EISAGO´GEIS
EISAGO´GEIS (
εἰσαγωγεῖς), as an Attic law-term, denotes two classes of
persons. 1. In a wider sense the name was given to the ordinary magistrates
when application was made to them for the purpose of bringing a cause
(
εἰσάγειν) into the proper court [DIAETETAE; DIKÉ]. The cause itself was
tried according to its nature before arbitrators or dicasts respectively;
but all the preliminary proceedings, such as receiving the accusation,
getting up the case (
instruction in the French
sense), bringing into court the
ἐχῖνος
with the evidence taken at the
ἀνάκρισις
and presiding at the actual trial, all included in the so-called
ἡγεμονία δικαστηρίου, were conducted by the
magistrate regularly assigned to that class of cases. Various public
officers, the strategi, the logistae, &c., had the
ἡγεμονία δικαστηρίου in cases specially
relating to their own department: in general it belonged to one or another
of the archons, or in some cases to the Eleven [HENDEKA, HOI]. Of all these magistrates the thesmothetae seem to
have had the widest jurisdiction; yet there were cases which they could not
take up (
περὶ ὧν οὐκ εἰσὶν
εἰσαγωγεῖς), and a charge brought in the wrong court might be
met by an
ἀντίληξις or
παραγραφή (Dem.
c. Pantaen. p.
976, § § 33, 34;
Att. Process, p. 30 = 45
Lips.). 2.
Οἱ εἰσαγωγεῖς was also the
name of particular magistrates, probably ten in number, chosen by lot to try
(
εἰσάγειν, see above) some sorts of
ἔμμηνοι δίκαι: the
δίκαι προικός, ἐρανικαὶ and
ἐμπορικαὶ are specially mentioned (Pollux, 8.93
and 101). In the words
οὗτοι δὲ τὰς δίκας
εἰσήγαγον τρὸς τοὺς διαιτητάς (100.93) they are confused
with the
εἰσαγωγεῖς in the more general
sense; as also in a gloss of Hesychius:
εἰσαγωγή:
ἀρχὴ Ἀθήνησιν τῶν τὰ ἐγκλήματα εἰσαγόντων. While no
better evidence than this was forthcoming, it was possible, with Meier in
the first edition of
Att. Process, to doubt the existence of
these special
εἰσαγωγεῖς (not noticed in
L. and S., ed. 7); but it is now proved by inscriptions (
C. I.
A. 1.37, 38). The former of these inscriptions is a decree of the
senate, by which the
εἰσαγωγεῖς are
entrusted with the conduct of actions to enforce the payment of the tribute
by the allies (B.C. 425-4, Stratocles archon): in the latter,
ἐπιμεληταὶ are associated with them for the
same purpose. [EMMENOI DIKAT.] The name
εἰσαγωγεῖς must have been somewhat widely
diffused, as it appears at Ephesus in Roman times; see an inscription of the
year 83 B.C., published by Wood,
Discoveris
at Ephesus, 1877, App. 8.1. (Gilbert,
Staatsalterth. 1.358; Lipsius,
Att.
Process,2 p. 94; Thalheim,
Rechtsalterth. pp. 97, 137.) [
W.S] [
W.W]
(Appendix). These magistrates were five in number,
δυοῖν φυλαῖν ἕκαστος (100.52), instead of the more usual
ten.