Cecrops, the fecond of that Name, and the feventh King of Athens, divided his Dominions into twelve Cities, or large Boroughs, compelling his Subjects to leave their separate Habitations, and unite together for the replenishing of them. Their Names were thefe, as they are deliver'd by Strabo in his Defcription of Attica: Cecropia, Tetrapolis, Exacria, Decelea, Eleufis, Aphidna, Thoriccus, Brauron, Cytheris, Sphettus, Cephilia, and Phalerus. But Cecropia ftill continu'd the chief Seat of the Empire, though each of these Cities (they are the Words of Sir George Wheeler, who refers this Divifion to Cecrops the First, led thereunto by the Authority of Eufebius, and fome others) had diftin&t Courts of Judicature, and Magiftrates of their own; and were fo little fubject to their Princes, the Succeffors of Cecrops, that they feldom or never had recourse to them, save only in Cafes of imminent and publick Danger; and did fo abfolutely order their own Concerns, that fometimes they wag'd War against each other without the Advice or Confent of their Kings.

In this State continued Attica till the Reign of Pandion, the fecond of that Name, and eighth King of the Athenians, who was depriv'd of his Kingdom by the Sons of his Uncle Metion; who themselves did not long poffefs what they had thus unjustly gotten, being driven out of it by the more powerful Arms of Pandion's four Sons, viz. Ageus, Lycus, Pallas and Nijus. These having expell'd the Metionida, divided the Kingdom amongst themfelves, as Apollodorus reports. But others are of Opinion, that Pandion himself being reftor'd to the quiet Poffeffion of his Kingdom by the joint Affiftance of them all, by his laft Will and Teftament divided it into four Parts, bequeathing to each of them his Proportion. And though it is not agreed amongst ancient Writers, which Part fell to every Man's Lot; yet thus much is confented to on all Hands, that the Sovereignty of Athens was affign'd to Ageus, for which he was extremely envy'd by his Brethren; and fo much the more, for that, as moft think, he was not the begotten, but only adopted Son of Pandion; and for this Reafon it was (faith Plutarch) that Egeus commanded Æthra, the Mother of Thefeus, to fend her Son, when arriv'd at Man's Eftate, from Trazen, the Place where he was born, to Athens with all Secrecy, and to enjoin him to conceal, as much as poffible, his Journey from all Men, because he fear'd extremely the Palantida, who did continually mutiny against him, and defpis'd him for his want of Children, they themselves being fifty Brothers, all the Sons of Pallas. However, as the fame Author tells us, they were withheld from breaking out into open Rebellion, by the Hopes and Expectation of recovering the Kingdom, at least after Egeus's Death, because he was without Iffue; but as foon as Thefeus appear'd, and was acknowledg'd rightful Succeffor to the Crown, highly resenting, that firft Egeus, Pandion's Son only by Adoption, and not at all related to the Family of Eritheus, and then Thefeus, one of another Country, and a perfect Stranger to their Nation, fhould obtain the Kingdom of their Ancestors, they broke out into

Etymolog

: Geograph, lib. IX.

open

open Acts of Hoftility; but were foon overcome and dispers'd by the Courage and Conduct of Thefeus.

Thefeus having deliver'd the Country from inteftine Seditions, proceeded in the next place to free it from foreign Slavery. The Athenians having barbaroufly murder'd Androgeus, the Son of Minos, King of Crete, were oblig'd by his Father to fend a novennial, or feptennial, or, as others, an annual Tribute of feven young Men, and as many Virgins into Crete, where they were fhut up within the Labyrinth, and there wander'd about, till finding no poffible means of making their Escape, they perish'd with Hunger, or elfe were devour'd by the Minotaur, a terrible Monster, compounded of the different Shapes of Man and Bull. The time of fending this Tribute being come, Thefeus put himself amongst the Youths that were doom'd to go to Crete, where having arriv'd, he receiv'd of Ariadne, the Daughter of King Minos, who had fallen in Love with him, a Clew of Thread, and being instructed by her in the Use of it, which was to conduct him through all the Windings of the Labyrinth, efcap'd out of it, having first flain the Minotaur, and fo return'd with his Fellow Captives in Triumph to Athens.

