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

AETOLICUM FOEDUS. AETOLICUM FOEDUS. 27
know whether it continued to be levied afterwards. Aetolian constitution. (Strab. vii. p. 321.) But it;
(Festus, s. v.; Val. Max. ii. 9. ~ 1; Plut. Camill. 2.) was certainly wanting in internal solidity, and not
ILEX JunIA ET PAPIA POPPAEA.1 based upon any film principles. In B. c. 204, two
AESTIMA'TIO LITIS. [JUDEx.] of the heads of the confederacy, Dorimachus and
AESYMNE'TES (ariuvavrrls, from akcoa, "a Scopas, were commissioned to regulate its constitljust portion," hence "a person who gives every tion, and it was perhaps in consequence of their
one his just portion "), originally signified merely a regulation, that a general cancelling of debts was
judge in the heroic games, but afterwards indicated decreed two years later. (Polyb. xiii. 1, Fragzm.
an individual who was occasionally invested volun- Hist. 68.) The characteristic difference between
tarily by his fellow-citizens with unlimited power the Aetolian and Achaecan leagues, was that the
in a Greek state. His power, according to Aristotle, former originally consisted of a confederacy of
partook in some degree of the nature both of kingly nations or tribes, while the latter was a confederacy
and tyrannical authority; since he was appointed of towns. Hence the ancient and great towns of
legally and ruled over willing subjects, but at the the Aetolians, throughout the period of the league,
same time was not bound by any laws in his pub- are of no importance and exercise no influence
lic administration. (Aristot. Polit. iii. 9. ~ 5, whatever. Even Thermon, although it was the
iv. 8. ~ 2; Hesych. s. e.) Hence Theophrastus calls head of the league, and the place where the ordithe office Tvpavvts aipsEr, and Dionysius (v. 73) nary meetings of the confederates were held (Polyb.
compares it with the dictatorship at Rome. It v. 8, xviii. 31, xxviii. 4; Strab. x. p. 463), did not
was not hereditary; but it was sometimes held serve as a fortress in times of war, and whenever
for life, and at other times only till some object the Aetolians were threatened by any danger, they
was accomplished, such as the reconciling of the preferred withdrawing to their impregnable mounvarious factions in the state, and the like. Ve tains.
have only one express instance in which a person The sovereign power of the confederacy was
received the title of Aesymnetes, namely, that of vested in the general assemblies of all the confede-.
Pittacus, in Mytilene, who was appointed to this rates (tcovewv zTv Airc6Asov, concilium Aetolosw7nm),
dignity, because the state had been long torn and this assembly unquestionably had the right to
asunder by the various factions, and who succeeded discuss all questions respecting peace and war, and
in restoring peace and order by his wise regulations to elect the great civil or military officers of the
and laws. (Dionys. v. 73; Strab. xiii. p. 617; Plut. league. It is however clear, that those assemblies
Solon, 4; Diog. Laert. i. 75; Plehn, Lesbiaca, pp. could not be attended by all the Aetolians, for
46, 48.) There were, however, no doubt many other many of them were poor, and lived at a great dis-.
persons who ruled under this title for a while in tance, in addition to which the roads were much
the various states of Greece, and those legislators more impassable than in other parts of Greece.
bore a strong resemblance to the aesymnetes, whom The constitution of the league was thus in theory
their fellow-citizens appointed with supreme power a democracy, but under the cover of that name it
to enact laws, as Dracon, Solon, Zaleucus and was in reality an aristocracy, and the name PanaeCharondas. In some states, such as Cyme and tolicums, which Livy (xxxi. 29) applies to the AetoChalcedon, it was the title borne by the regular lian assembly, must be understood accordingly, as
magistrates. (Wachsmuth, Hellen. Alterthlum. an assembly of the wealthiest and most influential
vol. i. pp. 423, 441, 2d ed.; Tittmann, Griech. persons, who occasionally passed the most arbitrary
Staatsv. p. 76, &c.; Schumann, Antiq. Jur. Publ. resolutions, and screened the maddest and most
Graec. p. 88; Hermann, Staatsaltelrs. ~ 63.) unlawful acts of the leading men under the fine
AETAS. [INFANS; IMPUBES.] name of a decree of all the Aetolians.
AETO'LICUM FOEDUS. (Kowvx 7TcvAiLrc- Wre have already mentioned that the ordinary
Atev.) The inhabitants of the southern coast of the place of meeting was Thermon, but on extraordinary
country, afterwards called Aetolia, appear to have occasions assemblies were also held in other towns
formed a sort of confederacy as early as the time belonging to the league, though they were not
of Homer. (II. ii. 638, &c., xiii. 217 &c.) In situated in the country of Aetolia Proper, e. g. at
the time of Thucydides (iii. 111), the several Heracleia (Liv. xxxiii. 3), Naupactus (xxxv. 12),
Aetolian tribes between the rivers Achelous and Hypata (xxxvi. 2, 8), and Lamia (xxxv. 43, 44).
Evenus, appear to have been quite independent of The questions which were to be brought before the
one another, although they were designated by the assembly were sometimes discussed previously by
common name of Aetolians; but we nevertheless a committee, selected from the great mass, and
find that, on certain occasions, they acted in concert, called Apocleti (&a7ro'KA-ro0, Suid. s. v.; Liv. xxxvi.
as for example, when they sent embassies to foreign 28.) Some writers believe that the Apocleti formed
powers, or when they had to ward off the attacks a permanent council, and that the thirty men sent
of a common enemy. (Thuc. 1. c., iii. 95, &c.) out to negotiate with Antiochus were only a comIt may therefore be admitted that there did not mittee of the Apocleti. (Polyb. iv. 9, xx. 10,,
exist any definite league among the tribes of Aeto- xxi. 3; Tittmann, Griech. Staatsvesf: p. 727.)
lia, and that it was only their common danger that The general assembly usually met in the autumn,
made them act in concert; but such a state of when the officers oftheleaguewere elected. (Polyb.
things, at any rate, facilitated the formation of a iv. 37.) The highest among them, as among those
league, when the time came at which it was needed. of the Achaean league, bore the title of OrTpaT-y5,
But the league appears as a very powerful one very whose office lasted only for one year. The first
soon after the death of Alexander the Great, viz. whose name is known, was Eu:ydamus, who com.
during the Lamian war against Antipater. (Dioed. mnanded the Aetolians in the war against the Galaxix. 66, xx. 99.) How far its organisation was tians. (Paus. x. 16. ~ 2.) The strategus had the
then regulated is unknown, though a certain con- right to convoke the assembly; he presided in it,
stitution must have existed as early as that time, introduced the slubjects for deliberation, and levied
since we find that Aristotle wrote a work on the the troops. (Liv. xxxviii. 4.) lie had his share