"It was not only by taxation of its members that the
[Athenian] State met its financial needs, but also by many
other kinds of services which it demanded from them, and
which, though not, like the former, producing an income, yet
nevertheless saved an expense. Such services are called
Liturgies [i. e.; properly, services for the
people.'—Footnote]. They are partly ordinary or 'encyclic'—
such, that is, as occurred annually, even in times of peace,
according to a certain order, and which all bore some relation
to worship and to the celebration of festivals—and partly
extraordinary, for the needs of war. Among the former class
the most important is the so-called Choregia, i. e., the
furnishing of a chorus for musical contests and for festivals.
… A similar though less burdensome Liturgy was the
Gymnasiarchy for those feasts which were celebrated with
gymnastic contests. The gymnasiarch, as it seems, was
compelled to have all who wished to come forward as
competitors trained in the gymnasia, to furnish them with
board during the time of training, and at the games themselves
to furnish the necessary fittings and ornaments of the place
of contest. … More important and more costly than all these
ordinary or encyclic Liturgies was the extraordinary Liturgy
of trierarchy, i. e., the equipment of a ship of war."
_G. F. Schumann,
Antiquity of Greece: The State,
part 3, chapter 3._
"The Liturgiæ, which are sometimes considered as peculiar to
the Athenians, … were common to all democracies at least [in
the Greek states], and even to certain aristocracies or
oligarchies. … The Liturgiæ of the Greeks were distinguished
by a much more generous and noble characteristic than the
corresponding services and contributions of the present day.
They were considered honorable services. … Niggardliness in
the performance of them was considered disgraceful. The state
needed no paid officer, or contractors to superintend or
undertake their execution. … The ordinary Liturgiæ … are
principally the choregia, the gymnasiarchia, and the feasting
of the tribes [or hestiasis]. … The lampadarchy, if not the
only kind, was certainly the most important and expensive kind
of gymnasiarchy. The race on foot with a torch in the hand was
a common game. The same kind of race was run with horses for
the first time at Athens in the time of Socrates. The art
consisted, besides other particulars, in running the fastest,
and at the same time not extinguishing the torch. … Since
the festivity was celebrated at night, the illumination of the
place which was the scene of the contest was necessary. Games
of this kind were celebrated specially in honor of the gods of
light and fire. … The expenses of the feasting of the tribes
were borne by a person selected for this purpose from the
tribe. … The entertainments, the expenses of which were
defrayed by means of this liturgia, were different from the
great feastings of the people, the expenses of which were paid
from the treasury of the theorica. They were merely
entertainments at the festivals of the tribes."
_A. Boeckh,
Public Economy of the Athenians
(translated by Lamb),
book 3, chapters 1 and 21-23._
ALSO IN:
_E. G. Bulwer-Lytton,
Athens,
book 5, chapter 2._
{2030}
LITUS, The.
In the Salic law, of the Franks, the litus appears as
representing a class in that Germanic nation. He "was no doubt
identical with the serf whom Tacitus represents as cultivating
the soil, and paying a rent in kind to his lord. That the
litus was not free is evident from the mention of his master
and the fact that he could be sold; though we find a weregild
set upon his life equal to that of a free Roman."
_W. C. Perry,
The Franks,
chapter 10._
LIVERPOOL AND MANCHESTER RAILWAY, The.
See STEAM LOCOMOTION ON LAND.
LIVERPOOL MINISTRY, The,
See ENGLAND: A. D. 1812-1813.
LIVERY, Origin of the term.
"After an ancient custom, the kings of France, at great
solemnities, gave such of their subjects as were at court
certain capes or furred mantles, with which the latter
immediately clothed themselves before leaving the court. In
the ancient 'comptes' (a sort of audits) these capes were
called 'livrées' (whence, no doubt, our word livery), because
the monarch gave them ('les livrait') himself."
_J. F. Michaud,
History of the Crusades,
book 13._