invented to unite and league that infinite number of small ftates which compofed the Greek nation. I shall pass over the reigns of Erichthonius and Pandion, to come to that of Erechtheus, under whom the marbles place one of the most memorable events in Grecian antiquity. That is, the arrival of Ceres in Greece: an æra fo much the more famous because it was to that time that all the ancients refer the establishment, or rather, the reestablishment of agriculture and civil laws in Greece. I shall treat in the fequel of these articles in a particular manner 8. The reign of Erechtheus is likewife remarkable for fome acts relative to the ancient form of government established in Greece. Till the time of this prince, the kings had always united in their own perfon the fceptre and the priesthood. Erechtheus, on fucceeding Pandion, gave up fome of his rights in favour of his brother called Butes. He kept the fovereignty, and gave to Butes the priesthood of Minerva and of Neptune". This is the first example we find in the Grecian hiftory of the divifion of the fecular and ecclefiaftic power. Erechtheus reigned fifty years; he was killed in a war he had undertaken against the Eleufinians. The event however was to the advantage of the Athenians, to whom those of Eleufis were obliged to fubmit *. The Athenians had given the command of their army to Ion fon of Xuthus, and great-grandfon of Deucalion 1. They were fo pleased with the fervices Ion had done them in that war, that they intrufted him with the care and adminiftration of the ftatem. There are even authors who fay, that, on the death of Erechtheus, his mother's father, Ion afcended the throne". Yet we do not find the name of this prince in any of the catalogues of Athenian kings. f Marm. Oxon. ep. 12. Apollod. 1. 3 p. 198. See. art. 8. book 2. fect. 2. chap. 1. i Pauf. 1. 1. c. 38. Herod. 1. 8. n. 44.; Pauf. 1. 2.c. 14. Vitruv. 1. 4. c. 1.; Strabo, 1.8. p. 588. * Ibid. Euripid. in Ione, v. 577. and Conon apud Phot. narrat. 27. p. 438. D • See Pauf. 1. 7. init. But But it is certain that Ion had a very great authority. He was the first who introduced into Greece the custom of feparating into different claffes, the different profeffions to which the citizens apply themselves in a ftate. He distributed all the people of Athens into four claffes P. One included the labourers, another the artificers, the third was composed of the minifters of religion, and the military compofed the fourth. प Before we finish what concerns the reign of Erechtheus, I think it ought to be remarked, that, under this prince, Attica was already fó fully peopled, that not being able to subsist all its inhabitants, the Athenians were obliged to fend different colonies to Peloponnefus, and the isle of Euboea. From Erechtheus to Thefeus, the hiftory of Athens offers us nothing remarkable nor interesting. The age of Thefeus is that of the ancient heroes of Greece. This prince without doubt was one of the most famous and most diftinguished of them; but it is not his exploits, but his adminiftration, and the changes he made in the government of Athens, which ought to employ us at prefent. We have before feen that Cecrops the Second founded twelve principal towns in Attica. The inhabitants of these towns lived entirely feparate from each other. Each divifion had its own jurifdiction, and its particular polity, and that independent even of the fovereign". This arrangement made each town form, as it were, a particular body feparate from the ftate; it was not eafy to affemble the inhabitants, and to unite them when they were to deliberate on their fafety, and the intereft of the common caufe. Befides, they were pretty frequently at war P Strabo, 1.8. p. 588. 9 This is the fense in which I think we ought to take the word punares, which is here used by Strabo. This meaning is authorised by Plato, who, in his republic, always ufes this word, to defign military people. See Arift. polit. 1. 2. Strabo, 1.8. p. 585. Pauf. 1. 1. c. 5. p. 13. It is called at prefent Negropont. It is the largest of the ifles of the Archipelago. z. with each other, often even against their fovereign 7. The firft ufe that Thefeus made of his authority, was to remedy this abufe. Knowing how to join prudence with refolution, he broke all the magiftrates and all the particular affemblies of each diftrict. He even caufed all the halls where they held their councils, and the edifices where they administered juftice, to be demolished. After this reform all the inhabitants of Attica were fubjected to the jurifdiction of the magistracy of Athens. All political power and authority was centered in that capital. Thus when they were to take any general refolution, the inhabitants of the country were obliged to leave their villages and repair to Athens . The affemblies of the nation were only held in the city, which by that means became the centre of government, of which every one partook by an equal right who bore the name of Athenian. For the inhabitants of the country had the fame right to vote as thofe of the city; and in that fenfe one may truly fay that all the Athenians were really citizens of one and the fame city &. To enlarge and people the capital, Thefeus invited alf the country-people to repair thither, offering them the fame rights and the fame privileges that were enjoyed by the citizens; but at the fame time, left this croud of people gathered from all parts, fhould bring confufion and diforder into his new eftablishment, he thought proper to divide the inhabitants of Athens into three claffes. We have already feen that anciently, under the reign of Erechtheus, they had divided the Athenians into four claffes: * Plut. in Thef. p. 10. F. a Plut. in Thef. p. 11. A. Thucyd. 