Grammăteus
（
γραμματεύς). The Greek word for a writer, secretary, or
clerk. At Athens the officials had numerous clerks attached to them, who were paid by the
State and belonged to the poorer class of citizens. But there were several higher officials
who bore the title of grammateus. The Boulé, or Senate, for instance, chose one of
its members by show of hands to be its clerk or secretary for one year. His duty was to keep
the archives of the Senate. So, too, a secretary was chosen by lot from the whole number of
senators for each prytany to draft all resolutions of the Senate. (See
Prytanis.) His name is therefore generally given in the
decrees next to that of the president and the proposer of the decree. The name of the
grammateus of the first prytany was also given with that of the archon, as a means of marking
the year with more accuracy. At the meetings of the Ecclesia, a clerk, elected by the people,
had to read out the necessary documents. The office of the
ἀντιγραφεῖς, or checking clerks, was of still greater importance. The
ἀντιγραφεύς of the Senate, elected at first by show of hands, but
afterwards by lot, had to take account of all business affecting the financial administration.
The
ἀντιγραφεύς of the administration had to make out, and
lay before the public, a general statement of income and expenditure, and exercised a certain
amount of control over all financial officials. In the Aetolian and Achaean leagues the
grammateus was the highest officer of the league after the
strategi and
hipparchi.
