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The Council also inspects the Knights' chargers, and if anybody having a good horse keeps it in bad condition, it fines him the cost of the feed, and horses that cannot keep up with the squadron or will not stay in line but jib it brands on the jaw with the sign of a wheel, and a horse so treated has failed to pass the inspection. It also inspects the mounted skirmishers, to see which it considers fit for skirmishing duty, and any that it votes to reject are thereby deposed from that rank. It also inspects the foot-soldiers that fight in the ranks of the cavalry, and anyone it votes against is thereby stopped from drawing his pay. [2] The Knights' roll is made by the ten Roll-keepers elected by the People; and they pass on the names of all whom they enroll to the Cavalry Commanders and Tribe Commanders, and these take over the roll and bring it into the Council, and opening the tablet on which the names of the Knights have been inscribed, they delete those among the persons previously entered who claim on oath exemption from cavalry service on the ground of bodily incapacity, and summon those enrolled, and grant discharge to anyone who claims exemption on oath on the ground of bodily incapacity for cavalry service or lack of means, and as to those who do not claim exemption the Councillors decide by vote whether they are fit for cavalry service or not; and if they vote for them as fit they enter them on the tablet, but if not, these also they dismiss. [3]

At one time the Council used also to judge the patterns for the Robe,1 but now this is done by the jury-court selected by lot, because the Council was thought to show favoritism in its decision. And the Council has joint supervision with the Steward of the Army Funds over the construction of the Victories and over the prizes for the Panathenaic Games. [4]

The Council also inspects the Incapables; for there is a law enacting that persons possessing less than 3 minae2 and incapacitated by bodily infirmity from doing any work are to be inspected by the Council, which is to give them a grant for food at the public expense at the rate of 2 obols3 a day each. And there is a Treasurer for these persons, elected by lot.

The Council also shares in the administration of virtually the greatest number of the duties of the other offices.

1 Woven for Athena at every Panathenaic Festival and carried in the procession.

2 SeeAristot. Ath. Pol. 4.4 n.

3 Say threepence.

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  • Cross-references in notes from this page (1):
    • Aristotle, Constitution of the Athenians, 4.4
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