The Athenian Constitution   

use fair weights and measures.
Formerly there were ten Corn Commissioners (Sitophylaces), elected
by lot, five for Piraeus, and five for the city; but now there are
twenty for the city and fifteen for Piraeus. Their duties are,
first, to see that the unprepared corn in the market is offered for
sale at reasonable prices, and secondly, to see that the millers
sell barley meal at a price proportionate to that of barley, and
that the bakers sell their loaves at a price proportionate to that
of wheat, and of such weight as the Commissioners may
appoint; for the
law requires them to fix the standard weight.
There are ten Superintendents of the Mart, elected by lot, whose
duty is to superintend the Mart, and to compel merchants to bring up
into the city two-thirds of the corn which is brought by sea to the
Corn Mart.

Part 52

The Eleven also are appointed by lot to take care of the prisoners
in the state gaol. Thieves, kidnappers, and pickpockets are
brought to
them, and if they plead guilty they are executed, but if
they deny the
charge the Eleven bring the case before the law-courts; if the
prisoners are acquitted, they release them, but if not, they then
execute them. They also bring up before the law-courts the list of
farms and houses claimed as state-property; and if it is decided
that they are so, they deliver them to the Commissioners for Public
Contracts. The Eleven also bring up informations laid against
magistrates alleged to be disqualified; this function comes within
their province, but some such cases are brought up by the
Thesmothetae.
There are also five Introducers of Cases (Eisagogeis), elected by
lot, one for each pair of tribes, who bring up the 'monthly' cases
to the law-courts. 'Monthly' cases are these: refusal to pay up a
dowry where a party is bound to do so, refusal to pay interest on
money borrowed at 12 per cent., or where a man desirous of setting
up business in the market has borrowed from another man capital to
start with; also cases of slander, cases arising out of
friendly loans
or partnerships, and cases concerned with slaves, cattle, and the
office of trierarch, or with banks. These are brought up as
'monthly' cases and are introduced by these officers; but the
Receivers-General perform the same function in cases for or against
the farmers of taxes. Those in which the sum concerned is not more
than ten drachmas they can decide summarily, but all above
that amount
they bring into the law-courts as 'monthly' cases.

Part 53

The Forty are also elected by lot, four from each tribe,
before whom
suitors bring all other cases. Formerly they were thirty in number,
and they went on circuit through the demes to hear causes; but after
the oligarchy of the Thirty they were increased to forty. They have
full powers to decide cases in which the amount at issue does not
exceed ten drachmas, but anything beyond that value they hand over
to the Arbitrators. The Arbitrators take up the case, and, if they
cannot bring the parties to an agreement, they give a decision. If
their decision satisfies both parties, and they abide by it, the
case is at an end; but if either of the parties appeals to the
law-courts, the Arbitrators enclose the evidence, the pleadings, and
the laws quoted in the case in two urns, those of the