Page:History of Greece Vol X.djvu/135

 CENSUS OF NAUSINTKUS. 113 tame together from a spontaneous impulse of heaity mutuality and cooperation. A few years afterwards, we shall find this changed ; Athens selfish, and the confederates reluctant. 1 Inflamed as well by their position of renovated headship, as by fresh ani mosity against Sparta, the Athenians made important efforts of their own, both financial and military. Equipping a fleet, which for the time was superior in the -ZEgean, they ravaged the hostile territory of Histiaea in Euboea, and annexed to their confederacy the islands of Peparethus and Skiathus. They imposed upon themselves also a direct property-tax ; to what amount, however, we do not know. It was on the occasion of this tax that they introduced a great change in the financial arrangements and constitution of the city ; a change conferring note upon the archonship of Nausinikus, (B. c. 378-377). The great body of substantial Athenian citizens as well as metics were now classified anew for purposes of taxation. It will be remembered that even from the time of Solon 2 the citi- zens of Athens had been distributed into four classes, Pentako- siomedimni, Hippeis, Zeugitse, Thetes, distinguished from each other by the amount of their respective properties. Of these So- Ionian classes, the fourth, or poorest, paid no direct taxes ; while the three former were taxed according to assessments representing a certain proportion of their actual property. The taxable property of the richest (or Pentakosiomedimni, including all at or above the minimum income of five hundred medimni of corn per annum) was entered in the tax-book at a sum equal to twelve times their income ; that of the Hippeis (comprising all who pos- sessed between three hundred and five hundred medimni of annual income) at ten times their income ; that of the Zeugitaa (or pos- sessors of an annual income between two hundred and three 1 Xen. De Vectigal. v, 6. OVKOW nal TOT', kirel TOV aduceiv aTre irdl.LV inrb TUV vrjaiuTibv &KOVTUV TrpoaruTat TOV VOVTLKOV In the early years of this confederacy, votive offerings of wreaths or crowns, in token of gratitude to Athens, were decreed by the Eubceans, as well as by the general body of allies. These crowns were still to be seen thirty years afterwards at Athens, with commemorative inscriptions (De- mosthen. cont. Androtion. c. 21, p. 616 ; cont. Timokrat. c. 41, p. 756). 2 For the description of the Solonian census, see Vol. Ill, Ch. xi, p. 117. of this History. TOI,. X. ' 80C.