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

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Title: Archæologiæ Græcæ, or, The antiquities of Greece by John Potter ...
Author: Potter, John, 1673 or 4-1747.
Publication: Oxford :: Printed ... for Abel Swall ...,; 1697.
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Subject terms: Greece -- Antiquities.
Link to this Item: http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A55523.0001.001
Cite this Item: "Archæologiæ Græcæ, or, The antiquities of Greece by John Potter ..." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A55523.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 13, 2024.

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Page 45

CHAPTER IX. Of the Citizens, Tribes, &c. of Athens.

THE Inhabitants of Attica were of Three sorts, 1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, o•• Free-men. 2. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or Sojourners. 3. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or Servants. The Citizens surpass'd the others in Dignity, and Power, as ha∣ving the Government in their Hands, but were far exceeded by the Slaves in number; most of the Free-men maintaining several Servants to attend upon them, or do their Business. The number of Citizens in in Cecrops's time, I have already said was Twenty-Thousand; in Pe∣ricles's, they were not so many, as appears from Plutarch (a) 1.1; and when Demetrius the Phalerean was their Governour, they exceeded their first number under Cecrops only by One-thousand, at the same time the Forreigners were Ten-thousand, and the Slaves Four-hundred-thousand, as appears from a Poll instituted at the command of Deme∣trius, and mention'd in Athenaeus (b) 1.2.

Whence it is evident, that the Encrease of the Athenians themselves was very inconsiderable, but those growing Numbers of Inhabitants, that swell'd the City to that Bigness, to which it was extended in after-Ages, were either of Slaves, or Strangers, that for the advantage of Trade, or other Conveniences, came, and settled themselves at A∣thens; and of these two Sorts, in the time of Cecrops, it is probable there were few or none, because through the Scarcity of Men in his new-form'd Government, for the encouragement of Forreigners to settle there, he was forc'd to allow them the same Privileges, that were en∣joy'd by the Natives.

And for several Ages after, it was no difficult Matter to obtain the Freedom of the City; but when the Athenian Power grew Great, and their Glorious Actions rendred them Famous thro' all Greece, this Pri∣vilege was accounted a very great Favour, and granted to none but Men of the greatest Birth, or Reputation, or such as had perform'd some Notable piece of Service for the Common-wealth. Nor was it without much difficulty to be obtain'd even by them; Menon the Pharsalian, who had sent the Athenians a Supply of Two-hundred Horse, in the War against Eon, near Amphipolis, desired it, and was rejected. And Perdiccas, the King of Macedonia, after having assisted them against the Persians, could obtain no more than a bare 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or Immunity from Tribute paid by those that Sojourned amongst them, but no right of Suffrage, or other Privileges common to the Free-men.

But this peremptory Stifness, which Success and Victory had put into them, did not always make them so Obstinate, nor hinder but that

Page 46

many Worthies, tho' neither equal in Birth, or Fortune to the former, were enroll'd amongst the Citizens, such were Hippocrates the Physi∣tian, Eurysaces the Son of Ajax, with many others, beside the whole City of the Plataeans, to which they granted Freedom, for their ••ignal Services in the Persian War. But by these Grants, tho' the number of the Citizens may be said to have been Encreas'd, yet nothing was added to the number of the Inhabitants, which remain'd still the same, because the Persons thus admitted, seldom made use of their Privilege, and Sued for it rather as a Title of Honour, than with a design to be any ways Advantag'd by it.

This Title could not be conferr'd upon any man, without the Con∣sent of Six-thousand Citizens at the least. And for fear the Authority, or Interest of any Person should sway them to Comply with such Requ••sts against their Inclinations, they gave their Votes privately, by casting little Stones into Urns, plac'd on purpose in their Assemblies by the Prytanes, who were also oblig'd to provide a sufficient Number of Stones for the Suffragants; Nay, farther, till all had done Voting, the Strangers that Petition'd for Freedom were not permitted to come into the place of the Assembly. And after all this, if any one ap∣pear'd to be Undeserving of the Honour, they had conferr'd upon him, an Appeal might be made to the Court; which had Power to enquire into the Lives and Conditions of these Persons, and deprive such as they sound Unworthy, by recalling the Freedom, which had been granted thro' the Ignorance, and Inconsideration of the Mul∣titude; and this Disgrace befel Pytholaus the Thessalian, and Apollo∣nides the Olynthian (a) 1.3.

The manner of Admission was by declaring that such an one was incorporated amongst the Denizons of Athens, and invested with all the Honours, Privileges, and Immunities belonging to them; and had a Right to partake of, and assist at the performance of all their Holy Rites, and Mysteries, except such as were appropriated to ce••tain No∣ble Families, such as were the Eumolpidae, Ceryces, Cynidae, which had certain Priesthoods, and Holy Offices peculiar to themselves; except also the Offices of the Nine Archons, which none but Free-born Athe∣nians were allow'd to Execute; Lastly, they were admitted into a certain Tribe, and Hundred, and so the Ceremony ended (b) 1.4.

