Strangers residing at Athens were protected by the law, and allowed to follow trades, or spend their fortunes; but were incapable of voting, or of being elected to any office. They were subject to an extra tribute, in addition to the taxes paid by the free citizens. On certain public processions, they carried a badge of distinction, by which they were known from the Athenians. Such strangers as had rendered eminent service to the republic, were exempted from this requisition.

After a plague, or destructive war, it was usual to replenish the city by admitting strangers to the rank of freemen. To cement the freemen and strangers in closer union, each stranger was required to select some principal citizen to be his patron, to protect him from oppression.

It is painful to reflect that, in a country where the inhabitants prided themselves upon their liberty, and were ready to make such sacrifices to defend it, there should have been slaves, greatly surpassing the free citizens in number. In Athens they were about twenty times as numerous as the citizens. Slaves were of two sorts; natural born Greeks, who themselves, or whose parents, by poverty, captivity, or other misfortune, had been reduced to that condition; or foreigners, imported from abroad. The former were favored, both by law and custom, much more than the latter.

At Athens, slaves were in general more mildly treated, than in other parts of Greece. In times of danger, some obtained their freedom by fighting in defence of the state. They might also, if provident, amass a little property to redeem themselves. In general, masters were careful not to allow slaves

the use of arms; neither might they imitate the dress and manners of freemen.

The Athenian slaves were employed in cultivating the lands; they also wrought in the mines and quarries, and performed all the domestic services in private families. Slaves from other countries were exposed in the public markets for sale. At Athens, when a slave was first carried home, an entertainment was provided as a welcome to his new service. It was the interest of the master to treat his slaves with mildness, and attach them to his service, but he had full power over those which were bought, and might even put them to death.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

Of the Government of Athens.

THE government of Athens was at first monarchical; but after the death of Codrus, annual magistrates, called archons, were elected and placed at the head of the government. Occasionally,

however, individuals obtained an extraordinary ascendancy in the state. This was the case with the tyrant Pisistratus and his sons; and after then, Pericles ruled Athens, by the consent of the people, nearly forty years. The usual government was carried on by the nine archons, by a senate of 500, and by assemblies of the people.

The persons appointed to the office of archon,

were elected from the principal citizens by lot. After their nomination, they were subjected to two rigorous examinations; the first was before the senate, and the other in the forum, before the magistrates, called heliasta. They were required to show that they were descended of ancestors, who for three generations had been Athenian citizens; to specify the tribe and district to which they belonged; to adduce proofs of their filial piety, and of having served their country faithfully, and borne arms in its defence.

If competent, the archons took an oath faithfully to administer justice, and to receive no presents, or, in case of so doing, that they would dedicate to Apollo, at Delphos, a statue of gold, equal in weight to themselves. When their functions expired, an inquisition of their conduct took place, and if they had conducted themselves with propriety, a prospect was held out of their being admitted into the Areopagus.

In the discharge of their duties, the archons wore branches of myrtle, and in case any one offered them insult or obstruction, the offender was amerced in a heavy fine, and deprived of most of the privileges of citizens. The archons were remunerated, by exemption from certain taxes.

The chief of the nine archons was denominated The Archon, in distinction, because the year was called by his name. He decided on causes between married persons; also concerning wills, divorces, and legacies; he was the general guardian of orphans. The theatres and public diversions were under his control, and his office required him to regulate festivals in honor of the gods; to watch over the public morals, and restrain fla

grant offences. He was empowered to inspect the public markets, and punish the venders of unwholesome provisions.

The second archon was called king, and wore a crown. He decided upon disputes in certain families of priests, regulated many sacrifices to the gods, and generally punished offences against religion. Accusations of murder were made before him; and if he saw cause, he sent the accused to be tried by the areopagites, among whom he had a seat and right of suffrage, but simply as a member of the court, and when he attended, he laid aside his

crown.

Another archon exercised over strangers the same authority which the preceding archon had over citizens. He superintended certain festivals and sacrifices to Mars and Diana. He also adjudged the honors to be paid to citizens who fell in the wars, and to provide for their orphans from the public treasury.

The other six archons presided in courts for the trial of civil affairs respecting property, as belonging either to citizens or strangers. They were also to assist in watching over the rights of the people and preserve tranquillity, especially during the night.

The archons had officers, well acquainted with the laws and accounts, to assist them. There were subordinate magistrates, scattered through the different tribes, to manage their peculiar interests, and regulate minor details in the police.

The supreme power of enacting laws and deciding in matters of government was, by Solon, vested in the assemblies of the citizens; but to prevent

the ill consequences that might arise from hasty and ignorant advisers, he constituted a council of four hundred, in which all proposals should be be agitated, before they were submitted to the people.

About eighty-six years after Solon, when the numbers of tribes had increased from four to ten, one hundred members were added to the council or senate, which made their number five hundred, or fifty for each tribe. The senators were chosen by lot from the different tribes. The names of all the citizens in the tribe qualified for office were engraved on tablets of brass, and cast into a vessel; into another was put an equal number of beans, all of which were black, except fifty, which were white. The name of a citizen and a bean were drawn out together, and if the bean was white, he was proclaimed senator. In this manner they proceeded till the whole fifty were chosen. They were elected for one year.

The power of this senate was considerable. They debated all measures of public interest and welfare, and examined the accounts of all the magistrates at the expiration of their office. They had care of all such as received public alms; they appointed goalers for the prisons, and could punish for offences not prohibited by any law. They also had the charge of building ships of war. Each senator was allowed a drachm a day, as a compensation for the loss of time.

All freemen of Athens had the right of attending the public assemblies; but strangers, slaves, women and children were excluded. They were held four times every thirty-five days, and also in cases of extraordinary emergency. When the