1. 2. p. 110. z Ibid. b Thucyd. loco cit.; Ifocrat. Encom. Helen. p. 312.; Plut. loco cit." Thucyd. 1. 2. p. 110. d Ifocrat. Encom. Helen. p. 312. • Ifocrat. Plut. loco cit. f Plut. p. 1. It is for want of fufficient reflection that most of the modern writers have advanced that Thefeus had tranfported all the people of Attica into Athens. It is true they might be deceived by Cicero, de leg. 1. 2. n. 2. Diodorus, 1. 4. p. 306. Strabo, 1. 9. p. 69, who fay it exprefsly. But that notion is not juft. It is certain there remained inhabitants in the country to cultivate the grounds. Thucydides plainly fays fo, 1. 2. p. 108. Thefeus only made Athens the metropolis of Attica. Thefeus Thefeus thought there only fhould be three: the nobles, the labourers, and the artificers . The principal end of Thefeus was to establish a perfect equality in the ftate ". With this view, he gave to the nobles the privilege of offering facrifices, of administering justice, and of taking cognifance of what concerned religion and civil government i. By this means Thefeus made the nobles as powerful as both the other eftates. Thefe laft prevailed by their numbers, by their neceffary importance, and by their utility in the ftate but the honours and the dignities which the nobles were in poffeffion of, gave a weight to them, which was not in the labourers nor artificers. : This diftribution of the citizens of a state into different claffes, relative to their different profeffions, was the reigning taste of the ancient people. We have feen that it had place in Egypt. The colonies that passed from that country into Greece, brought with them this policy. It is not therefore furprifing that it took place there. I will not here infift on the inconveniencies that might arise from fo dangerous a maxim: I will speak of them elsewhere 1. Such was the new form of government which Thefeus established in his kingdom. He made Athens the capital, or, one may say, the metropolis of his dominions. From thence this prince laid the foundations of the grandeur which this city afterwards attained. He may juftly be looked upon as the second founder m. Thefeus was also the first prince who favoured popular government". He used the kingly power with much moderation, governing his people with great juftice and equity. But, notwithstanding all these great qualities, he could not avoid the ftrokes of envy, always fond of perfe Diod. 1. 1. p. 33.; Plut. p. 11. C. Pauf. 1. 1. c. 3. p. 9.; Demofth. in Neacram, p. 873. C. 1 Plut. loco cit. k Diod. 1. 1. p. 33. 1 Part 3. book. 1. ch. 4. m Diod. 1. 4. p. 306. n Demofth. in Neaeram, p. 873.; Plut. in Thef. p. 11. This author ob. ferves, after Ariftotle, that the Athenians were the only ones to whom Homer gives the name of people. Iliad. 1. 2. B. v. 54. • Ifocrat. Encom. Helen. p. 309. & 311.; Diod. 1. 4. p. 306. He was banished from the cuting the merit of great men. very city he had raised ». What is still more remarkable, is, that it was by way of oftracifm, which he himself had established . I fhall fay nothing of the kings who poffeffed the throne of Athens after Thefeus. We will pafs on to Codrus, in whom ended the kingly government. An anfwer of the oracle determined this prince to facrifice himself for the fafety of his kingdom. This was the occafion of it. The return of the Heraclide into Peloponnefus, of which I fhall speak immediately, had thrown that province into the greatest trouble and confufion. The inhabitants driven from their ancient habitations, had been obliged to look for a retreat in different places. The Ionians, among others, had applied to the Athenians. Melanthus, who then reigned at Athens, had given them a retreat. This new colony made Attica much more flourishing than ever. The Heraclide faw with a jealous eye this increase of power. They declared war against the Athenians. Melanthus was then dead, and Codrus had fucceeded him. It was formerly the custom never to undertake any expedition without first applying to the oracle. They therefore confulted it, and the answer was, that the Heraclidæ fhould be con querors if they did not kill the King of the Athenians. In confequence of this they published an exprefs order not to touch the King of Athens. Codrus heard of this. The love which his people had for him made them keep a watchful guard upon him. To escape from the vigilance of his guards, he difguifes himself like a peafant, enters into the enemy's camp, picks a quarrel with a foldier, and wounds him. The foldier falls upon him and kills him. The news P Diod. I. 4. p. 356.; Plut. in Thes. p. 15. 16. Theophraft. in polit. apud Suid. voce Apxǹ Exupia, t. 1. p. 344.; Eufeb. chron. 1. 2. p. 90.; Syncell. p. 172. Scholiaft. Ariftophan. in Pluto. It is true this opinion has its difficulties. See Scaliger. Animad. in Eufeb. p. 50.; Potter, Archaeol. 1. 4. c. 25. p. 115. et les mem. de l'acad. des infcript. t. 12. mem. p. 145. r Codrus pro patria non timidus mori. Horat. carm. 1. 3. od. 19. Strabo, 1. 9. p. 602.; Pauf. 1. 7. cap. 1. Juftin. 1. 2. c. 6.; Strab.1.9. p. 602. VOL. II. E was |