Archæologiæ Græcæ, or, The antiquities of Greece by John Potter ...

CHAPTER II. Of the State of Athens from Cecrops to Theseus.

IT is agree'd almost on all Hands, that Cecrops was the first that ga∣ther'd together the Poor Peasants, that lay dispers'd here and there in Attica, and having United them into one Body, (tho' not into one City, for that was not effected till many Ages after) consti∣tuted among them one form of Government, and took upon himself the title of King.

Most Nations at the first were Govern'd by Kings, who were usually Persons of great Worth, and Renown, and for their Courage, Pru∣dence, and other Virtues promoted to that Dignity by the general Consent and Election of the People; who yielded them Obedience out of Willingness, rather than Necessity, out of Advice rather than by Compulsion: and Kings rather chose to be obey'd out of Love, and Esteem of their Virtues, and Fitness to govern, than by the Force of their Arms, and out of a Slavish Fear of their Power. They affected no uncontrolable Dominion, or absolute Sway, but pre∣••err'd the good of their People, for whose Protection they knew, and acknowledg'd themselves to have been advanc'd, before any Covetous or Ambitious Designs of their own. They expected no bended Knees, no prostrate Faces, but would condescend to converse fami∣liarly, even with the meaner sort of their Subjects, as oft as they stood in need of their Assistance. In short, they endeavour'd to observe such a just Medium in their Behaviour, and all their Actions, as might neither expose their Authority to contempt, nor render them formidable to those, whom they chose rather to win by Kindness into a voluntary Compliance, than to awe by severity into a forc'd Sub∣jection. They propos'd to themselves no other Advantage, than the good and welfare of their People, and made use of their Authority no farther, than as it was conducive and necessary to that End. Their Dignity and Office consisted chiefly in three Things.

First, in doing ••ustice, in hearing Causes, in composing the Divi∣visions, and deciding the Differences, that happen'd among their Subjects, in constituting new Laws, and regulating the Old (b) 1.1, where they had any; But the People generally repos'd such trust and confidence in the ••ustice and Equity of their Prince, that his sole Will and Pleasure past ••or Law amongst them (c) 1.2.

Secondly, in leading them to the Wars; where they did not only assist them by their good Conduct and management of Affairs, but ex∣pos'd their own Persons for the Safety and Honour of their Coun∣trey,

pressing forward into the thickest of their Enemies, and often encountering the most Valiant of them in single Combat. And this they thought a principal Part of their Duty, judging it but reasonable, that they who excell'd others in Honour, should surpass them too in Valour; and they that had the first places at all Feasts, and Publick Assemblies, should be the first also in undertaking Dangers, and ex∣posing themselves in the Defence of their Countrey; and thus the He∣roe in Homer argues the Case with one of his Fellow-Princes,

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Glaucus, since us the Lycian Realms obey Like Gods, and all united Homage pay, Since we first seated have our Goblets Crown'd, Enjoy large Farms, near Xanthus streams, whose Ground Is fertil, and beset with shady Trees around; Ought we not in the Battel's Front t'engage, And quell our furious Foes with doubled Rage?

Mr. Abell.

Thirdly, the Performance of the Solemn Sacrifices, and the care of Di∣vine Worship was part of the King's Business. The Lacedaemonian Kings at their Coronation were consecrated Priests of Iupiter 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and executed that Office in their own Persons. No man can be ignorant of Virgil's Anius, who was both King and Priest,

Rex Anius, Rex idem hominum, Phoebique sacerdos.

We seldom meet with a Sacrifice in Homer, but some of the Heroes, and those the Chief of all then present, are concern'd in the performance of the Holy Ceremonies; and so far was it from being thought a Piece of Condescention, or any way below their Dignity and Grandeur, that they thought it an Accession to the rest of their Honours, and the In∣feriour Worshippers were no less carefull to reserve this piece of Ser∣vice for them, than they were to give them the most Honourable Places in the Banquets, which they refresh'd themselves with, after the Sacri∣fices were ended.

