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

204. BOEOTARCHES. BOEOTARCHES.
be divided are the,Ose&Ssos and the 0eo/,uo!. Tle states, containing each a principal city, with itel
first of these will include all causes arising from roVreXEYs or ~SCCgLopoL (inhabitants of the same
the nonfulfilment of a contract to which a penal gsoZpa, or district) living around it. Of these
bond was annexed, and those in which the law greater states, with dependent territories, there
specified the penalty to be paid by the defendant seem to have been in former times fourteen, — a
upon conviction; the second, all injuries of property number which frequently occurs in Boeotian lewhich the law did not specify nominatim, but geleds. (Pans. ix. 3. ~ 4.) The names are difgenerally directed to be punished by a fine equal ferenltly given by different writers on the subject;
to twice the estimated damage if the offence was we know, however, for certain that they formed a
intentional, if otherwise by a bare compensation. confederacy called the Boeotian leagoue, with Thebes
(Meier, Att. Proc. p. 188, &c., p. 475, &c.; Dem-. at its head. the dependencies of which city formed
c. MIid. p. 528.) Besides the general word GBAdevs, about a third part of the whole of Boeotia. These
others more specific, as to the nature of the case, dependent towns, or districts, were not immediare frequently added to the names of actions of ately connected with the national confederacy, but
this kind, as avopardwswv, TrecpargooW', gLETaAhlKt, with the neighbouring chief city, as Cynoscephalae
and the like. The declaration of the plaintiff was with Thebes. In fact, they were obliged to
seems always to have begun with the words furnish troops and money, to make up the conbEeXa/E 1ce, then came the name of the defendant, tingent furnished by the state to which they bexnd next a description of the injury, as osK &aroeaLobs longed, to the general confederacy. (Arnold,.toi Trb apymptov in Demosthenes (Pro P/ormn. ad Tzatc. iv. 76.) Of the independent states Thup. 950. 21). The proper court was determined cydides (iv. 93) mentions seven by name; and
by the subject of litigation; and when we con- gives us reasons for concluding that, in the time of
sider that the damage done by Philocleon to the the Peloponnesian war they were ten or twelve in
cake-womnan's basket (Aristoph. YIesp.), and sup- number, Thebes being the chief. Plataea had
posititious testimony given in the name of another, withdrawn from them, and placed itself under the
thereby rendering such person liable to an action, protection of Athens as early as B. C. 519; amd in
ev5o/xaprvupicv (Dem. c. Aphob. iii. p. 849. 20), B. c. 374, Thespiae, another member of the league,
were equally $XB.gat at Attic law, the variety of was destroyed by the Thebans. (Clinton, F. II.
the actions, and consequently of the jurisdictions vol. ii. p. 396; Thuc. iii. 55.)
under which they fell, will be a sufficient excuse Each of the principal townls of Boeotia seems to
for the absence of further specification upon this have had its OovXt' and 8ijeos. (Xen. Hell. v. 2.
point. [J. S. M.] ~ 29.) The BovXS was presided over by an archon,
BOEDRO'MIA (Oo*dlp4itaO), a festival cele- who probably had succeeded to the priestly funcbrated at Athens on the seventh day of the month tions of the old kings; but possessed little, if any,
of Boldromion, in honoulr of Apollo BoEdromius. executive authority. The polemarchs, who, in
(MUller, Dor. ii. 8. ~ 5.) The name Boibdromius, treaties and agreements are mentioned next to the
by which Apollo was called in Boeotia and other archon, had some executive authority, but did not
parts of Greece (Paus. ix. 17. ~ -1; Callimach. command forces; e.. they could imprison (Xen.
Hyosn. Apoll. 69), seems to indicate that by this Hell. 1. c.), and they directed the levies of troops
festival he was honoured as a martial god, who But besides the archon of each separate state, there
either by his actual presence or by his oracles was an archon of the confederacy- &pXcv ev'
afforded assistance in the dangers of war. The icovcw BotLwrcv, most probably always a Theban.
origin of the festival is, however, traced by dif- (BJckh, Inser. 1593.) His namne was affixed to all
ferent authors to different events in Grecian story. alliances and compacts which concerned the whole
Plutarch (Tles. 27) says that Theseus, in his war confederacy, and he was president of what Thucyagainst the Amazons, did not give battle till after dides (v. 38) calls the four councils, who directed
ihe had offered a sacrifice to Phobos; and, that in the affairs of the league (-erav Trb Kipos eXouos).
commemoration of the successful battle which took On important questions they seem to have been
place in the month of Boldromion, the Athenians, united; for the same author speaks of them as?}
down to his own time, continued to celebrate the jiovAx, and informs us that the determinations of
festival of the Boldromia. According to Suidas, the Boeotarchs required the ratification of this
the Etymol. Magn. and Euripides (Ion. 59), the body before they were valid. The Boeotarchs
festival derived its name and origin from the cir- themselves were properly the military heads of the
cumstance that when, in the reign of Erechtheus, confederacy, chosen by the different states; but we
the Athenians were attacked by Eumolpus, Xuthus also find them discharging the functions of asl exor (according to Philochorus in Harpocration, s. v.) ecutive in various matters. In fact, they are rehis son Ion came to their assistance, and procured presented by Thucydides (v. 38) as forming an
them the victory. Respecting the particulars of alliance with foreign states; as receiving ambassathis festival nothing is known except that sacrifices dors on their return home; as negotiating with
were offered to Artemis. (Comp. Spanheim, ad envoys from other countries; and acting as the
Callims. Hynzn. in Apoll. 69.) [L. S.] representatives of the whole league, though the
BOEOTARCHES (Bomordpxrs, or Botwmrdp- sovA~ refused to sanction the measures they had
Xos). It is proposed under this head to give a brief resolved on in the particular case to which we are
account of the Boeotian constitution as well as of now alluding. Another instance in which the
the Boeotarchs. Boeotarchs appear as executive is their interference
The Boeotians in ancient times occupied Arne with Agesilaus, on his embarking trum Aulis for
in Thessaly. (Thuc. i. 12.) Sixty years after Asia (B.c. 396), when they prevented him ofthe taking of Troy they were expelled by the Thes- fering sacrifice as he wished. (Plat. Ages. 6; Xen.
salians, and settled in the country then called Cad- Hell. iii. 4. ~ 4.) Still the principal duty of the
meis, but afterwards Boeotia. This country, during Boeotarchs was of a militar- nature: thus they led
tiFir occupation of it, was divided into several into the field the troops of their respective states;