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.