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

466b EPIHIORI. EPIBATA.
and who is said to have lived many years after the The position which, as we have shown, the:
time of Theopompus; probably about B. c. 560. ephors occupied at Sparta, will explain and justify
That it was not known in early times appears from the statement of Miiller, " that the ephoralty was
the circumstance that the two ordinances of the the moving element, the principle of change in the
oracle at Delphi, which regulated the assembly of Spartan constitution, and in the end, the cause of
the people, made no mention of tIhe functions of the its dissolution." In confinrmation of this opinion
ephors. (Thirlwall, vol i. p. 356.) It is clear, we may cite the authority of Aristotle, who obhowever, that the power which such a connection serves, that from the excessive and absolute power
gave, would, more than any thing else, enable (ioordparvos) of the ephors, the kings were obliged
them to encroach on the royal authority, and make to court them (681sayWyezv), and eventually the
themselves virtually supreme in the state. Ac- government became a democracy instead of an
cordingly, we find that they transacted business aristocracy. Their relaxed and dissolute mode of
with foreign ambassadors (Herod. ix. 8); dis- life too (&e'yEiz',j Uatla), he adds, was contrary to
missed them from the state (Xen. Hell. ii. 13. ~ ]9); the spirit of the constitution; and we may remark
decided upon the government of dependent cities that it was one of the ephors, Epitadeius, who first
(Xesn. Hell. iii. 4. ~ 2); subscribed in the presence carried through the law permitting a free inherit.
of other persons to treaties of peace (Thucyd. v. 19), ance of property in contravention of the regulation
and in the time of war sent out troops when they of Lycurgus, by which an equal share in the comthought necessary. (Herod. ix. 7.) In all these mon territory was secured to all the citizens.
capacities the ephors acted as the representatives of The change, indeed, to which Aristotle alludes,
the nation, and the agents of the public assembly, might have been described as a transition from an
being in fact the executive of the state. Their an- aristocracy to an oligarchy; for we find that in
thority in this respect is further illustrated by the later times, the ephors, instead of being demafact, that after a declaration of war, " they entrusted gogues, invariably supported oligarchical principles
the army to the king, or some other general, who and privileges. The case of Cinadon, B.'c. 399, is
received from them instructions how to act; sent an instance of this; and the fact is apparently so
back to them for fresh instructions, were restrained inconsistent with their being representatives of the
by them through the attendance:of extraordinary whole community, and as much so of the lower
plenipotentiaries, were recalled by means of the (m7rouelovEs) as of the higher (poozot) class of
scytale. summoned before a judic'ial tribunal, and citizens, that WTachsmuth supposes the Btuyos, from
their first duty after return was to visit the office and by whom the ephors were chosen, to mean the
of the ephors." (Mdiller, Dor. vol. ii. p. 127.) whole body of privileyed or patrician citizens only,
Another striking proof of this representative cha- the most eminent ( aXol c&tyaOoi) of whom were
racter is given by Xenophon (De Rep. Lac. 15), elected to serve as yyfpoTres. This supposition is
who informs us, that the ephors. acting on behalf not itself improbable, and would go far to explain
uf the state (gvrep ris 7rhXeWos), received from the a great difficulty; but any analysis of the argukings every month an oath, by which the latter ments that may be urged for and against it is pre.,
bound themselves to rule accordiing to law; and eluded by our limits. (See Thirlwall, vol. iv.
that, in return for this, the state engaged, through p. 377.) We only add that the ephors became at
the ephors, to maintain unshakena the authority of last thoroughly identified with all opposition to the
the kings, if they adhered to their oath. extension of popular privileges.
It has been said that the ephors encroached upon For this and other reasons, when Agis and
the royal authority; in course'of time the kings Cleomenes undertook to restore the old constitubecame completely under their control. For ex- tion, it was necessary for them to overthrow the
ample, they fined Agesilaus (Plut. Ages. 2. 5) on ephoralty, and accordingly Cleomenes murdered the
the vague charge of trying to make himself popular, ephors for the time being, and abolished the office
and interfered even with the domestic arrangements (B. c. 225); it was, however, restored under the
of other kings; moreover, as we are told by Romans. [R. W.]
Thucydides (i. 131), they could even imprison the EPI'BATAE (irldTarl), soldiers or marines
kings, as they did Palsanias. We know also that appointed to defend the vessels in the Athenian
in the field the kings were followed by two ephors navy, were entirely distinct from the rowers, and
who belonged to the council of war; the thtee also from the land soldiers, such as hoplitae, pelwho remained at home received the booty in tasts, and cavalry. (Xen. Hell. i. 2. ~ 7, v. 1.
charge, and paid it into the treasury, which was ~ 11; Harpocrat. and Hesych. s. v.) It appears
under the superintendence of the whole College of that the ordinary number of epibatae on board a
Five. But the ephors had still another prerog- trireme was ten. Dr. Arnold (ad Thuc. iii. 95)
tive, based on a religious foundation, which enabled remarks that by comparing Thuc. iii. 95 with cc. 91,
them to effect a temporary deposition of the kings 94, we find three hundred epibatae as the colnpleOnce in eight years (s' r&~v E'v,4a), as we are told, ment of thirty ships, and also by comparing ii. 92
they chose a calm and cloudless night to observe with c. 102, we find four hundred as the comnplethe heavens, and if there was any appearance of a ment of forty ships; and the same proportion refalling meteor, it was believed to be a sign that the sults from a comparison of iv. 76 with c. 101. In
gods were displeased with the kingls, who were ac- Thucydides vi. 42u we find seven hundred epibatae
cordingly suspended from their functions until an for a fleet of one hundred ships, sixty of which were
oracle allowed of their restoration. (Plut. Agis, equipped n the ordinary way and forty had troops
11.) The outward symbols of supreme authority on board. In consequence of the number of heavyalso were assumed by the ephors; and they alone armed men &ec To9 caaraXo'yov on the expedition,
kept their seats: while the kings passed; whereas it the Athenians appear to have reduced the number
was not considered below the dignity of the kings of regular epibatae from ten to seven. The number
to rise in honour of the ephors. (Xen. De Rep.. of forty epibatae to a ship mentioned by Herodotus
zLe. 15.) (vi. 15), Dr. Arnold justly remarks (1. c.), "Ibe