This was termed sisävdes sygasodas, to be registred amongst the Men 3 the Persons thus enrolled, being henceforward their own Mafters, and free from the Government of their Guardians. After Cecrops had fettled a Form of Government amongst the Athenians, for the better Administration of Justice, and the Prevention of Deceit, and over-reaching one another in Commerce, he divided 'em into four Quad, or Tribes; each Tribe he fubdivided into three Parts, call'd Τριτούς, Εθνος, or Φραρία; and each of thefe into thirty Γένη, or Families, which because they confifted of thirty Men were call'd Teunades; and they that were Members of thefe, were call'd Opo fahanta, and T, not from any Relation to one another, but only because they liv'd in the fame Borough, and were educated together, and joyn'd in one Body or Society; the fame Perfons were call'd Ops, because they participated of the fame Sacrifices, and worshipped the fame Gods together, from Opy, which, though it properly fignifies only the Mysteries of Bacchus, yet is often taken for the Ceremonies us'd in the Worfhip of any other Deity P. The Names of the Tribes were thefe, 1. Kexgenis, from Cecrops, for it was usual with the Ancients, out of an earnest Defire of continuing their Memories to Pofterity, to call the Cities, or Countries, or any Monuments that feem'd likely to remain to fucceeding Ages, by their own Names. 2. Autoxlar, from a King of that Name, reported by fome to have reign'd in fome Part of Attica before Cecrops; or rather from ' the Name of Aurótoves, in which the Athenians glory'd not a little. 3. Axraa, from Acteus, or Acteon, another of the Kings before Cecrops or from aer, which fignifies a Shore, because a great Part of Attica, and that in particular, where this Tribe inhabited, lay towards the Sea: And this was the Reafon why the whole Country was fometimes call'd Acte. And the fame Caufe is given for the Name of the fourth Tribe, which they call'd Пagaxía, from its Nearness to the Sea. In the Reign of Cranaus, new Names were impos'd upon them, and they were call'd, 1. Kpavals, from the King's Name. 2. Artis, from a young Lady, the Daughter of Cranaus. 3. Meσofάia 4. Accexpis. And both thefe, I fuppofe, were nam'd from their Situation; the latter being feated upon a Craggy Shore, and the former in the Inland Part of the Country. Erichthonius being advanc'd to the Kingdom, call'd them after the Names of Jupiter, Minerva, Neptune, and Vulcan, t. Alás. 2. Aloías. 3. Ποσειδωνιάς. 4. Ηφαισιάς 4. Afterwards, under Erechtheus, they receiv'd new Names from the Sons of Ion, a Man of great Repute amongst the Athenians, and General of their Armies, as Herodotus reports. The Names were, I. Γελέοντες. 2. Oz. 3. Aisinggers. 4. Apfades. And of thefe Names Euripides is to be understood, when he introduces Minerva speaking thus of Ion Λαβᾶσα τόνδε παῖδα, Κεκροπίαν χθόνου Χώρει, Κρίσσα, κ εις θρόνος τυραννικές Ιδρυσιν ἐκ το Ερεχθέως γεγώς, Here, Nurfe Creüfa, fince this Child by Birth And bear her fev'ral Names deriv'd from them. J. A. And Herodotus, and Pollux, are of the fame Opinion, tho' they are herein contradicted by others, as we find in Plutarch, who hath`likewife made fome Alteration in the Names; his Words are these, "Some "affirm that the Tribes did not take their Names from the Sons of Ion, "but from the different Sorts of Occupations, which they follow'd; "the Soldiers were call'd Oza; the Crafts-men, Epya; and of the "remaining three, the Farmers, Tsapya; the Shepherds and Grafiers, Αιγικέραι. u Afterwards, when the Number of Inhabitants was encreas'd, Calisthenes having firft advis'd with Apollo's Oracle, as it was ufual to do in every Concern of Moment, alter'd the Number of the Tribes, encreafing them from four to ten, and gave them new Names, taken from certain ancient Heroes, all born in Attica, except Ajax, the Son of Telamon, to whom he gave a Place amongst the reft, as being a Neighbour, Friend, and Companion in the Wars w ; for as Homer reports, Ajax's Forces were joyn'd