Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

122 ARCHON. ARCIION.
after passing through a dynasty ~ and aristocracy, f abolished the property qualification, throwing open
ended in democracy. Of the kings of Athens, con- the archonship and other magistracies to all the citisidered as the capital of Attica, Theseus may zens, that is, to the Thetes, as well as the other
be said to have been the first; for to him classes, the former of whom were not allowed by
whether as a real individual or a representative Solon's laws to hold any magistracy at all; in conof a certain period, is attributed the union of the formity with which, we find that, even in the time
different and independent states of Attica under of Aristeides, the archons were chosen by lot from
one head. (Thuc. ii. 15.) The last was Codrus; the wealthiest class of citizens (of 7revratcooloin acknowledgment of whose patriotism in j/iLt3rcvol, Plut. Arist. ad init.).
meeting death for his country, the Athenians Still, after the removal of the old restrictions,
are said to have determined that no one should some security was left to insure respectability;
succeed him with the title of 3arLXevs, or king. for, previously to an archon entering on office, he
It seems, however, equally probable, that it was underwent an examination called the advdcpLwoms
the nobles who availed themselves of this oppor- (Pollux, viii. 85; Deinar. c. Aristoy. p. 107; tobs
tulity to serve their own interests,'by abolish- evVea ipXovTas &aCpavETe fei 7/OVEaS e sVrmorrOV.
ing the kingly power for another, the possessors of Dem. c. Eubul. p. 1320), as to his being a legi-.
which they called 6pXoeores, or rulers. These for timate and a good citizen, a good son, and qualified
some time continued to be, like the kings of the in point of property: eci "6 T71FIua E0rTLv ae'Ts7;
house of Codrus, appointed for life: still an impor- was the question put. Now, there are (Schiotant point was gained by the nobles, the office mann, De Comnitiis, p. 312.; B6ckh, vol. ii. p. 277)
being made V're0vVuos, or accountable (Paus. iv. 5. strong reasons for supposing that this form of ex~ 4; Dem. c. Neaer. p. 1370; Aristot. Polit. ii. amination continued even after the time of Ari9; Bdckh, Flub. Econ. of Athens, vol. ii. p. 27. steides; and if so, it would follow that the right
1st ed.), which of course implies that the nobility in question was not given to the Thetes pro.
had some control over it; and perhaps, like the miscuously, but only to such as possessed a cerbarons of the feudal ages, they exercised the power tain amount of property.. But even if it were so,
of deposition. it is admitted that this latter limitation soon beThis state of things lasted for twelve reigns of came obsolete; for we read in Lysias ('TrlEp trot
archons. The next step was to limit the continu-'A Tvvcrov, p. 169), that a needy old man, so
ance of the office to ten years, still confining it to poor as to receive a state allowance, was not disthe Medontidae, or house of Codrus, so as to esta- qualified from being archon by his indigence, but
blish what the Greeks called a dynasty, till the only by bodily infirmity; freedom from all such
archonship of Eryxias, the last archon of that family defects being required for the office, as it was in
elected as such, and the seventh decennial archon. some respects of a sacred character. Yet, evern after
(Clinton, F. H., vol. i. p. 182.) At the end of his passing a satisfactory avabcpits, each of the archons,
ten years (B. C. 684), a much greater change took in common with other magistrates, was liable to
place: the archonship was made annual, and its be deposed, on complaint of misconduct made bevarious duties divided among a college of nine, fore the people, at the first regular assembly in each
chosen by suffrage (XELposromla) from the Eupa- prytany. On such an occasion, the ErsnXE1po.
tridae, or Patricians, and no longer elected from the Frovia, as it was called, took place; and we
Medontidae exclusively. This arrangement con- read (Dem. c. Theocrin. p. 1330; Pollux, viii. 95;
tinued till the timocracy established by Solon, who Harp. in Kvp'a'Eacqoraria) that, in one case, the
made the qualification for office depend not on whole body of (OEMYoe'-at was deprived of office
birth, but property, still retaining the election by (&7rEXelomo'{7P7O), for the misbehaviour of one of
suffrage, and, according to Plutarch, so far im- their body: they were, however, reinstated, on
pairing the authority of the archons and other promise of better conduct for the future.
magistrates, as to legalise an appeal from them With respect to the later ages of Athenian
to the courts of justice instituted by himself. history, we learn from Strabo (ix. 1), that even
("VO'a TaLps aXeS T piavt, 6PcocoSs mKal repl in his day, the Romans allowed the freedom
EIKeiVos eis s b 8a LKarT7pLov PEwOCLS t'ooEc, of Athens; and we may conclude that the AthePlut. Solon. 18.) The election by lot is believed nians would fondly cling to a name and office
to have been introduced by Cleisthenes (B. c. associated with some of their most cherished
508; Herod. vi. 109); for we find this practice remembrances. That the archonship, however,
existing shortly after his time; and Aristotle though still in existence, was merely honorary, we
(Polit. ii. 9) expressly states that Solon made no might expect from the analogy of the consulate at
alteration in the ad[peas, or mode of election, but Rome; -and, indeed, we learn that it was someonly in the qualification for office. If, however, times filled by strangers, as Hadrian and Plutarch.
there be no interpolation in the oath of the Such, moreover, was the democratical tendency of
Heliasts (Dem. c. Ti70ocr. p. 747), we are forced the assembly and courts of justice established
to the conclusion that the election by lot was by Solon, that, even in earlier times, the archons
as old as the time of Solon; but the authority had lost the great political power which they at
of Aristotle and other evidence strongly incline one time possessed (Thuc. i. 126), and that, too,
us to some such supposition, or rather leave after the division of their functions amongst nine.
no doubt of its necessity. The last change is sup- They became, in fact, not as of old, directors of the
posed to have been made by Aristeides (rpaciceL government; but merely municipal magistrates,
mqbtrxLja KOIvmV ElyatrJv 7roXiTEtav, Ka2 sous dpXov- exercising functions and bearing titles which we
r'as et'AOm'aicmv 7ra'YTrc aipe0crOal, Plut. Arist. will proceed to describe.
22), who, after the battle of Plataea (B. c. 479), It has been already stated, that the duties of the
single archon were shared by a college of nine.
* By this is meant that the supreme power, though The first or president of this body was called
not monarchical, was confined to one fanmily. 6 dpXwv, by way of pre-eminence; and sometimes