Free-born Athenians were those that had both, or one of their Pa∣rents an Athenian; and Aristotle tells us, that in several Common-wealths, at the first, Those were accounted Free, that were born of a Free Woman; but when the Number of Inhabitants increas'd, such only were esteem'd Free, as were descended from Parents, that were both Free (c) 1.5. And so it c••me to pass in Athens; for Pericles, when he flourish'd in the State, and had Sons Lawfully begotten, propos'd a Law, that those only ••••ould be reputed true Citizens of Athens, who were Born of Parent••, that were both Athenians; and having pre∣vail'd

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with the People to give their consent to it, little less than Five-Thousand were depriv'd of their Freedom, and Sold for Slaves, and those, who enduring the Test, remain'd in the Government, and past Muster for True-born Athenians, were found in the Poll to be Four∣teen-thousand and Forty Persons in Number. But Pericles himself af∣••erwards having lost all his legitimate Sons, so far perswaded the A∣thenians, that they cancell'd the Law, and granted that he should Enroll his Bastard-Son in the Register of his own Ward, by his Paternal Name; thinking that by those Losses he had been sufficiently Punish'd for his former Arrogance and Haughtiness, and therefore being of Opi∣nion, that he had been Shrewdly handled by the Divine Vengeance, of which he had run so severe a Gantlope, and that his Request was such as became a Man to ask, and Men to grant. Thus Plutarch (a) 1.6.

But those that were only of the Half-blood, when they were in∣••ested with Freedom, were always reputed Inferiour, and less Ho∣••ourable then those that were of the Whole; and several Marks, and Customes they had to distinguish them from the others, as particu∣••arly, that those who had but one Parent, an Athenian, were not al∣••ow'd to Exercise themselves in any of the Gymnasia, that were ••requented by those, who had both; but only at the Cynosarges, a Place ••ithout the City; and that this was esteem'd a Mark of Disgrace, ••s evident from the Practise of Themistocles, who was but of the Half-••lood of Athens, and to take away, or, at least, lessen this Distin∣••tion, us'd to Engage the Noble Athenians to go, and perform their Exercises with him (b) 1.7. In the same Place, there was a Court of Judi∣••ature, where Persons suspected of Illegitimacy were Tryed, and ••hose that were found Guilty, depriv'd of the Freedom they Falsly pre∣••ended to, and Sold for Slaves.

Cecrops, after he had settled a Form of Government amongst the Athenians, for the better administration of Justice, and the preven∣••ion of Deceit, and over-reaching one another in Commerce, di∣••ided them into Four 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or Tribes; each Tribe, he subdivided ••nto three Parts, call'd 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; and each of ••hese into Thirty 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or Families, which, because they consisted ••f Thirty Men, were call'd 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; and they that were Mem∣••ers of these, were call'd 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, not from any ••elation to one another, but only because they liv'd in the same ••urrough, and were Educated together, and joyn'd in one Body, or ••ociety; the same Persons were call'd 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, because they participa∣••ed of the same Sacrifices, and Worshipp'd the same Gods together, from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which, tho' it properly signifies only the Mysteries of ••acchus, yet is often taken for the Ceremonies us'd in the Worship of ••ny other Deity (c) 1.8.

The names of the Tribes were these, 1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, from Cecrops, for ••t was usual with the Ancients, out of an earnest desire of continuing

Page 48

their memories to Posterity, to call Cities, or Countries, or any Mo∣numents, that seem'd likely to remain to succeeding Ages, by their own Names. 2. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, from a King of that Name, reported by some to have reign'd in some part of Attica before Cecrops; or rather from the Name of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in which the Athenians gloryed not a little. 3. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, from Actaeus, or Actaeon, another of the Kings before Cecrops; or from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which signifies a Shore, because a great part of Attica, and that in particular, where this Tribe inhabited, lay towards the Sea, and this was the reason, why the whole Countrey was sometimes call'd Acte. And the same Cause is given, for the Name of the Fourth Tribe, which they call'd 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, from it's near∣ness to the Sea.

In the Reign of Cranaus, new Names were impos'd upon them, and they were call'd, 1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, from the King's Name. 2. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, from a Young Lady, the Daughter of Cranaus. 3. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. 4. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. And both these, I suppose, were nam'd from their Situation; the latter being Seated upon a Craggy Shore, and the former in the Inland part of the Countrey.

Ericthonius being advanc'd to the Kingdom, called them after the Names of Iupiter, Minerva, Neptune, and Vulcan, 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 〉 (a) 1.9.

Afterwards under Erectheus, they receiv'd new Names from the Sons of Ion, a Man of great Repute amongst the Athenians, and Ge∣neral of their Armies, as Herodotus reports (b) 1.10. These Names 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 of the•••• Names Euripides is to be understood, when he introduces Minerv•• speaking thus of Ion (c) 1.11,

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

Here, Nurse Creüsa, since this Child by Birth Claims the just Priv'lege of Erectheus Line, Take him to Athens, and Proclaim him King, For he hath just Pretensions to the Crown; His Blooming Courage is a previous Sign, With how much Prowess, Policy, and Art

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Greece's Dominions he will Sway, the Gods Shall bless him with Four Sons, by whom in Tribes High Seated Athens shall divided be, And bear her sev'ral Names deriv'd from Them.
Mr. Abell.

