EPI´SCOPI
EPI´SCOPI (
ἐπίσκοποι),
inspectors or commissioners, who were sometimes sent by the Athenians to
interfere in the affairs of subject states. Harpocration compares them to
the Lacedaemonian harmosts, and says that they were also called
φύλακες: but the harmosts were military
commandants, and there can be little doubt that this grammarian has confused
ἐπίσκοποι with
φρούραρχοι, the commanders of Athenian garrisons. Both a
φρούραρχος and
ἐπίσκοποι are mentioned as sent to Erythrae, with full
details of their powers of interference (
C. I. A. 1.9, 10).
The episcopi exercised civil authority, and perhaps judged on the spot small
causes where Athenians were concerned (as, e. g. in places to which cleruchi
had been sent), not of sufficient importance to be referred to the Athenian
tribunals: the episcopus in Aristophanes carries two ballot-boxes (
κάδω,
vv. 1032, 1053). From the same source we learn that
these episcopi received a salary at the cost of the state to which they were
sent, and, what is more strange, that they were appointed by lot. Any
Athenian, it seems, was good enough for such a post. (
Aristoph. Birds 1022 ft., with Schol.;
Harpocrat., Suid., s.v. Bekk.
Anecd. 254, 15; Boeckh,
P. E. pp. 156, 238 =
Sthh.3 1.190, 304; Schömann,
Antiq. Jur. Publ. p.
432, 18, and
Antiq. 1.436, E. T.; Gilbert,
Staatsalterth. 1.400 f., 427.)
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