n, and, as a prize, was to obtain
power to regulate the morals of the state, as he was intrusted with
powers of life and death, and disfranchisement, and with all the highest
penalties.

The elections took place as follows: The citizens were all assembled,
and certain men were placed in a building close by, where they could
neither see nor be seen, but merely hear the shouts of the general
assembly. They decided these, as indeed they did other contests, by
shouts of approval, not of all at once, but lots were cast, and each
candidate in the order denoted by his lot came forward and silently
walked through the assembly. The men locked up in the building had
writing materials, and noted down who was cheered most loudly, not
knowing who each man was, beyond that he was first, second, third, and
so on, of the candidates. They then told the number of the man for whom
there had been most voices, and he crowned himself with a garland and
offered sacrifice to the gods, followed by many of the young men, who
congratulated him, and by many women, who sang songs praising his
virtues and his felicity. As he went from one temple to another, each of
his relatives used to offer him food, saying, "The state honours you
with this banquet." But he would pass by them all, and go to his usual
mess-table. Here nothing uncommon took place, except that he was given a
second ration, which he took away with him; and after dinner, the women
of his own family being at the doors of the mess-room, he would call for
the one whom he wished to honour, and give her his portion, saying that
he had received it as a prize, and gave it to her as such. This caused
her to be greatly envied by the other women.

XXVI.--Moreover, he made excellent regulations about funerals. In the
first place, he abolished all silly superstition, and raised no
objections to burial in the city, and to placing tombs near the temples,
in order to accustom the young to such sights from their infancy, so
that they might not feel any horror of death, or have any notion about
being defiled by touching a dead body, or walking among tombs. Next, he
permitted nothing to be buried with the dead, but they placed the body
in the grave, wrapped in a purple cloth and covered with olive-leaves.
It was not permitted to inscribe the name of the deceased upon his tomb,
except in the case of men who had fallen in war, or of women who had
been priestesses. A short time was fixed for mourning, ele