And Herodotus (a) 1.12, and Pollux are of the same Opinion, tho' they are herein contradicted by others, as we find it in Plutarch, who hath made some alteration in the Names, his Words are these, Some affirm that the Tribes did not take their Names from the Sons of Ion, but from the different sorts of Occupations, that they follow'd; the Soldiers were call'd 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; the Crafts-men, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; and of the remaining three, ••he Farmers, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; the Shepherds, and Grasiers, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (b) 1.13.

Afterwards, when the number of Inhabitants was encreas'd; Clisthe∣nes having first advis'd with Apollo's Oracle, as it was usual to do in every Concern of moment, alter'd the number of the Tribes, encreasing them from Four to Ten, and gave them new Names, taken from cer∣tain Ancient Heroes, all Born in Attica, except Ajax, the Son of Te∣lamon, to whom he gave a Place amongst the rest, as being a Neigh∣bour, Friend, and Companion in the Wars (c) 1.14, for, as Homer re∣ports, Ajax's forces were joyn'd to those of Menestheus, the Athenian General,

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

Twelve Ships from Salamis Stout Ajax brought, And rank'd his Men, where the Athenians Fought.
Mr. Creech.

And Plutarch reports, that when the Athenians, and Megarensians, both made pretensions to Salamis, and Chose the Spartans to decide the Controversie, these Lines of Homer being produc'd by Solon, did the Athenians a considerable Kindness, serving very much to strengthen their Title to that Iland. To return, these Heroes, from the Name they gave to the Tribes, were call'd 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and were Honour'd with Statues, erected near the Senate-house. Their Names are recorded by Pausanias, and are these, Erectheus, Cecrops, Aegeus, Pandion, Aca∣mas, Antiochus, Leo, Oeneus, Hippothoon, Ajax. And the Names of the Tribes are these, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

Afterwards when Antigonus, and Demetrius free'd the Athenians from the Macedonian Slavery, they augmented their Tribes, adding Two to their former Number, which in Honour of their Deliv••rers, they call'd from their Names, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (d) 1.15. But the Gra∣titude of the Athenians being no longer liv'd, than the good For∣tune, and Successes of those Two Princes, the Tribes soon chang'd

Page 50

their first Names, for those of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the former of which was deriv'd from Attalus, King of Pergamus; the latter, from Ptolemee, King of Aegypt, from both of which the Athenians had re∣ceiv'd some signal Favours (a) 1.16.

This was the constant Number of the Athenian Tribes, which lasted as long as the City maintain'd it's Liberty, and Form of Government. Each of these was at the first divided into Thirty 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, every one of which consisted of Thirty Men (b) 1.17. And the better to maintain a mu∣tual Correspondence, and for the promotion of good Fellow-ship, and Kindness amongst them, they had publick Feasts, first instituted by Solon, where they all met together, and made Merry (c) 1.18. These Meetings were Nam'd from the Persons assembled at them, for is 〈◊〉〈◊〉 whole Tribe came together, then they call'd it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; if onely one 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, then it was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; or if a 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, it wa•• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

These 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, were little Burroughs in Attica, several of which belong'd to every Tribe, and tho' they were reckon'd together in the Business of the Common-wealth, yet had separate Habitations, and distinct Rites and Ceremonies in the performance of Holy Worship; nay, and different Gods too, for each of them ador'd peculiar Deities, and yet all una∣nimously agree'd in Worshipping Minerva, who was the Tutelar God∣dess of the whole Countrey, whereas the other Deities had only certain Parts assign'd them, and in those they were inferiour to Minerva, the only supreme Governess. And this Difference in Religion was very Ancient, being of no less Duration, than the Common-wealth it self, for when Theseus had prevail'd upon them to leave their Countrey-Seats, and Unite themselves in one City, they thought it would be an impious and unpardonable Action to desert the Gods of their Ance∣stors, and therefore Judg'd it convenient, and more agreable to the Respect due from them to their Tutelar Deities, to pay them the same Honours, and frequent the same Places of Worship, they had former∣ly done (d) 1.19.

The greatest use we have of these 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, is in their Forms of Law, and Contracts, whereby sufficient Provision was made against all Fraud, Deceit, and Mistakes. Hence we read of such punctual Clauses in their Writs, as these, N. the Son of N. of the Tribe of Aeantis, of the Burrough of Rhamnus, &c.

The Number of them was an Hundred-seventy-four (e) 1.20, some of which having the same Names, were distinguish'd by their Situation, being call'd 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Upper, and Lower. All of them were divided into Greater, and Less; th•• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or Less, were these (f) 1.21, Alimusians, Zoster, Prospaltians, A••••gyrasians, Cephale, Pra∣sieis, Lampreis, Phyleis, Myrrhimisians, Ath••••nians, Acharnae, Mara∣thon,