Let us now return to Cecrops, whom, as soon as he had establish'd himself in his new rais'd Kingdom, we shall find employ'd in laying the Model of a City, which he design'd for the Seat of his Government, and place of his constant Residence. And as the most commodious

place in his Dominions for this purpose, he pitch'd upon a Rock, strongly fortified by Nature against any Assaults, and situated in a large Plain near the middle of Attica, calling both the City, and the Territorie round it after his own Name, Cecropia. Afterwards, when the Athenians increas'd in Power and Number, and fill'd the adja∣cent Plains with Buildings, this was the Acropolis, or Cittadel.

Then for the better Administration of Justice, and the promotion of mutual Entercourse among his Subjects, he divided them into four Tribes, the Names of which were

• 1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• 2. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• 3. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• 4. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

And finding his Countrey pretty well stock'd with Inhabitans, part∣ly by the coming in of Forreigners, partly by the Concourse of People from every Corner and lurking-hole in Attica, where they had be∣fore lain, as it were, buried in Privacy, he instituted a Poll, caus∣ing every one of the Men to cast a Stone into a Place appointed by him ••or that purpose, and upon Computation he found them to be in number Twenty-Thousand, as the Scholiast upon Pindar reports out of Philochorus (a) 1.4.

But the Soil being in its own Nature unfruitfull, and the People unskill'd in tilling and improving it to the best advantage, such mul∣titudes could not have fail'd of being reduc'd in a short Time to the greatest Extremities, had not Cecrops taught them the Art of Naviga∣tion, and thereby supply'd them with Corn from Sicily, and A∣frick (b) 1.5.

Besides this, he was the Author of many excellent Laws and Con∣stitutions, especially touching Marriage, which according to his ap∣pointment was only to be celebrated betwixt one Man, and one Woman, whereas before promiscuous Mixtures had been allow'd of amongst them, as the Poet intimates,

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With curious Art Cadmus did Letters frame, The Law's Invention from Wise Solon came, But Cecrops glories in the Marriage tie Of the united Pair. —

Mr. Abell.

Nor did he only prescribe Rules for the Conduct of their Lives, with respect to one another, but was the first that introduc'd a Form of Religion, erected Altars in Honour of the Gods, and instructed his People in what manner they were to Worship them.

In the Reign of Pandion, the Fifth King of Athens, Triptolemus is said to have taught the Athenians how to sow, and manure the Ground; and to have enacted several useful and necessary Laws, three of which we find quoted by Porphyry out of Xenocrates (a) 1.7;

• 1. Honour your Parents.
• 2. Make Oblations of your Fruits to the Gods.
• 3. Hurt not Living Creatures.

Cecrops the Second of that Name, and the Seventh King of Athens, divided his Dominions into twelve Cities, or large Burroughs, com∣pelling his Subjects to leave their separate Habitations, and Unite to∣gether for the replenishing of them (b) 1.8. Their Names were these, as they are deliver'd by Strabo in his Description of Attica (c) 1.9: Cecropia, Te∣trapolis, Exacria, Decelea, Eleusis, Aphidnae, Thoriccus, Brauron, Cy∣theris, Sphettus, Cephissia, and Phalerus. But Cecropia still continu'd the chief Seat of the Empire, tho' each of these Cities (they are the words of Sr. George Wheeler, who refers this Division to Cecrops the First, led thereunto by the Authority of Eusebius, and some others) had distinct Courts of Judicature, and Magistrates of their own; and were so little subject to their Princes, the Successours of Cecrops, that they seldom, or never, had recourse to them, save only in Cases of imminent and pub∣lick Danger; and did so absolutely order their own Concerns, that sometimes they wag'd War against each other, without the advice or consent of their Kings.