In his return, through an Excess of Joy for the happy Success of his Voyage, he forgot to hang out the white Sail, which should have been the Token of their Safety to Egeus, who fat expecting them upon the top of a Rock; and as foon as their Ship came in View with a black, and as it were, mourning Sail, knowing nothing of their Succefs, he threw himself headlong into the Sea, and fo made way to Thefeus's more early Succeffion to the Crown, than could otherwise have been expected. And to this time, from the Reign of Cecrops the First, the Government and State of Athens continu'd with little Alteration.

CHA P. III.

Of the State of Athens, from Thefeus to the Decennial

T

Archons.

HESEUS, being by the fore-mention'd Accident advanc'd to the Regal Scepter, foon found the Inconvenience of having his People difpers'd in Villages, and canton'd up and down the Country. "Therefore for the Remedy of this Evil, he fram'd in his Mind (faith "Plutarch) a vaft and wonderful Design of gathering together all the "Inhabitants of Attica into one Town, and making them one People "of one City, that were before difpers'd, and very difficult to be af"fembled upon any Affair, though relating to the common Benefit of "them all. Nay, often fuch Differences and Quarrels happen'd among "them, as occafion'd Blood-fhed and War; these he, by his Per"fuafions, appeas'd, and going from People to People, and from "Tribe to Tribe, propos'd his Defign of a common Agreement be"tween them. Thofe of a more private and mean Condition readily "embracing fo good Advice; to thofe of greater Pawer and Intereft,

" he

"he promis'd a Common-wealth, wherein Monarchy being laid afide, "the Power fhould be in the People; and that, referving to himself on"ly to be continued the Commander of their Arms, and the Preserver "of their Laws, there fhould be an equal Distribution of all things elfe among them, and by this means he brought most of them over to his Propofal. The reft fearing his Power, which was already grown very "formidable, and knowing his Courage and Refolution, chofe rather to "be perfuaded, than forc'd into a Compliance.

66

66

“He then diffolv'd all the diftinct Courts of Justice, and Council"Halls, and Corporations, and built one common Prytaneum, and "Council-Hall, where it ftands to this Day. And out of the old and new City he made one, which he nam'd Athens, ordaining a common "Feaft and Sacrifice to be for ever obferv'd, which he call'd Panathenaa, "or the Sacrifice of all the United Athenians. He inftituted also another "Sacrifice, for the fake of Strangers that would come to fix at Athens "call'd METOíxia, which is yet celebrated on the 16th Day of Hecatom"baon. Then, as he had promis'd, he laid down his Kingly Power, "and fettled a Common-wealth, having entered upon this great Change "not without Advice from the Gods. For fending to confult the Delphian Oracle, concerning the Fortune of his new Government and City, he receiv'd this Answer;

Αιγείδη Θησεῦ, Πιθηίδος ἔκγονε κούρης,

Πολλαῖς τοι πολίεσσι Πατὴρ ἐμὸς ἐ[κατέθηκε,
Τέρματα δὲ κλως ῆρας ἐν ὑμετέρῳ πολιέθρα.
̓Αλλὰ σὺ μήτε λίην πεπονημένο ἔνδοθι θυμόν
Βολεύειν, ἀσκὸς γὰρ ἐν οἴδματι ποιοπορεύση.

Hear, Thefeus, Pittheus Daughter's Son,
Hear what Jove for thee has done,
In the great City thou haft made,
He has, as in a Store-houfe, laid
The fettl'd Periods and fix'd Fates
Of many Cities, mighty States.
But know thou neither Fear nor Pain,

Solicite not thy felf in vain :

For like a Bladder that does bide

The Fury of the angry Tide,

1

(Mr-Duke)

"Which Oracle, they fay, one of the Sibyls a long time after, did in a manner repeat to the Athenians in this Verfe,

Ασκός βαπτίζῃ, δύναι δέ τοι οὐ θέμις ἐςι.

Thou, like a Bladder, may'st be wet, but never drown'd.

"Farther yet defigning to enlarge his City, he invited all Strangers "to come and enjoy equal Privileges with the Natives; and fome are of Opinion, that the common Form of Proclamation in Athens, Asữp' ¿'re návreg 216, Come hither all ye People, were the Words that Thefeus

"Thefeus caus'd to be proclaim'd, when he thus fet up a Common"wealth, confifting in a manner of all Nations.

