Miltiades　of　the　upper　class。　Then　came　Themistocles　and　Aristides；　and　after　them　Ephialtes　as　leader　of　the　people；　and　Cimon　son　of　Miltiades　of　the　wealthier　class。　Pericles　followed　as　leader　of　the　　people；　and　Thucydides；　who　was　connected　by　marriage　with　Cimon；　of　the　opposition。　After　the　death　of　Pericles；　Nicias；　who　　subsequently　fell　in　Sicily；　appeared　as　leader　of　the　aristocracy；　and　Cleon　son　of　Cleaenetus　of　the　people。　The　latter　seems；　more　than　any　　one　else；　to　have　been　the　cause　of　the　corruption　of　the　democracy　by　his　wild　undertakings；　and　he　was　the　first　to　use　unseemly　shouting　　and　coarse　abuse　on　the　Bema；　and　to　harangue　the　people　with　his　cloak　girt　up　short　about　him；　whereas　all　his　predecessors　had　spoken　decently　and　in　order。　These　were　succeeded　by　Theramenes　son　of　Hagnon　as　leader　of　the　one　party；　and　the　lyre…maker　Cleophon　of　the　　people。　It　was　Cleophon　who　first　granted　the　twoobol　donation　for　the　　theatrical　performances；　and　for　some　time　it　continued　to　be　given；　but　then　Callicrates　of　Paeania　ousted　him　by　promising　to　add　a　third　obol　to　the　sum。　Both　of　these　persons　were　subsequently　condemned　to　death；　for　the　people；　even　if　they　are　deceived　for　a　time；　in　the　end　generally　come　to　detest　those　who　have　beguiled　them　into　any　unworthy　action。　After　Cleophon　the　popular　leadership　was　occupied　successively　by　the　men　who　chose　to　talk　the　biggest　and　pander　the　most　to　the　tastes　of　the　majority；　with　their　eyes　fixed　only　on　the　interests　of　the　moment。　The　best　statesmen　at　Athens；　　after　those　of　early　times；　seem　to　have　been　Nicias；　Thucydides；　and　Theramenes。　As　to　Nicias　and　Thucydides；　nearly　every　one　agrees　that　they　were　not　merely　men　of　birth　and　character；　but　also　statesmen；　and　that　they　ruled　the　state　with　paternal　care。　On　the　merits　of　Theramenes　opinion　is　divided；　because　it　so　happened　that　in　his　time　public　affairs　were　in　a　very　stormy　state。　But　those　who　give　their　opinion　deliberately　find　him；　not；　as　his　critics　falsely　assert；　overthrowing　every　kind　of　constitution；　but　supporting　every　kind　so　long　as　it　did　not　transgress　laws；　thus　showing　that　he　was　able；　as　every　good　citizen　should　be；　to　live　under　any　form　of　constitution；　while　he　refused　to　countenance　illegality　and　was　its　constant　enemy。

Part　29

　　So　long　as　the　fortune　of　the　war　continued　even；　the　Athenians　preserved　the　democracy；　but　after　the　disaster　in　Sicily；　when　the　Lacedaemonians　had　gained　the　upper　hand　through　their　alliance　with　the　king　of　Persia；　they　were　compelled　to　abolish　the　democracy　and　establish　in　its　place　the　constitution　of　the　Four　Hundred。　The　speech　recommending　this　course　before　the　vote　was　made　by　Melobius；　and　the　motion　was　proposed　by　Pythodorus　of　Anaphlystus；　but　the　real　argument　which　persuaded　the　majority　was　the　　belief　that　the　king　of　Persia　was　more　likely　to　form　an　alliance　with　them　if　the　constitution　were　on　an　oligarchical　basis。　The　motion　of　Pythodorus　was　to　the　following　effect。　The　popular　Assembly　was　to　elect　twenty　persons；　over　forty　years　of　age；　who；　in　conjunction　with　the　existing　ten　members　of　the　Committee　of　Public　　Safety；　after　taking　an　oath　that　they　would　frame　such　measures　as　they　thought　best　for　the　state；　should　then　prepare　proposals　for　the　public。　safety。　In　addition；　any　other　person　might　make　proposals；　　so　that　of　all　the　schemes　before　them　the　people　might　choose　the　best。　Cleitophon　concurred　with　the　motion　of　Pythodorus；　but　　moved　that　the　committee　should　also　investigate　the　ancient　laws　enacted　by　Cleisthenes　when　he　created　the　democracy；　in　order　that　they　might　have　these　too　before　them　and　so　be　in　a　position　to　decide　wisely；　his　suggestion　being　that　the　constitution　of　Cleisthenes　was　not　really　democratic；　but　closely　akin　to　that　of　Solon。　When　the　committee　was　elected；　their　first　proposal　was　that　the　Prytanes　should　be　compelled　to　put　to　the　vote　any　motion　that　was　offered　on　behalf　of　the　public　safety。　Next　they　abolished　all　indictments　for　illegal　proposals；　all　impeachments　and　pubic　prosecutions；　in　order　that　every　Athenian　should　be　free　to　give　his　counsel　on　the　situation；　if　he　chose；　and　they　decreed　that　if　any　person　imposed　a　fine　on　any　other　for　his　acts　in　this　respect；　or　　prosecuted　him　or　summoned　him　before　the　courts；　he　should；　on　an　information　being　laid　against　him；　be　summarily　arrested　and　brought　before　the　generals；　who　should　deliver　him　to　the　Eleven　to　be　put　to　death。　After　these　preliminary　measures；　they　drew　up　the　　constitution　in　the　following　manner。　The　revenues　of　the　state　were　not　to　be　spent　on　any　purpose　except　the　war。　All　magistrates　should　serve　without　remuneration　for　the　period　of　the　war；　except　the　nine　Archons　and　the　Prytanes　for　the　time　being；　who　should　each　receive　　three　obols　a　day。　The　whole　of　the　rest　of　the　administration　was　to　be　committed；　for　the　period　of　the　war；　to　those　Athenians　who　　were　most　capable　of　serving　the　state　personally　or　pecuniarily；　to　the　number　of　not　less　than　five　thousand。　This　body　was　to　have　full　powers；　to　the　extent　even　of　making　treaties　with　whomsoever　they　willed；　and　ten　representatives；　over　forty　years　of　age；　were　to　be　elected　from　each　tribe　to　draw　up　the　list　of　the　Five　Thousand；　after　taking　an　oath　on　a　full　and　perfect　sacrifice。

