APATESEOS TOU DEMOU
APATESEOS TOU DEMOU GRAPHÉ (
ἀπατήσεως τοῦ δήμου γραφή), a public prosecution at
Athens against any one who had misled the people by false statements of
fact, quoting imaginary laws, &c. The senate and the law-courts, as
well as the sovereign Demos, were included in its operation (Dem.
c.
Aristocr. p. 653.97). It would seem that it might also be
directed against generals who, like Miltiades at Paros, failed in an
expedition which they had themselves suggested (
ἐάν
τις τὸν δῆμον ὑποσχόμενος ἐξαπατήσῃ, Dem.
c.
Timoth. p. 1204.67). With the usual elasticity of Athenian
procedure, it might be made to include anything, from procuring a capital
conviction, as of the six generals after Arginusae (
Xen. Hell. 1.7.35), to inserting a false
name on the register (Dem.
c. Boeot. do Nom. p. 998.12). It
belonged to the jurisdiction of the Thesmothetae, and the penalty was death
(Dem.
c. Lept. p. 487.100; p. 498.135). The usual mode of
proceeding was by Probolé (Xen.
l.c.) or
Eisangelia (Dem.
c. Timoth. l.c.).
[
W.W]
