ARCHON (ἄρχων). The government of Athens began with monarchy,
and, after passing through a dynasty[1] and aristocracy, ended in
democracy. Of the kings of Athens, considered as the capital of
Attica, Theseus may be said to have been the first; for to him,
whether as a real individual or a representative of a certain period,
is attributed the union of the different and independent states of
Attica under one head. The last was Codrus; in acknowledgment of
whose patriotism in meeting death for his country, the Athenians
are said to have determined that no one should succeed him with the
title of king (βασιλεύς). It seems, however, equally probable that
it was the nobles who availed themselves of the opportunity to serve
their own interests, by abolishing the kingly power for another, the
possessors of which they called _Archontes_ (ἄρχοντες) or rulers.
These for some time continued to be like the kings of the house of
Codrus, appointed for life: still an important point was gained by
the nobles, the office being made accountable (ὑπεύθυνος), which of
course implies that the nobility had some control over it. This state
of things lasted for twelve reigns of archons. The next step was to
limit the continuance of the office to ten years, still confining
it to the Medontidae, or house of Codrus, so as to establish what
the Greeks called a dynasty, till the archonship of Eryxias, the
last archon of that family elected as such. At the end of his ten
years (B.C. 684), a much greater change took place: the archonship
was made annual, and its various duties divided among a college
of nine, chosen by suffrage (χειροτονία) from the Eupatridae, or
Patricians, and no longer elected from the Medontidae exclusively.
This arrangement lasted till the time of Solon, who still continued
the election by suffrage, but made the qualification for office
depend, not on birth, but property. The election by lot is believed
to have been introduced by Cleisthenes (B.C. 508). The last change
is supposed to have been made by Aristides, who after the battle of
Plataeae (B.C. 479) abolished the property qualification, throwing
open the archonship and other magistracies to all the citizens; that
is, to the Thetes, as well as the other classes, the former of whom
were not allowed by Solon’s laws to hold any magistracy at all.
Still, after the removal of the old restrictions, some security was
left to insure respectability; for, previously to an archon entering
on office, he underwent an examination, called the _anacrisis_
(ἀνάκρισις), as to his being a legitimate and a good citizen, a good
son, and qualified in point of property, but the latter limitation
was either done away with by Aristides, or soon became obsolete. Yet,
even after passing a satisfactory _anacrisis_, each of the archons,
in common with other magistrates, was liable to be deposed on
complaint of misconduct made before the people, at the first regular
assembly in each prytany. On such an occasion the _epicheirotonia_
(ἐπιχειροτονία), as it was called, took place: and we read that
in one case the whole college of archons was deprived of office
(ἀποχειροτονεῖσθαι). In consequence of the democratical tendency of
the assembly and courts of justice established by Solon, the archons
lost the great political power which they at one time possessed.
They became, in fact, not as of old directors of the government,
but merely municipal magistrates, exercising functions and bearing
titles described below. It has been already stated, that the duties
of the single archon were shared by a college of nine. The first, or
president of this body, was called _Archon_, by way of pre-eminence,
or _Archon Eponymus_ (ἄρχων ἐπώνυμος), from the year being
distinguished by and registered in his name. The second was styled
_Archon Basileus_ (ἄρχων βασιλεύς), or the King Archon; the third
_Polemarchus_ (πολέμαρχος), or commander-in-chief; the remaining
six, _Thesmothetae_ (θεσμοθέται), or legislators. As regards the
duties of the archons, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish
what belonged to them individually, and what collectively. It
seems that a considerable portion of the judicial functions of the
ancient kings devolved upon the _Archon Eponymus_, who was also
constituted a sort of state protector of those who were unable to
defend themselves. Thus he was to superintend orphans, heiresses,
families losing their representatives, widows left pregnant, and
to see that they were not wronged in any way. This archon had also
the superintendence of the greater Dionysia, and the Thargelia.
The functions of the _King Archon_ were almost all connected with
religion; his distinguishing title shows that he was considered a
representative of the old kings in their capacity of high priest, as
the Rex Sacrificulus was at Rome. Thus he presided at the Lenaea,
or older Dionysia; superintended the mysteries and the games called
_Lampadephoriae_, and had to offer up sacrifices and prayers in the
Eleusinium, both at Athens and Eleusis. Moreover, indictments for
impiety, and controversies about the priesthood, were laid before
him; and, in cases of murder, he brought the trial into the court of
the areiopagus, and voted with its members. His wife, also, who was
called _Basilissa_ (βασίλισσα), had to offer certain sacrifices, and
therefore it was required that she should be a citizen of pure blood,
without stain or blemish. The _Polemarch_ was originally, as his name
denotes, the commander-in-chief, and we find him discharging military
duties as late as the battle of Marathon, in conjunction with the ten
_Strategi_; he there took, like the kings of old, the command of the
right wing of the army. This, however, seems to be the last occasion
on record of this magistrate appointed by lot being invested with
such important functions; and in after ages we find that his duties
ceased to be military, having been, in a great measure, transferred
to the protection and superintendence of the resident aliens, so that
he resembled in many respects the praetor peregrinus at Rome. Thus,
all actions affecting aliens, the isoteles and proxeni were brought
before him previously to trial. Moreover, it was the polemarch’s
duty to offer the yearly sacrifice to Artemis, in commemoration of
the vow made by Callimachus, at Marathon, and to arrange the funeral
games in honour of those who fell in war. The six _Thesmothetae_ were
extensively connected with the administration of justice, and appear
to have been called legislators, because, in the absence of a written
code, they might be said to make laws, or _thesmi_ (θεσμοί), in the
ancient language of Athens, though in reality they only explained
them. They were required to review, every year, the whole body of
laws, that they might detect any inconsistencies or superfluities,
and discover whether any laws which were abrogated were in the public
records amongst the rest. Their report was submitted to the people,
who referred the necessary alterations to a legislative committee
chosen for the purpose, and called _Nomothetae_ (νομοθέται). The
chief part of the duties of the thesmothetae consisted in receiving
informations, and bringing cases to trial in the courts of law, of
the days of sitting in which they gave public notice. They did not
try them themselves, but seem to have constituted a sort of grand
jury, or inquest. The trial itself took place before the Dicastae.
[DICASTAE.] It is necessary to be cautious in our interpretation of
the words ἀρχή and ἄρχοντες, since they have a double meaning in
the Attic orators, sometimes referring to the archons peculiarly
so called, and sometimes to any other magistracy. The archons had
various privileges and honours. The greatest of the former was the
exemption from the trierarchies--a boon not allowed even to the
successors of Harmodius and Aristogeiton. As a mark of their office,
they wore a chaplet or crown of myrtle; and if any one struck or
abused one of the archons, when wearing this badge of office, he
became _atimus_ (ἄτιμος), or infamous in the fullest extent, thereby
losing his civic rights. The archons, at the close of their year
of service, were admitted among the members of the areiopagus.
[AREIOPAGUS.]