ARE 



ARG 



minal causes ; but in course of time their 

 jurisdiction became of greater extent. 

 This court is recorded as the first that 

 sat upon life and death ; and the trial of 

 wilful murder seems to have been the 

 original design of its institution. In later 

 ages, all incendiaries, assassins, conspira- 

 tors, deserters of their country, treasons, 

 and most capital causes in general, fell 

 under its cognizance. The opinion which 

 the state entertained of the wisdom, gra- 

 vity, and sanctity of its members, gained 

 for them an unlimitted power; insomuch 

 that, according to Solon's regulation of 

 this assembly, the inspection and custody 

 of the laws, the management of the pub- 

 lic funds, the guardianship of young men, 

 and the education of youth, according to 

 their rank, were committed to them. 

 Their power extended to persons of all 

 ages and sexes, to punish the idle and 

 profligate, and to reward the sober and 

 virtuous, according to their own pleasure. 

 For this purpose, they were empowered, 

 by entering and examining private houses, 

 to condemn every useless person as dan- 

 gerous ; and every expense not propor- 

 tioned to the means of the citizen as cri- 

 minal. Besides, they took cognizance of 

 religious matters, blasphemy, contempt 

 of holy mysterieSj the erection and con- 

 secration of temples and altars, and the 

 introduction of new ceremonies : never- 

 theless, they interfered in public affairs 

 only in cases of emergency or danger. 

 As this assembly exhibited the greatest 

 firmness in punishing crimes, and the 

 nicest circumspection in reforming man- 

 ners ; as it never employed chastisement 

 till advice and menaces were slighted ; it 

 acquired the esteem and confidence of 

 the people, even whilst it exercised the 

 most absolute power. Its meetings were 

 held three times in every month, viz. on 

 the 27 th, 28th, and 29th days, but on any 

 urgent business, the senators assembled 

 in the royal portico. The court was di- 

 vided into several committees, each of 

 which took cognizance of separate causes, 

 if the multiplicity of business would not 

 allow time for them to be brouglit before 

 the whole senate: and this was done by 

 lots, that the causes might not be pre- 

 judged. In crimes that concerned reli- 

 gion or the state, the power of this court 

 was limited to preparing the matter for a 

 trial ; and it then made its report to the 

 people, without coming to any conclusion. 

 The accused then had it in his power to 

 offer new pleas in his defence; and the 

 people named orators, to conduct the pro- 

 secution before one of the superior courts. 

 Trials in the arcopagus were preceded by 



tremendous ceremonies. The two par-- 

 ties, placed amidst the bleeding member* 

 of the victims, took an oath, which they 

 confirmed by dreadful imprecations a- 

 gainst themselves and families. They 

 called to witness the Eumenides, who, 

 from a neighbouring temple, dedicated to 

 their worship, seemed to listen to the in- 

 vocation, and prepared to punish the per- 

 jured. They then proceeded to the trial, 

 requiring all pleadings to be conducted 

 in the simplest terms, without exordium, 

 epilogue, or appeal to the passions. Af- 

 ter the question had been sufficiently dis- 

 cussed, tlie judges silently deposited their 

 suffrages in two urns, one of brass, called 

 the urn of death ; and the other of wood, 

 called the urn of mercy. This mode of 

 giving votes was afterwards abandoned, 

 and they were delivered in public, by 

 casting their calculi or flints upon two 

 tables, one for those that were acquitted, 

 and the other for those condemned : 

 when the numbers were equal, an inferior 

 officer added, in favour of the accused, 

 the suffrage of Minerva, so called, be- 

 cause, according to an ancient tradition, 

 this goddess, being present in the court 

 of areopagus at the trial of Orestes, gave 

 her casting vote to turn the scale of jus- 

 tice. In some causes the sentence of this 

 court was not final ; but an appeal might 

 be made to the courts to which they res- 

 pectively belonged. 



ARETHUSA, in botany, a genus of the 

 Gynundria Decandria class of plants, hav- 

 ing no other calyx than a foliacious spa- 

 tha; the corolla is ringent, and consists 

 of five oblong sub-equal petals ; the nec- 

 tarium consists of a single leaf, divided 

 into two segments ; the fruit is an oblong 

 oval capsule, consisting of three valves, 

 and containing one cell, in which are se- 

 veral seeds. There are seven species. 



ARETIA, in botany, a genus of the 

 Pentandria Monogynia class of plants, the 

 calyx of which is a perianthium, consist- 

 ing of a single campanulated, semiquin- 

 quefid, and permanent leaf, without any 

 involucrum ; the corolla consists of a sin- 

 gle petal ; the tube is oval, and of the 

 length of the cup ; the limb is divided in- 

 to four segments ; and the fruit is a cap- 

 sule, in which are contained many seeds. 

 There are four species. 



ARGEMONE, in botany, a genus of 

 the Polyandria Monogynia class of plants, 

 the calyx of which is a roundish spatha, 

 composed of three hollow, pointed, deci- 

 duous leaves; the corolla consists of three 

 roundish, erecto-patent petals, larger than 

 the cup; the fruit is an oval pentangular 

 capsule, containing one cell, and seeming 