to thofe of Meneftheus, the Athenian General, Αἴας δ' ἐκ Σαλαμῖνος άγεν δυοκαίδεκα νέας, Twelve Ships from Salamis ftout Ajax brought, Mr. Creech. And Plutarch reports, that when the Athenians and Megarenfians, both made Pretenfions to Salamis, and chofe the Spartans to decide the Controverfy, thefe Lines of Homer being produc'd by Solon, did the Athenians a confiderable Kindness, ferving very much to ftrengthen Herodot. & Polla loc. citatis. their Title to that Ifland. To return, these Heroes, from the Names they gave to the Tribes, were call'd ivo, and honour'd with Sta tues erected near the Senate House. Their Names, as recorded by Pau fanias, are thefe, Erechtheus, Cecrops, Egeus, Pandion, Acamas, Antiechus, Leo, Oeneus, Hippothoon, Ajax. And the Names of the Tribes are thefe, Ερεχθής, Κεκροπίς, Αἰγης Πανδιονίς, Ακαμαντίς, Αντιοχές, Λεοντίς; Οι νης, Ιπποθοωντίς, Αἰαντίς. Afterwards, when Antigonus and Demetrius freed the Athenians from the Macedonian Slavery, they augmented their Tribes, adding two to their former Number, which in Honour of their Deliverers, they call'd from their Names, Αντιγονίς, and Δημητριάς *. But the Gratitude of the Athenians being no longer liv'd, than the good Fortune and Succeffes of thofe two Princes, the Tribes foon chang'd their firft Names, for those of Ατταλὶς and Πτολεμαΐς the former of which was deriv'd from Attalus, King of Pergamus; the latter from Ptolemey, King of Egypt, from both of which the Athenians had receiv'd fignal Favours Y. This was the constant Number of the Athenian Tribes, which lafted as long as the City maintain'd its Liberty and Form of Government. Each of these was at the firft divided into feveral Parts, which have :been already mention'd. And the better to maintain a mutual Correfpondence, and for the Promotion of good Fellowship, and Kindnefs amongst them, they had publick Feafts, firft inftituted by Solon, where they all met together, and made merry 2. These Meetings were nam'd from the Persons affembl'd at them; if the whole Tribe came together, then they call'd it devov Queixóv; if only one Oparea, then it Was δεῖπνον φρατρικόν, or of a δήμιος, it was δεῖπνον δημοτικόν. Thefe Ano were little Boroughs in Attica, feveral of which be :long'd to every Tribe, and though they were reckon'd together in the Bufinefs of the Common-wealth, yet had feparate Habitations, diftinct Rites and Ceremonies in the Performance of Holy Worship; nay, and different Gods too, for each of them ador'd peculiar Deities, and yet all unanimously agreed in worshipping Minerva, who was the Tutelar Goddefs of the whole Country, whereas the other Deities had only certain : Parts affign'd them, and in those they were inferior to Minerva, the fupreme Governess. And this Difference in Religion was very ancient, being of no lefs Duration than the Commonwealth it felf; for when Thefeus had prevail'd upon them to leave their Country Seats, and unite themselves in one City, they thought it would be impious and unpardonable to defert the Gods of their Ancestors, and therefore judg'd it ' agreeable to the Respect due from them to their Tutelar Deities, to pay them the fame Honours, and frequent the fame Places of Worship they had formerly done". The greatest Ufe of thefe Anot, was in their Forms of Law and Contracts, whereby fufficient Provifion was made against all Fraud, Des ceit, and Mistakes. Hence we read of fuch punctual Claufes in their Writs, as thefe, N. the Son of N. of the Tribe of Eantus, of the Borough of Rhamnus, &c. The Number of them was an hundred feventy four, fome of which having the fame Names, were diftinguish'd by their Situation, being call'd καθύπερθεν and ὑπένερθεν, Upper and Lower. All of them were divided into Greater and Lefs; the μικροί, or Lefs, were there ^, Alimufans, Zofter, Profpaltians, Anagyrafians, Cephale, Prafeis, Lampreis, Phyleis, Myrrhinufians, Athmonians, Acharna, Marathon, Brauron, Rbanus. The reft were Greater, and may not unfitly be thus divided according to their Tribes. |