Iv.

THE WASPS.

Frequent reference is made in the plays of Aristophanes to the judi-
cial system of Athens. The body of judges or jurymen—the second term
is, on the whole, more descriptive of them than the first — consisted
of six thousand citizens, chosen by lot out of the whole number.
These six thousand were divided into ten bodies of five hundred each,
who sat in different courts, dealing with different kinds of cases. The
thousand that remained over were called upon to supply vacancies.
Sometimes part only of a section would sit; sometimes two or more
sections were combined. On very important occasions, it is said, the
whole body was assembled. Each juryman received three odo, or
half a drachma, as a fee for his attendance; this sum having been
increased, according to some authorities, by Cleon, The poet in this
drama directs his satire against the characteristic faults of the courts
thus constituted, faults which may be summed up in the phrase, “ want
of a judicial temper.” ;

The Wasps was exhibited in the early part of 422 B.c., when
Cleon was at the height of his power. A few months later he was
killed. (See introduction to the Peace.)

THERE was an old gentleman at Athens who was
afflicted with a very strange disease. It was a pas-
sion, not for the things that some of his contempo-
raries were devoted to, as drinking or gaming, but
for the law courts. He was never happy except
he was serving on a jury and trying acase. Such a
hold had this passion got upon him that he could
not sleep at night for thinking of his favourite em-

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