Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 15, 1904.djvu/406

 376 The European Sky-god.

governor {ap-y^cov), who were assisted in their administration by a board of six inferior magistrates {OeafiodeTai). But it is noteworthy that all these officials, like the king before them, had to be men "without blemish" {oXokXtjpol).^^ And that this was not merely a matter of decency or decorum, but rather a religious requirement, is made probable by the fact that the victims ^'^ offered to the gods and the priests ^^ who served them had likewise to be "without blemish," and are described by the same term {6\6KXrjpo<;).

The community in early days had a simple method of securing the best man for the post of king. The king reigned till a stronger than he arose and slew him. This primitive rule may be traced in several of the Greek myths. Philostratus^* describes how the Phlegyae chose Phorbas as their king " because he was the biggest and most ferocious man in the tribe." He dwelt apart under an oak-tree, which was regarded as his palace (/3acriXeta) ; and the Phlegyae resorted to him for judgment. This oak grew on the road to Delphi, and Phorbas terrorised the Delphic pilgrims.^^ Old men and children he sent on to the

MsvavSpog QsTTaXy" (Meineke, /;-«f. com. Gr., iv., 134), " oXofcXj/poc ovrug ffOl ^svs."
 * Phot. s. V. 6\6k\7]poq ' 01 dpxovreg iSoKifia^ovTo st uXoKXripoi uaiv '

^ Poll., I. 29, TO. St TTpoaaKTia Qvfiara uptia apria, uTona, oXoKkrjpa, vyit}, airiipa, Trafi/ieXri, dpTineXij, fn) KoXo/ia /ajSk tfnrrjpa /M7]Si i)Kp(t>Tripia(jfiiva fi7]di Sia.(TTpo(pa. '26Xu)v St rd t/nrripa Kai d^tXfj (ovofiaae, Plut. de def. or., 49, ^61 yap TO Ovffifiov T<p te ffwfiaTi. Kal ry 4'^Xy KaOapbv tlvai Koi aaivtQ Kal dSidpOopov, cp. [Plat.] A kid. ii., 149 A., Theocr. 4. 20 ff., a/i/j.

^ Dittenberger, Sylloge inscrr. Gr., 594, 9 f., i}VEiict. Ant., ii., 569 f.

^^ Philostrat. imagg., 2. 19.

^ Cp. Ov. tnet., ii., 413 f.