the athenian constitution-第12章

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；　or　of　any　sacrificial　ceremony　connected　with　the　family。　When　the　two　years　have　elapsed　they　thereupon　take　their　position　among　the　other　citizens。　Such　is　the　manner　of　the　enrollment　of　the　　citizens　and　the　training　of　the　youths。

Part　43

　　All　the　magistrates　that　are　concerned　with　the　ordinary　routine　of　administration　are　elected　by　lot；　except　the　Military　Treasurer；　the　Commissioners　of　the　Theoric　fund；　and　the　Superintendent　of　Springs。　These　are　elected　by　vote；　and　hold　office　from　one　Panathenaic　festival　to　the　next。　All　military　officers　are　also　elected　by　vote。　　　The　Council　of　Five　Hundred　is　elected　by　lot；　fifty　from　each　tribe。　Each　tribe　holds　the　office　of　Prytanes　in　turn；　the　order　being　determined　by　lot；　the　first　four　serve　for　thirty…six　days　each；　the　last　six　for　thirty…five；　since　the　reckoning　is　by　lunar　years。　The　Prytanes　for　the　time　being；　in　the　first　place；　mess　together　in　the　Tholus；　and　receive　a　sum　of　money　from　the　state　for　their　maintenance；　and；　secondly；　they　convene　the　　meetings　of　the　Council　and　the　Assembly。　The　Council　they　convene　every　day；　unless　it　is　a　holiday；　the　Assembly　four　times　in　each　prytany。　It　is　also　their　duty　to　draw　up　the　programme　of　the　business　of　the　　Council　and　to　decide　what　subjects　are　to　be　dealt　with　on　each　particular　da；　and　where　the　sitting　is　to　be　held。　They　also　draw　up　the　programme　for　the　meetings　of　the　Assembly。　One　of　these　in　each　prytany　is　called　the　'sovereign'　Assembly；　in　this　the　people　have　to　　ratify　the　continuance　of　the　magistrates　in　office；　if　they　are　　performing　their　duties　properly；　and　to　consider　the　supply　of　corn　and　the　　defence　of　the　country。　On　this　day；　too；　impeachments　are　introduced　by　those　who　wish　to　do　so；　the　lists　of　property　confiscated　by　the　state　are　read；　and　also　applications　for　inheritances　and　wards　of　state；　so　that　nothing　may　pass　unclaimed　without　the　cognizance　of　any　person　concerned。　In　the　sixth　prytany；　in　addition　to　the　business　already　stated；　the　question　is　put　to　the　vote　whether　it　is　desirable　to　hold　a　vote　of　ostracism　or　not；　and　complaints　against　professional　accusers；　whether　Athenian　or　aliens　domiciled　　in　Athens；　are　received；　to　the　number　of　not　more　than　three　of　either　class；　together　with　cases　in　which　an　individual　has　made　some　promise　to　the　people　and　has　not　performed　it。　Another　Assembly　in　each　prytany　is　assigned　to　the　hearing　of　petitions；　and　at　this　meeting　any　one　is　free；　on　depositing　the　petitioner's　　olive…branch；　to　speak　to　the　people　concerning　any　matter；　public　or　private。　The　two　remaining　meetings　are　devoted　to　all　other　subjects；　and　the　laws　require　them　to　deal　with　three　questions　connected　with　religion；　three　connected　with　heralds　and　embassies；　and　three　on　secular　subjects。　Sometimes　questions　are　brought　forward　without　a　preliminary　vote　of　the　Assembly　to　take　them　into　consideration。　　　Heralds　and　envoys　appear　first　before　the　Prytanes；　and　　the　bearers　of　dispatches　also　deliver　them　to　the　same　officials。

Part　44

　　There　is　a　single　President　of　the　Prytanes；　elected　by　lot；　who　presides　for　a　night　and　a　day；　he　may　not　hold　the　office　for　more　than　that　time；　nor　may　the　same　individual　hold　it　twice。　He　keeps　the　keys　of　the　sanctuaries　in　which　the　treasures　and　public　records　of　the　state　are　preserved；　and　also　the　public　seal；　and　he　is　bound　to　remain　in　the　Tholus；　together　with　one…third　of　the　Prytanes；　named　by　himself。　Whenever　the　Prytanes　convene　a　　meeting　of　the　Council　or　Assembly；　he　appoints　by　lot　nine　Proedri；　one　from　each　tribe　except　that　which　holds　the　office　of　Prytanes　　for　the　time　being；　and　out　of　these　nine　he　similarly　appoints　one　as　President；　and　hands　over　the　programme　for　the　meeting　to　them。　They　　take　it　and　see　to　the　preservation　of　order；　put　forward　the　various　subjects　which　are　to　be　considered；　decide　the　results　of　the　votings；　and　direct　the　proceedings　generally。　They　also　have　power　to　dismiss　the　meeting。　No　one　may　act　as　President　more　than　once　in　the　year；　but　he　may　be　a　Proedrus　once　in　each　prytany。　　　Elections　to　the　offices　of　General　and　Hipparch　and　all　other　military　commands　are　held　in　the　Assembly；　in　such　manner　as　the　people　decide；　they　are　held　after　the　sixth　prytany　by　the　first　board　of　Prytanes　in　whose　term　of　office　the　omens　are　favourable。　There　has；　however；　to　be　a　preliminary　consideration　by　the　Council　in　this　case　also。

