HECTĒ or HECTEUS (ἕκτη, ἑκτεύς), and its half, _Hemiecton_ or
_Hemiecteon_ (ἡμίεκτον, ἡμιεκτέον). In dry measures, the _hecteus_
was the sixth part of the _medimnus_, and the _hemiecteon_, of
course, the twelfth part. The _hecteus_ was equal to the Roman
_modius_, as each contained 16 ξέσται or sextarii. The _Hecte_ or
_Hecteus_ and _Hemiecton_ were also the names of coins, but the
accounts we have of their value are very various. The only consistent
explanation is, that there were different _hectae_, derived from
different units; in fact, that these coins were not properly
_denominations_ of money, but _subdivisions_ of the recognised
denominations.
HĔLĔPŎLIS (ἑλέπολις), “the taker of cities,” a machine constructed
by Demetrius Poliorcetes, when he besieged the city of Salamis in
Cyprus. Its form was that of a square tower, each side being 90
cubits high and 45 wide. It rested on four wheels, each eight cubits
high. It was divided into nine stories, the lower of which contained
machines for throwing great stones, the middle large catapults for
throwing spears, and the highest other machines for throwing smaller
stones, together with smaller catapults. It was manned with 200
soldiers, besides those who moved it by pushing the parallel beams
at the bottom. At the siege of Rhodes, B.C. 306, Demetrius employed
an helepolis of still greater dimensions and more complicated
construction. In subsequent ages we find the name of “helepolis”
applied to moving towers which carried battering rams, as well as
machines for throwing spears and stones.
HELLĀNŎDĬCAE (ἑλλανοδίκαι), the judges in the Olympic games, of whom
an account is given under OLYMPIA. The same name was also given to
the judges or court-martial in the Lacedaemonian army, and they were
probably first called by this name when Sparta was at the head of the
Greek confederacy.
HELLĒNOTĂMĬAE (ἑλληνοταμίαι), or treasurers of the Greeks, were
magistrates appointed by the Athenians to receive the contributions
of the allied states. They were first appointed B.C. 477, when
Athens, in consequence of the conduct of Pausanias, had obtained the
command of the allied states. The money paid by the different states,
which was originally fixed at 460 talents, was deposited in Delos,
which was the place of meeting for the discussion of all common
interests; and there can be no doubt that the hellenotamiae not only
received, but were also the guardians of, these monies. The office
was retained after the treasury was transferred to Athens on the
proposal of the Samians, but was of course abolished on the conquest
of Athens by the Lacedaemonians.
HĒLŌTES (εἴλωτες), a class of bondsmen peculiar to Sparta. They were
Achaeans, who had resisted the Dorian invaders to the last, and had
been reduced to slavery as the punishment of their obstinacy. The
Helots were regarded as the property of the state, which, while it
gave their services to individuals, reserved to itself the power of
emancipating them. They were attached to the land, and could not
be sold away from it. They cultivated the land, and paid to their
masters as rent a certain measure of corn, the exact amount of which
had been fixed at a very early period, the raising of that amount
being forbidden under heavy imprecations. Besides being engaged in
the cultivation of the land, the Helots attended on their masters
at the public meal, and many of them were no doubt employed by the
state in public works. In war the Helots served as light-armed troops
(ψίλοι), a certain number of them attending every heavy-armed Spartan
to the field; at the battle of Plataeae there were seven Helots to
each Spartan. These attendants were probably called ἀμπίτταρες(i.e.
ἀμφίσταντες), and one of them in particular, the θεράπων, or
_servant_. The Helots only served as hoplites in particular
emergencies; and on such occasions they were generally emancipated.
The first instance of this kind was in the expedition of Brasidas,
B.C. 424. The treatment to which the Helots were subjected was marked
by the most wanton cruelty; and they were regarded by the Spartans
with the greatest suspicion. Occasionally the ephors selected
young Spartans for the secret service (κρυπτεία) of wandering over
the country, in order to kill the Helots. The Helots might be
emancipated, but there were several steps between them and the free
citizens, and it is doubtful whether they were ever admitted to all
the privileges of citizenship. The following classes of emancipated
Helots are enumerated:--ἀφεταί, ἀδεσπότοι, ἐρυκτῆρες, δεσποσιοναύται,
and νεοδαμώδεις. Of these the ἀφεταί were probably released from all
service; the ἐρυκτῆρες were those employed in war; the δεσποσιοναύται
served on board the fleet; and the νεοδαμώδεις were those who had
been possessed of freedom for some time. Besides these, there were
the μόθωνες or μόθακες, who were domestic slaves, brought up with the
young Spartans, and then emancipated. Upon being emancipated they
received permission to dwell where they wished.
HĒMĔRŎDRŎMI (ἡμεροδρόμοι), couriers in the Greek states, who could
keep on running all day, and were often employed to carry news of
important events. They were trained for the purpose, and could
perform the longest journeys in an almost incredibly short space
of time. Such couriers were in times of danger stationed on some
eminence in order to observe anything of importance that might
happen, and carry the intelligence with speed to the proper quarter.
Hence we frequently find them called _Hemeroscopi_ (ἡμεροσκόποι).
HĒMĬCYCLĬUM (ἡμικύκλιον), a semicircular seat, for the accommodation
of persons engaged in conversation; also the semicircular seat round
the tribunal in a basilica.
HĒMĬNA (ἡμίνα), the name of a Greek and Roman measure, seems to
be nothing more than the dialectic form used by the Sicilian and
Italian Greeks for ἡμίσυ. It was therefore applied to the half of the
standard fluid measure, the ξέστης, which the other Greeks called
κοτύλη, and the word passed into the Roman metrical system, where it
is used with exactly the same force, namely for a measure which is
half of the _sextarius_, and equal to the Greek _cotylé_.
HENDĔCA (οἱ ἕνδεκα), the Eleven, were magistrates at Athens of
considerable importance. They were annually chosen by lot, one from
each of the ten tribes, and a secretary (γραμματεύς), who must
properly be regarded as their servant (ὑπηρέτης), though he formed
one of their number. The principal duty of the Eleven was the care
and management of the public prison (δεσμωτήριον), which was entirely
under their jurisdiction. The prison, however, was seldom used by
the Athenians as a mere place of confinement, serving generally for
punishments and executions. When a person was condemned to death he
was immediately given into the custody of the Eleven, who were then
bound to carry the sentence into execution according to the laws.
The most common mode of execution was by hemlock juice (κώνειον),
which was drunk after sunset. The Eleven had under them gaolers,
executioners, and torturers. When torture was inflicted in causes
affecting the state, it was either done in the immediate presence
of the Eleven, or by their servant (ὁ δήμιος). The Eleven usually
had only to carry into execution the sentence passed in the courts
of law and the public assemblies; but in some cases they possessed
jurisdiction. This was the case in those summary proceedings called
_apagoge_, _ephegesis_ and _endeixis_, in which the penalty was
fixed by law, and might be inflicted by the court on the confession
or conviction of the accused, without appealing to any of the jury
courts.