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398 398 On the Birth-Year of Demosthenes. (prjGiv oTi y^YjCpo) o eyy pa(p6ixevoL coKijuai^ovTai ol vevorepoi^ ei JULY} eTwv i€ elei^. This is probably the same occasion on which the sacrifice called Kovpiov was offered for the boys, and that called ya/urjXia for the girls : of which Pollux says (viii. 107.) : Kal €19 rfKiKLav TrpoeXOovroop ev ttj KoXov/uei^rj HovpecoTioL rj/uepcc virep fxev twv appevwv to Kovpiov eOvov^ vTrep c€ Twv OrjXeicov ttjv yafxrjXiav. The age now attained seems to have been called fjfirj^ and lasted two years, at the end of which the youth was said eTriSiere^ rjfirjcrai ; he then underwent a second examination, but in a different assembly, that of his ^fj/uo^^ which gave him admission to his estate, after which he entered upon a second period, that of ephebia. This also lasted two years ; and at its close he was entitled to take part in the popular assembly, and was liable to mi- litary service abroad. At one of these epochs it is certain that his name and age were recorded in a register, called the ri^Lap')(LKov ypafximaTeiov : but it is not agreed when this was done. The testimonies of the grammarians on this subject are conflicting : some state the time of registration to have been the beginning, others the termination of the ephebia. But there are two passages of the orators them- selves, which at first sight appear decisive in favour of the former date. ^schines (Timarch. p. 14. S6) says: eireL^f] eveypacprj T^i^apyo^ eh to Xrj^iapyjLKOv ypafxinaTeiov Kal Kvpio9 eyeveTo Tvj^ ovaia^ : and Lycurgus seems to speak still more distinctly to the same effect, when he reminds his hearers (Leocrat. p. 157.) : vfui^ yap eaTiv opKo^y ou ofxvvovai iravTe^ 01 TroXiTat^ eTreicdu eh to Xrj^LapyjLKOv ypajULfxaTeiov eyypa(p(0(7L Kal e(pfj(ioi yevcovTai. The oath here alluded to is that which was taken in the temple of Agraulus, accord- ing to one grammarian (Ulpian ad Demosth. Fals. Leg. p. 264 ed. Par.) at the beginning of the ephebia, according to an- other (Pollux VIII. 105.) at its close. All these passages are cited by Mr Clinton. It is manifest that if the expressions of the two orators are not sufficient to determine the time of this registration, nothing can be proved about it from the grammarians who use similar language; for they might have founded their statements on these very passages of the ora- tors. It therefore adds little weight to this side of the question to produce testimony such as that of the Scholiast