94 ARIST OPHANES.

Bdel. “Very well, dear papa; and don’t look so
stern. Just begin: by reckoning — not exactly, of
course, but roughly and in ‘round: numbers — the
revenue that comes’ in from the subject states. “Add
to this the taxes, and the’ percentages, and the fees,
and the fines, and the silver from the mines, and the
market and harbour dues, and the ‘sales. You will
find the total not far off two thousand talents.) And
now put down the jurymen’s pay, reckoning how
much the six thousand get in a year. Why, it will
not ‘come to much more than a hundred and fifty
talents! And what is that among all the six
thousand ?” ie oa

Phil. “Then our pay is not a tenth part of the
whole revenue?”

Bdel. “ Certainly not.” aa,

Phil. “ Pray tell me, then, where the rest of the
money goes to.” ,

Bdel. “ Why, it goes to the gentlemen who ‘will
never betray the rabble of Athens,’ who ‘ will always

1 The talent valued by weight was worth £ 210 185. g@. (It should
be observed, however, that this amount is arrived at by taking the
price of silver at its coinage value, ze. 5s. per ounce. “Its market
value is much less.) The total would be £ 421,875. What -the pur-
chasing power of this was it is impossible to say; but from the prices
quoted for various articles, “it may be supposed-to be. many: times
greater than the nominal equivalent in modern money. This would
give £5 0s. apiece, possibly equivalent to £ s0,—-a pittance quite
worth struggling: for, but not enough to raise :the recipient above
poverty. It must be supposed that all the courts-(there were ten of.

them) did not: sit évery day: 2-0 sees SUN Eig Becta