I.the presidents' hall, town-hall, Lat. curia, Hdt., Thuc., etc.; consecrated to Hestia or Vesta, to whom a perpetual fire was kept burning in it, which in Colonies was brought from the Prytaneion of the mother-city: at Athens the Prytanes had their meals there, and there they entertained foreign ambassadors, Ar., Dem.: citizens also of high merit, and the children of those who had fallen in battle, were rewarded by a seat at this public table, ἐν πρυτανείῳ δειπνεῖν, σιτεῖσθαι Ar., Plat.
II.a law-court at Athens, Dem., Plut.
2.πρυτανεῖα, τά, a sum of money deposited by each party to a lawsuit before the suit began, Ar., etc.; τιθέναι πρυτανεῖά τινι, i. e. bring an action against, id=Ar.; ἵν᾽ αἱ θέσεις γίγνοιντο τῇ νουμηνίᾳ (sc. τῶν πρυτανείων) id=Ar.; δέχεσθαι τὰ πρ. to receive this deposit, i. e. to allow the action to be brought, id=Ar.