"For all this, he fuffer'd not his State by the promiscuous Multitude "that flow'd in, to be turn'd into Confufion and Anarchy, and left "without any Order or Degrees, but was the firft that divided the * Common-wealth into three diftinct Ranks, Euzarpídas, Tewμuipos, Anpepo, i. e. Noblemen, Husbandmen, and Artificers. To the No"bility he committed the Choice of Magiftrates, the teaching and dif"penfing of the Laws, and the Interpretation of all holy and religious "Things; the whole City, as to all other Matters, being as it were re"duc'd to an Equality, the Nobles excelling the reft in Honour, the "Husbandmen in Profit, and the Artificers in Number. And Thefeus " was the first, who, as Ariftotle fays, out of an Inclination to popular "Government, parted with the Regal Power; which Homer alfo seems "to intimate in his Catalogue of the Ships, where he gives the Name of "Anμ, or People, to the Athenians only.

In this manner Thefeus fettl'd the Athenian Government, and it continu'd in the fame State till the Death of Codrus the feventeenth and laft King, a Prince more renown'd for his Bravery, than Fortune. For Attica being invaded by the Dorians, or Spartans, or Peloponnefians, or, as fome will have it, by the Thracians, the Oracle was confulted about it, and answer made, that the Invaders fhould have Success if they did not kill the Athenian King; whereupon Codrus preferring his Country's Safety before his own Life, difguis'd himself in the Habit of a Peafant, and went to a place not far from the Enemy's Camp, where picking a Quarrel with fome of them, he obtain'd the Death which he fo much defir'd. The Athenians being advertis'd of what had happen'd, sent an Herald to the Enemy to demand the Body of their King, who were fo much difheartened by this unexpected Accident, that they immediately broke up their Camp, and left off their Enterprize without ftriking another Blow.

The Athenians, out of Reverence to Codrus's Memory, would never more have any Governor by the Name or Title of King, but were govern'd by Archontes, whom they allow'd indeed to continue in their Dignity as long as they liv'd, and when they dy'd, to leave it to their Children; and therefore most Writers reckon them rather amongst the Kings than the Archontes that fucceeded them, who were permitted to rule only for a certain time; yet they differ'd from the Kings in this, that they were in a manner fubject to the People, being oblig'd to render an Account of their Management, when it fhould be demanded. The first of these was Medon, the eldest Son of Codrus, from whom the thirteen following Archontes were firnam'd Medontida, as being defcended from him. During their Government the Athenian State fuffer'd no confiderable Alteration, but was carried on with fo great Eafe and Quietnefs, that scarce any mention is made of any memorable Action done by any of them, and the very Names of fome of them are almost quite forgotten.

Tull. Tufcul. Quæft, Juftin. I. II. Vel. Patere. lib. II. Eufebius.

Thus

Thus I have endeavour'd to give you a fhort Account of the Athenian State, whilft it was govern'd by Kings, who were in all thirty, and rul'd Athens by the Space of feven hundred ninety four Years, as the learned Meurfus has computed them; to which if you add the two and thirty Years of Ogyges, and the Interval of an hundred and ninety Years, in which no Foot-steps of any Government are to be found, the Number will amount to one thousand and twelve Years.

Of the State of Athens, from the Decennial Archons to
Philip of Macedon.

HE People of Athens continually got Ground of their Superiors, gaining fomething by every Alteration that was made in the State, till at length, by little and little, the whole Government came into the Hands of the Commonalty. Thefeus and Medon made confiderable Abatements in their Power, but what remain'd of it, they kept in their own Hands as long as they liv'd, and preferv'd the Succeffion entire to their Pofterity. But in the first Year of the feventh Olympiad, both the Power and Succeffion devolv'd upon the People, who the better to curb the Pride, and restrain the Power of their Archons, continu'd them in their Government only for ten Years; and the first that was created in this manner, was Charops, the Son of Eschylus. But they would not reft contented here, for about feventy Years after that the Archons might be wholly dependent on the Citizens Favour, it was agreed that their Authority should laft but for one Year, at the end of which they were to give an Account of their Admini

ftration