418 HISTORY OF CERTAIN 
the term, and had their af dsiiv “Ayopéuvov and 
their Beow:s their Archons, and their Prytanes, 
&c.—leaders indeed, and directors; but with 
delegated powers, and exercising no sway, but 
what was received by their appointments, and 
not arising from personal influence and station. 
They were the Americans of the old world— 
calling kings tyrants, and hating, in a great 
measure, the very name: but like them, having 
their slaves, over whom they practised a tyranny, 
unknown among regal nations, where the people 
submit to influential sway ; but keep themselves, 
both in relations high and low, truly and nobly 
free. We have, besides this, to learn somewhat 
farther yet from this root. It has entered exten- 
sively into the names of individuals, before Chris- 
tianity modified the appellations of mankind, by 
the ties of kindred, and the relationships of life. 
And when we consider that the names of individ- 
uals were then given from circumstances of birth, 
and similar considerations; and that the adnomens 
they afterwards obtained from personal appear- 
ance, or otherwise, in the way of epithets or 
nicknames, were merely fortuitous—we cannot 
but be struck with the changes effected by the 
revolutions of ages in our social condition, and 
the stations of life. According to our views at 
