The Athenian Constitution   

this the nation, misled by the demagogues, made the most serious
mistakes in the interest of its maritime empire. The eighth was the
establishment of the Four Hundred, followed by the ninth,
the restored
democracy. The tenth was the tyranny of the Thirty and the Ten. The
eleventh was that which followed the return from Phyle and Piraeus;
and this has continued from that day to this, with continual
accretions of power to the masses. The democracy has made itself
master of everything and administers everything by its votes in the
Assembly and by the law-courts, in which it holds the supreme power.
Even the jurisdiction of the Council has passed into the hands of
the people at large; and this appears to be a judicious change,
since small bodies are more open to corruption, whether by actual
money or influence, than large ones. At first they refused to allow
payment for attendance at the Assembly; but the result was
that people
did not attend. Consequently, after the Prytanes had tried many
devices in vain in order to induce the populace to come and
ratify the
votes, Agyrrhius, in the first instance, made a provision of one
obol a day, which Heracleides of Clazomenae, nicknamed 'the king',
increased to two obols, and Agyrrhius again to three.

Part 42

The present state of the constitution is as follows. The franchise
is open to all who are of citizen birth by both parents. They are
enrolled among the demesmen at the age of eighteen. On the
occasion of
their enrollment the demesmen give their votes on oath, first
whether the candidates appear to be of the age prescribed by the law
(if not, they are dismissed back into the ranks of the boys), and
secondly whether the candidate is free born and of such parentage as
the laws require. Then if they decide that he is not a free man, he
appeals to the law-courts, and the demesmen appoint five of their
own number to act as accusers; if the court decides that he has no
right to be enrolled, he is sold by the state as a slave, but if he
wins his case he has a right to be enrolled among the
demesmen without
further question. After this the Council examines those who have
been enrolled, and if it comes to the conclusion that any of them is
less than eighteen years of age, it fines the demesmen who enrolled
him. When the youths (Ephebi) have passed this examination, their
fathers meet by their tribes, and appoint on oath three of their
fellow tribesmen, over forty years of age, who, in their opinion,
are the best and most suitable persons to have charge of the youths;
and of these the Assembly elects one from each tribe as guardian,
together with a director, chosen from the general body of Athenians,
to control the while. Under the charge of these persons the youths
first of all make the circuit of the temples; then they proceed to
Piraeus, and some of them garrison Munichia and some the south
shore. The Assembly also elects two trainers, with subordinate
instructors, who teach them to fight in heavy armour, to use the bow
and javelin, and to discharge a catapult. The guardians receive from
the state a drachma apiece for their keep, and the youths four obols
apiece. Each guardian receives the allowance for all the members of
his tribe and buys the necessary provisions for the common
stock (they
mess together by tribes), and generally superintends everything. In
this way they spend the first year. The next year, after giving a
public display of their military evolutions, on the occasion when
the Assembly meets in the theatre, they receive a shield and spear
from the state; after which they patrol the country and spend their
time in the forts. For these two years they are on garrison duty,