The Council also inspects the horses belonging to the state. If a man
who has a good horse is found to keep it in bad condition, he is
mulcted in his allowance of corn; while those which cannot keep up or
which shy and will not stand steady, it brands with a wheel on the jaw,
and the horse so marked is disqualified for service. It also inspects
those who appear to be fit for service as scouts, and any one whom it
rejects is deprived of his horse. It also examines the infantry who
serve among the cavalry, and any one whom it rejects ceases to receive
his pay. The roll of the cavalry is drawn up by the Commissioners of
Enrolment (Catalogeis), ten in number, elected by the Assembly by open
vote. They hand over to the Hipparchs and Phylarchs the list of those
whom they have enrolled, and these officers take it and bring it up
before the Council, and there open the sealed tablet containing the
names of the cavalry. If any of those who have been on the roll
previously make affidavit that they are physically incapable of cavalry
service, they strike them out; then they call up the persons newly
enrolled, and if any one makes affidavit that he is either physically
or pecuniarily incapable of cavalry service they dismiss him, but if no
such affidavit is made the Council vote whether the individual in
question is suitable for the purpose or not. If they vote in the
affirmative his name is entered on the tablet; if not, he is dismissed
with the others.
Formerly the Council used to decide on the plans for public buildings
and the contract for making the robe of Athena; but now this work is
done by a jury in the law-courts appointed by lot, since the Council
was considered to have shown favouritism in its decisions. The Council
also shares with the Military Treasurer the superintendence of the
manufacture of the images of Victory and the prizes at the Panathenaic
festival.
The Council also examines infirm paupers; for there is a law which
provides that persons possessing less than three minas, who are so
crippled as to be unable to do any work, are, after examination by the
Council, to receive two obols a day from the state for their support. A
treasurer is appointed by lot to attend to them.
The Council also, speaking broadly, cooperates in most of the duties of
all the other magistrates; and this ends the list of the functions of
that body.