Ephŏri
（
ἔφοροι, “overseers”). A board of five
members at Sparta, elected annually from all the citizens. It is said to have been established
by Lycurgus or King Theopompus (B.C. 770). The original intention was that it should give
decisions in private matters, and represent the absent kings in certain of their duties,
especially in the superintendence of the officials and of public discipline. But their
circle of authority gradually widened, till it came to mean a superintendence over the whole
commonwealth, including the kings. The ephors had the right of raising objections against
their actions, calling them, like other officials, to account for their conduct, punishing
them with fines and reprimands, and even prosecuting them before the Senate, and threatening
them with deposition and death. They were the only citizens who were not obliged to rise in
the kings' presence, a fact which gives a good idea of the relative position of the two
parties. Besides the duty of opposing everything which they thought adverse to the laws and
interests of Sparta, they had from early times the right of summoning the deliberative and
legislative assemblies, the
Γερουσία and
Ἐκκλησία, to make proposals to them, and take the lead in
proceedings left to their management. Two of them regularly accompanied the kings on their
campaigns. It is probable also that they had the superintendence of the public treasure. In
their capacity of protectors of the public discipline their authority extended itself to the
minutest details of private life. In regard to the Helots and Perioeci it was still more
absolute. Even on a
perioecus they could pass sentence of death without
trial. (See
Perioeci.) On important occasions a
majority of their votes was required. At the end of their annual office, on which they entered
at the beginning of the Spartan year or at the time of the autumnal equinox, they were liable
to be called to account by their successors. The year was dated by the name of the first ephor
on the board.
