Title
Court reform, klērōtēria, and comic testimony
Abstract
In fourth-century Athens jurors were assigned to ten sections in the tribe (A-K), then selected for duty (or excluded from it) in a multi-stage lottery. Scholars have assumed that jurors were assigned to their sections randomly, by lottery among the whole tribe. This paper argues that the letter-sections originally represented a framework for regional balance. The procedure described in Ath. Pol. and illustrated by surviving artifacts evolved from later developments, but early adaptations are reflected in scenes from comedy, and these together with other testimonies suggest that the letters were initially assigned by deme or trittys, to assure equal opportunities for jury service.
Department(s)
Modern and Classical Languages
Document Type
Article
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5184/classicalj.111.4.0385
Publication Date
4-1-2016
Recommended Citation
Carawan, Edwin. "Court reform, klērōtēria, and comic testimony." The Classical Journal 111, no. 4 (2016): 385-416.
Journal Title
Classical Journal