Part　45

　　In　former　times　the　Council　had　full　powers　to　inflict　fines　and　imprisonment　and　death；　but　when　it　had　consigned　Lysimachus　to　the　executioner；　and　he　was　sitting　in　the　immediate　expectation　　of　death；　Eumelides　of　Alopece　rescued　him　from　its　hands；　maintaining　that　no　citizen　ought　to　be　put　to　death　except　on　the　decision　of　a　court　of　law。　Accordingly　a　trial　was　held　in　a　law…court；　and　Lysimachus　was　acquitted；　receiving　henceforth　the　nickname　of　'the　man　from　the　drum…head'；　and　the　people　deprived　the　Council　thenceforward　of　the　power　to　inflict　death　or　imprisonment　or　fine；　passing　　a　law　that　if　the　Council　condemn　any　person　for　an　offence　or　inflict　a　fine；　the　Thesmothetae　shall　bring　the　sentence　or　fine　before　the　law…court；　and　the　decision　of　the　jurors　shall　be　the　final　　judgement　in　the　matter。　　　The　Council　passes　judgement　on　nearly　all　magistrates；　especially　those　who　have　the　control　of　money；　its　judgement；　however；　is　not　final；　but　is　subject　to　an　appeal　to　the　lawcourts。　Private　individuals；　also；　may　lay　an　information　against　any　magistrate　they　please　for　not　obeying　the　laws；　but　here　too　there　is　an　appeal　to　the　law…courts　if　the　Council　declare　the　charge　　proved。　The　Council　also　examines　those　who　are　to　be　its　members　for　the　ensuing　year；　and　likewise　the　nine　Archons。　Formerly　the　Council　had　full　power　to　reject　candidates　for　office　as　unsuitable；　but　now　they　have　an　appeal　to　the　law…courts。　In　all　these　matters；　therefore；　the　Council　has　no　final　jurisdiction。　It　takes；　however；　preliminary　cognizance　of　all　matters　brought　before　the　　Assembly；　and　the　Assembly　cannot　vote　on　any　question　unless　it　has　first　been　considered　by　the　Council　and　placed　on　the　programme　by　the　　Prytanes；　since　a　person　who　carries　a　motion　in　the　Assembly　is　liable　to　an　action　for　illegal　proposal　on　these　grounds。

Part　46

　　The　Council　also　superintends　the　triremes　that　are　already　in　existence；　with　their　tackle　and　sheds；　and　builds　new　triremes　or　quadriremes；　whichever　the　Assembly　votes；　with　tackle　and　sheds　to　match。　The　Assembly　appoints　master…builders　for　the　ships　by　vote；　and　if　they　do　not　hand　them　over　completed　to　the　next　Council；　the　old　Council　cannot　receive　the　customary　donation…that　being　normally　given　to　it　during　its　successor's　term　of　office。　For　the　building　of　the　triremes　it　appoints　ten　commissioners；　chosen　from　its　own　members。　The　Council　also　inspects　all　public　buildings；　and　if　it　is　of　opinion　that　the　state　is　being　defrauded；　it　reports　the　culprit　to　the　Assembly；　and　on　condemnation　hands　him　　over　to　the　law…courts。

Part　47

　　The　Council　also　co…operates　with　other　magistrates　in　　most　of　their　duties。　First　there　are　the　treasurers　of　Athena；　ten　in　number；　elected　by　lot；　one　from　each　tribe。　According　to　the　law　of　Solon…which　is　still　in　force…they　must　be　Pentacosiomedimni；　but　in　point　of　fact　the　person　on　whom　the　lot　falls　holds　the　office　even　though　he　be　quite　a　poor　man。　These　officers　take　over　charge　of　the　statue　of　Athena；　the　figures　of　Victory；　and　all　the　other　ornaments　of　the　temple；　together　with　the　money；　in　the　presence　of　the　Council。　Then　there　are　the　Commissioners　for　Public　Contracts　（Poletae）；　ten　in　number；　one　chosen　by　lot　from　each　tribe；　who　farm　out　the　public　contracts。　They　lease　the　mines　and　taxes；　in　conjunction　with　the　Military　Treasurer　and　the　Commissioners　of　the　Theoric　fund；　in　the　presence　of　the　Council；　and　grant；　to　the　persons　indicated　by　the　vote　of　the　Council；　the　mines　which　are　let　out　by　the　state；　including　both　the　workable　ones；　which　are　let　for　three　years；　and　those　which　are　let　under　special　agreements　years。　They　also　sell；