he system of payment had probably been
introduced a few years before (but see ECCLESIA and refs.). A juror or
_dicast_ would receive the same sum for attendance, and the courts or
juries often consisted of 500 persons. If the estimate (Bockh, _Public
Economy of Athens_, Eng. trans. pp. 109, 117) holds good that in the
age of Demosthenes (384-323 B.C.) the member of a poor family of four
free persons could live (including rent) on about 3.3d. or between 2
and 3 obols a day, the pay of the citizen attending the assembly or
the court would at least cover the expenses of subsistence. On the
other hand, it would be less than the pay of a day labourer, which was
probably about 4 obols or 6d. a day. In any case many citizens--they
numbered in all about 20,000--in return for their participation in
political duties would receive considerable pecuniary assistance.
Attending a great public festival also, the citizen would receive 2
obols or 3d. a day during the festival days; and there were besides
frequent public sacrifices, with the meal or feast which accompanied
them. But besides this there were confiscations of private property,
which produced a surplus revenue divisible among the poorer citizens.
(Some hold that there were confiscations in other Greek states, but
not in Athens.) In these circumstances it is not to be wondered that
men like Isocrates should regret that the influence of the Areopagus,
the old court of morals and justice in Athens, had disappeared, for it
"maintained a sort of censorial police over the lives and habits of
the citizens; and it professed to enforce a tutelary and paternal
discipline, beyond that which the strict letter of the law could mark
out, over the indolent, the prodigal, the undutiful, and the deserters
of old rite and custom."

(6) In addition to public emoluments and relief there was much private
liberality and charity. Many expensive public services were undertaken
honorarily by the citizens under a kind of civic compulsion. Thus in a
trial about 425 B.C. (Lysias, _Or._ 19. 57) a citizen submitted
evidence that his father expended more than L2000 during his life in
paying the expenses of choruses at festivals, fitting out seven
triremes for the navy, and meeting levies of income tax to meet
emergencies. Besides this he had helped poor citizens by portioning
their daughters and sisters, had ransomed some, and paid the f