376 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



democratic brand, has given us an amusing study of the law-frenzy of 

 the old juryman, Philocleon (Boss-Lover), who could not be kept away 

 from court, though his son and two slaves net the house, from which 

 the infatuated juror tries to escape through the chimney, by the rain- 

 gutter, concealing himself under an ass that is being driven to market. 

 The chorus of elderly jurymen come to " Boss-Lover's " assistance and 

 finally compromise the matter by having the old man go back home 

 and hold a private trial of the dog, Labes (Snap). 



The case and the court house, in which any particular panel was 

 to serve, was unknown till early in the morning of the day set for trial, 

 when our jurors presented themselves and their bronze tickets, show- 

 ing they had been drawn on the general list, and were then assigned 

 by lot to their work for the day. The corn-ring jury then went to the 

 " Middle Court " or the " Bed Court," or " Hole and Corner Court," 

 " Music Hall Court," to the " Painted Colonnade," or to one of the 

 other five courts, all with different names and door-ways of different 

 colors. On receiving his assignment, the juror took the staff of the 

 proper color and was immediately escorted to the court to match and, 

 at his entrance there, gave up the staff, getting in exchange a check 

 which, at the close of the day, was good for his fee of three obols or 

 nine cents, which slave labor and low costs of living made many fold 

 more than the mere amount indicates. 



The appointments of the court room consisted of an altar for 

 sacrifice, raised platforms for the presiding officials, for the parties to 

 the suit and the witnesses. A statute of Lycus, patron-god of jurors, 

 a water-clock to time the speeches and a table with the two voting-urns 

 thereon probably completed the furnishings at the period when our 

 case came on. Order was kept in court by Scythian slaves, detailed 

 from the regular police. 



After the speeches were made, the case was given to the jurymen- 

 judges, who always rendered their verdict without leaving the court- 

 room but, however, with the utmost secrecy. The mode of voting was 

 simple and, though secret, was open to the fullest scrutiny on the part 

 of the spectators. A person, chosen by lot, distributed bronze discs, 

 pierced by protruding axles, all exactly alike, except that the ballot 

 for the plaintiff had a hollow axle and that for the defendant a solid 

 one. Specimens of these ballots, marked " public ballots," are still 

 extant. The herald proclaims " hollow ballots for the plaintiff ; solid 

 ones for the defendant " ; hence hollow ballots meant condemnation, 

 in the prosecution of the corn-ring, and solid ballots meant acquittal. 

 Our juryman concealing the ends of the axle with thumb and forefinger, 

 at the herald's notice, proceeds to the table and deposits in a bronze 

 urn the ballot with which he wishes to record his verdict, casting the 

 unused ballot into a wooden urn. The ballots are counted by the 



