Constitution of the Athenians

​LIX. And the thesmothetai indeed, first, have the authority to announce beforehand on which days the courts must judge, and next, to assign them to the magistrates; for in whatever way they assign them, the magistrates use them accordingly. Furthermore, they report impeachments to the People, and they introduce all votes of condemnation and preliminary accusations, and indictments for illegal proposals, and for proposing an unsuitable law, and against presiding officers and presidents, and the audits of accounts for generals. And there are also indictments brought before them for which a deposit is paid: for alienage, and for bribery to escape the charge of alienage (if anyone by giving bribes escapes the charge of alienage), and for sycophancy, and for bribery, and for false entry, and for false summons, and for conspiracy, and for non-registration, and for adultery. And they also introduce the scrutiny for all magistrates, and those rejected by their fellow-demesmen, and the condemnations coming from the Council. And they also introduce private lawsuits: commercial and mining cases, and cases concerning slaves, if anyone speaks ill of a free person. And they assign by lot the private and public courts to the magistrates. And they ratify treaties with other cities, and they introduce lawsuits arising from treaties, and cases of false witness from the Areopagus. And the drawing of lots for the jurors is done by all the nine archons, and as the tenth, the secretary of the thesmothetai, each for the members of his own tribe.

​LX. Now the matters concerning the nine archons are in this manner. And they also elect by lot ten men as athletic directors, one from each tribe. These, after being approved, hold office for four years, and they manage the procession of the Panathenaia, and the musical contest, and the athletic contest, and the horse-race, and they have the robe made, and they have the amphorae made in cooperation with the Council, and they distribute the olive oil to the athletes. And the olive oil is collected from the sacred olive trees; and the archon exacts from those who possess the estates in which the sacred olive trees are, three half-kotylai from each trunk. Formerly, the city sold the fruit; and if anyone dug up a sacred olive tree or broke one down, the Council of the Areopagus judged them, and if they convicted anyone, they punished him with death. But since the time when the owner of the estate pays the olive oil, the law indeed exists, but the trial has been abolished. And the olive oil belongs to the city from the estate, not from the trunks. Therefore, the archon, having collected what is produced during his own term, delivers it to the treasurers on the Acropolis, and it is not permitted for him to go up to the Areopagus before he delivers it to the treasurers. And the treasurers for the rest of the time keep it on the Acropolis, and at the Panathenaia they measure it out to the athletic directors, and the athletic directors to the winners among the contestants. For the prizes are, for those winning the musical contest, silver and gold, and for those winning the physical fitness contest, shields, and for those winning the athletic contest and the horse-race, olive oil.

​LXI. And they also elect by hand-vote all the offices for war: ten generals, formerly one from each tribe, but now from all citizens. And they assign them their duties by the hand-vote: one over the hoplites, who leads the hoplites if they go out; one over the country, who guards it, and if war occurs in the country, he fights; two over the Piraeus, one for Munychia and the other for Acte, who supervise the guard of the things in Piraeus; and one over the symmories, who enrolls the trierarchs and manages the exchanges of property for them and introduces their adjudication cases. And they send out the others for the current affairs. And a vote of confirmation on them is held in each prytany, whether they seem to rule well; and if they depose anyone by vote, they try him in the court, and if he is convicted, they assess what he must suffer or pay, but if he is acquitted, he resumes office. And they have the authority, when they command, both to bind the insubordinate and to herald their dismissal and to impose a fine; but they are not accustomed to impose fines. And they also elect ten taxiarches by hand-vote, one from each tribe; and each leads his own tribesmen and appoints lochagoi. And they also elect two hipparches by hand-vote from all citizens; and these lead the cavalry, having divided the tribes, five for each; and they have the same authority as the generals have over the hoplites. And a vote of confirmation is also held for them. And they also elect by hand-vote one phylarch for each tribe, to lead the cavalry, just as the taxiarches lead the hoplites. And they also elect by hand-vote a hipparch for Lemnos, who supervises the cavalry in Lemnos. And they also elect by hand-vote a treasurer of the Paralus, and separately one for the ship of Ammon.