The Council also co-operates with other magistrates in most of their
duties. First there are the treasurers of Athena, ten in number,
elected by lot, one from each tribe. According to the law of
Solon--which is still in force--they must be Pentacosiomedimni, but in
point of fact the person on whom the lot falls holds the office even
though he be quite a poor man. These officers take over charge of the
statue of Athena, the figures of Victory, and all the other ornaments
of the temple, together with the money, in the presence of the Council.
Then there are the Commissioners for Public Contracts (Poletae), ten in
number, one chosen by lot from each tribe, who farm out the public
contracts. They lease the mines and taxes, in conjunction with the
Military Treasurer and the Commissioners of the Theoric fund, in the
presence of the Council, and grant, to the persons indicated by the
vote of the Council, the mines which are let out by the state,
including both the workable ones, which are let for three years, and
those which are let under special agreements years. They also sell, in
the presence of the Council, the property of those who have gone into
exile from the court of the Areopagus, and of others whose goods have
been confiscated, and the nine Archons ratify the contracts. They also
hand over to the Council lists of the taxes which are farmed out for
the year, entering on whitened tablets the name of the lessee and the
amount paid. They make separate lists, first of those who have to pay
their instalments in each prytany, on ten several tablets, next of
those who pay thrice in the year, with a separate tablet for each
instalment, and finally of those who pay in the ninth prytany. They
also draw up a list of farms and dwellings which have been confiscated
and sold by order of the courts; for these too come within their
province. In the case of dwellings the value must be paid up in five
years, and in that of farms, in ten. The instalments are paid in the
ninth prytany. Further, the King-archon brings before the Council the
leases of the sacred enclosures, written on whitened tablets. These too
are leased for ten years, and the instalments are paid in the prytany;
consequently it is in this prytany that the greatest amount of money is
collected. The tablets containing the lists of the instalments are
carried into the Council, and the public clerk takes charge of them.
Whenever a payment of instalments is to be made he takes from the
pigeon-holes the precise list of the sums which are to be paid and
struck off on that day, and delivers it to the Receivers-General. The
rest are kept apart, in order that no sum may be struck off before it
is paid.