All the foregoing magistrates are elected by lot, and their powers are
those which have been stated. To pass on to the nine Archons, as they
are called, the manner of their appointment from the earliest times has
been described already. At the present day six Thesmothetae are elected
by lot, together with their clerk, and in addition to these an Archon,
a King, and a Polemarch. One is elected from each tribe. They are
examined first of all by the Council of Five Hundred, with the
exception of the clerk. The latter is examined only in the lawcourt,
like other magistrates (for all magistrates, whether elected by lot or
by open vote, are examined before entering on their offices); but the
nine Archons are examined both in the Council and again in the
law-court. Formerly no one could hold the office if the Council
rejected him, but now there is an appeal to the law-court, which is the
final authority in the matter of the examination. When they are
examined, they are asked, first, 'Who is your father, and of what deme?
who is your father's father? who is your mother? who is your mother's
father, and of what deme?' Then the candidate is asked whether he
possesses an ancestral Apollo and a household Zeus, and where their
sanctuaries are; next if he possesses a family tomb, and where; then if
he treats his parents well, and pays his taxes, and has served on the
required military expeditions. When the examiner has put these
questions, he proceeds, 'Call the witnesses to these facts'; and when
the candidate has produced his witnesses, he next asks, 'Does any one
wish to make any accusation against this man?' If an accuser appears,
he gives the parties an opportunity of making their accusation and
defence, and then puts it to the Council to pass the candidate or not,
and to the law-court to give the final vote. If no one wishes to make
an accusation, he proceeds at once to the vote. Formerly a single
individual gave the vote, but now all the members are obliged to vote
on the candidates, so that if any unprincipled candidate has managed to
get rid of his accusers, it may still be possible for him to be
disqualified before the law-court. When the examination has been thus
completed, they proceed to the stone on which are the pieces of the
victims, and on which the Arbitrators take oath before declaring their
decisions, and witnesses swear to their testimony. On this stone the
Archons stand, and swear to execute their office uprightly and
according to the laws, and not to receive presents in respect of the
performance of their duties, or, if they do, to dedicate a golden
statue. When they have taken this oath they proceed to the Acropolis,
and there they repeat it; after this they enter upon their office.