In this state continu'd Attica, till the Reign of Pandion the second of that Name, and eighth King of the Athenians, who was depriv'd of his Kingdom by his Cousins, the Sons of his Uncle Metion; who themselves did not long possess what they had thus unjustly gotten, being driven out of it by the more powerful Arms of Pandion's ••our Sons, viz. Aegeus, Lycus, Pallas, and Nisus. These having expell'd the Metionidae, divided the Kingdom amongst themselves, as Apollodo∣rus reports. But others are of Opinion, that Pandion himself being restor'd to the quiet possession of his Kingdom by the joynt Assistance of them all, by his last Will and Testament divided it into four Parts, bequeathing to each of them his Proportion; And tho' it is not agree'd amongst Ancient Writers, which Part fell to every Man's Lot; yet thus much is consented to on all Hands, that the Sovereignty of Athens was assign'd to Aegeus, for which he was extremeley envi'd by his Brethren; and so much the more, for that, as most think, he was not the begotten, but only adopted Son of Pandion; and for this reason it was (saith Plutarch) that Aegeus commanded Aethra, the Mo∣ther of Theseus, to send her Son, when arriv'd at Man's estate, from Troezen, the place where he was born, to Athens with all Secrecy, and to enjoyn him to conceal, as much as possible, his Journey from all Men, because he fear'd extremely the Pallantidae, who did conti∣nually mutiny against him, and despis'd him for his want of Children, they themselves being Fifty Brothers, all the Sons of Pallas. However,

as the same Author tells us, they were withheld from breaking out into open Rebellion, by the hopes and expectation of recovering the Kingdom, at least after Aegeus's Death, because he was without Issue; but as soon as Theseus appear'd, and was acknowledg'd rightfull Suc∣cessour to the Crown, highly resenting, that first Aegeus, Pandion's Son only by Adoption, and not at all related to the Family of Erectheus, and then Theseus, one of another Countrey, and a perfect stranger to their Nation, should obtain the Kingdom of their Ancestors, they broke out into open Acts of Hostility; but were soon overcome and dispers'd by the Courage and Conduct of Theseus.

Theseus having deliver'd the Countrey from intestine Seditions, pro∣ceeded in the next place to free it from Forreign Slavery. The Athe∣nians having Barbarously Murder'd Androgeus, the Son of Minos, King of Crete, were oblig'd by his Father to send a Novennial, or Sep∣tennial, or, as others, an Annual Tribute of seven young Men, and as many Virgins into Crete, where they were shut up within the La∣byrinth, and there wandred about, till, finding no possible means of ma∣king their Escape, they perish'd with Hunger, or else were devour'd by the Minotaur, a terrible Monster, compounded of the different shapes of Man, and Bull. The time of sending this Tribute being come, The∣seus put himself amongst the Youths that were doom'd to go to Crete, where having arriv'd, he receiv'd of Ariadne, the Daughter of King Minos, who had faln in Love with him, a Clew of thred, and being instructed by her in the use of it, which was to conduct him thro all the Windings of the Labyrinth, escap'd out of it, having first slain the Minotaur, and so return'd with his Fellow-Captives in Triumph to Athens.

In his return through an excess of Joy for the happy success of his Voyage, he forgot to hang out the white Sail, which should have been the token of their Safety to Aegeus, who sat expecting them upon the Top of a Rock, and as soon as their Ship came in View with a Black, and as it were, Mourning Sail, knowing nothing of their Success, threw himself headlong into the Sea, and so made way to Theseus's more early Succession to the Crown, than could otherwise have been ex∣pected. And to this time from the Reign of Cecrops the First, the Go∣vernment and State of Athens continu'd with little alteration.

Notes

• (b) 1.1

  Tullii de O••fic. lib. II. Cap. XII.
• (c) 1.2

  Iustin. Hist. lib. I.
• b 1.3

  Iliad. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• (a) 1.4

  Olympionic. Od. IX.
• (b) 1.5

  Iohannes Tze••ze•• in Hesiodi 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• (c) 1.6

  Nonnus Dionysiac. lib. XLI.
• (a) 1.7

  De abstinent. ab Animal lib. IV.
• (b) 1.8

  Etymolog.
• (c) 1.9

  Geograph. lib. IX.