Page:History of Greece Vol V.djvu/379

 CHANGES AT ATHENS UNDER rEMKLES. 355 and as au index of the predominant sentiment : notwithstanding the enlarged promise of eligibility, little change probably took place in the fact, and rich men were still most commonly chosen. Hence the magistrates, possessing the large powers administra- tive and judicial above described, — and still more the senate of Areopagus, which sat for life, — still belonging almost entirely to the wealthier class, remained animated more or less with the same oligarchical interest and sympathies, which manifested themselves in the abuse of authoi'ity. At the same time the democratical sentiment among the mass of Athenians went on steadily increasing from the time of Aristeides to that of Peri- kl§s : Athens became more and more maritime, the population of Peirgeus augmented in number as well as in importance, and the spirit even of the poorest citizen was stimulated by that collec- tive aggrandizement of his city to which he himself individually contributed. Before twenty years had elapsed, reckoning from the battle of Plataea, this new fervor of democratical sentiment made itself felt in the politicrl contests of Athens, and found able champions in Perikles and Ephialtes, rivals of what may be called the conservative party, headed by Kimon. We have no positive information that it was Perikles who in- troduced the lot, in place of election, for the choice of archons and various other magistrates, but the change must have been introduced nearly at this time, and with a view of equalizing the chances of office to every candidate, poor as well as rich, who chose to give in his name, and who fulfilled certain personal and family conditions ascertained in the dokimasy, or preliminary examination. But it was certainly to Perikles and Ephialtes that Athens owed the elaborate constitution of her popular di- kasteries, or jury courts regularly paid, which exercised so im- portant an influence upon the character of the citizens. These two eminent men deprived both the magistrates and the senate of Areopagus of all the judicial and penal competence which they had hitherto possessed, save and except the power of im- posing a small fine. This judicial power, civil as well as crimi- nal, was transferred to numerous dikasts, or panels of jurors selected from the citizens ; six thousand of whom were annually drawn by lot and sworn, and then distributed into ten panels of five hundred each, the remainder forming a supplement in case of