Part　30

　　These　were　the　recommendations　of　the　committee；　and　when　they　had　been　ratified　the　Five　Thousand　elected　from　their　own　number　a　hundred　commissioners　to　draw　up　the　constitution。　They；　on　their　appointment；　drew　up　and　produced　the　following　　recommendations。　There　should　be　a　Council；　holding　office　for　a　year；　consisting　　of　men　over　thirty　years　of　age；　serving　without　pay。　To　this　body　should　belong　the　Generals；　the　nine　Archons；　the　Amphictyonic　Registrar　（Hieromnemon）；　the　Taxiarchs；　the　Hipparchs；　the　Phylarch；　the　commanders　of　garrisons；　the　Treasurers　of　Athena　and　the　other　gods；　ten　in　number；　the　Hellenic　Treasurers　（Hellenotamiae）；　the　Treasurers　of　the　other　non…sacred　moneys；　to　the　number　of　twenty；　the　ten　Commissioners　of　Sacrifices　（Hieropoei）；　and　the　ten　Superintendents　of　the　mysteries。　All　these　were　to　be　appointed　by　the　Council　from　a　larger　number　of　selected　candidates；　chosen　from　its　members　for　the　time　being。　The　other　offices　were　all　to　be　filled　by　lot；　and　not　from　the　members　of　the　Council。　The　Hellenic　Treasurers　who　actually　administered　the　funds　should　not　　sit　with　the　Council。　As　regards　the　future；　four　Councils　were　to　be　created；　of　men　of　the　age　already　mentioned；　and　one　of　these　was　to　be　　chosen　by　lot　to　take　office　at　once；　while　the　others　were　to　receive　it　in　turn；　in　the　order　decided　by　the　lot。　For　this　purpose　the　hundred　commissioners　were　to　distribute　themselves　and　all　the　rest　as　equally　as　possible　into　four　parts；　and　cast　lots　for　　precedence；　and　the　selected　body　should　hold　office　for　a　year。　They　were　to　administer　that　office　as　seemed　to　them　best；　both　with　reference　to　the　safe　custody　and　due　expenditure　of　the　finances；　and　　generally　with　regard　to　all　other　matters　to　the　best　of　their　　ability。　If　they　desired　to　take　a　larger　number　of　persons　into　counsel；　each　member　might　call　in　one　assistant　of　his　own　choice；　subject　to　the　same　qualification　of　age。　The　Council　was　to　sit　once　every　five　days；　unless　there　was　any　special　need　for　more　frequent　sittings。　The　casting　of　the　lot　for　the　Council　was　to　be　held　by　the　　nine　Archons；　votes　on　divisions　were　to　be　counted　by　five　tellers　chosen　by　lot　from　the　members　of　the　Council；　and　of　these　one　was　to　be　selected　by　lot　every　day　to　act　as　president。　These　five　persons　were　to　cast　lots　for　precedence　between　the　parties　wishing　to　appear　before　the　Council；　giving　the　first　place　to　sacred　matters；　the　second　to　heralds；　the　third　to　embassies；　and　the　fourth　to　　all　other　subjects；　but　matters　concerning　the　war　might　be　dealt　with；　on　the　motion　of　the　generals；　whenever　there　was　need；　without　balloting。　Any　member　of　the　Council　who　did　not　enter　the　Council…house　at