A T H 



fafTicient to defray the expences of the ftate ; and recourfe 

 was ficquently bad to free gifts and forced contributions. 

 Of all tiie branches of public expenditure, the maintenance 

 of the navy was the uioft heavy : when an armament was 

 to be fitted out, cacli of the ten tribes levied in its diftrict 

 the fame number of talents as there were galleys to be 

 equipped, and demanded them from the fame number of 

 companies, compofed fometimes of fixteen perlons liable to 

 contribute. DemoiUienes made an amendment in the mode 

 of affe'fing this tax. The decree propofed by him for this 

 purpofe \vas as follows : every citizen, whole fortune 

 amounted to ten talents, was to furnifli the ilatc with one 

 galley ; if he polTeflcd tv.-enty talents, with two ; and how- 

 ever rich he might be, no more fliould be required of him 

 than three galleys and a fliallop. Thofe whole fubilance 

 was k-fs than ten talents were to join in contributing a 

 galley. 



Athenians, Religion of the. From theearlieft times the 

 obiefts of religious wor-liip multiplied among the Athenians. 

 Thev received the twelve principal divinities from the 

 Egyptians, and others from the Libyans and diSerent 

 nations ; and they were fo fearful of omitting religious 

 worfhip, that tliey even eredled altars to the unknown God. 

 (Paufan. in Attic.) See Altar. In proccfs of time a 

 law was enafted, prohibiting, under pain of death, the intro- 

 duflion of any foreign worfliip, without a decree of the 

 areopagus. It was an ancient practice, to confecrate, by 

 monuments and felUvals, the memory of kings, and other 

 diilin^uiihcd perfons, who had rendered effential fcrvice to 

 their country, or to mankind. To this chifs the Athenians 

 referred Thefeus, Erechtheus, fuch as dtfeivcd to have their 

 names appropriated to the ten ti-ibes, and many others, as Her- 

 cules, &;c. But the worfliip of the latter liiifertd from that 

 of the gods, in the ceremonies that accompanied it, as well as 

 in the objeift to which it was direfted. , Before the deity they 

 prollratcd themfelves, imploring his protection, thanking 

 him for his bounties, and acknowledging their dependence. 

 In honour of the heroes, and as a memorial of their illuftri- 

 ous deeds, they confecrated temples, altars, and groves, and 

 celebrated feftivals and games. Incenfe was burnt on their 

 altars, and libations were poured over their tombs to procure 

 repofe to their manes. The religion of the common [)eop!e 

 entirely confided in prayers, facrifices, and puritications. 

 Individuals prefentcd their prayers to the gods at the com- 

 mencement of any undertaking : and they offered up their 

 addreffes in the morning, the evening, at the rifmg and 

 fetting of the fun and nujon. Sometimes they repaired to 

 the temple with downcall eyes and dcjedled countenances ; 

 they killed the ground, offered their prayeri (landing, on 

 their knees, and proftrate, a\id held branches in their hands, 

 which they lifted up towards heaven, or ilretched out to- 

 wards the ftatue of the god, after applying it to their 

 mouths. In addreffing the infernal deities, they ftruck the 

 earth with their feet or hands. Some pronounced then- 

 devout addreffes in a low voice ; but Pythagoras wifhed 

 them always to be uttered aloud, that nothing might be 

 allced which could excite a blulh. At the fcafons of wor- 

 fliip, the fpace before the temple and the porticoes that fur- 

 rounded it, were full of people; fojullly hastheapoiUe Paul 

 characlerifcd the Athenians, when he called them (Acts, 

 xvii. 2 2.), d£i5-w2ijw.ovFr5f^t, "too fupcrftitious," as the com- 

 mon tranflation renders it, or perhaps as it m.ight be ren- 

 dered lefs ofFenfively and more conformably to the concilia- 

 tory addrefs, which the apoftle would iuive ufed on inch an 

 occafion, and alfo to the frequent ufe of the term, " very 

 devout." See Lardner's Vv''orks, vol. i. p. 193. The pried s 

 Kxre the principal minifters of religion ; and they were 



A T II 



next in precedence to the kings and chief magiilrates. 

 They obtained their office bv inherit;mce, fometimes by lot, 

 by the appointment of the prince, or by popular eledion : 

 and they were required to be uimiaimed in body, challe and 

 uncontamir.ated by the pleafures of the world in their dif- 

 pofition and charafter, and in their habits devoted to retire- 

 ment and piety. Of thefe prielfs there were feveral orders, 

 and among them there was one, denominated AfX'^p'S'f"'!!', 

 high priell, who had the fuperintcndance of the rell. Some 

 temples were ferved by prieiheU'es, as particiJarly that of 

 Bacchus in the quarter of the marflies. The revenues alhgncd 

 for the maintenance of the priells and temples were derived 

 from diifercnt fources, as a certain part of the produce of 

 penalties and confifcations, and of tl'.e Ipoils taken irom the 

 enemy, and the olferings of individuals. They formed, how- 

 ever, TiO feparate and independent body ; nor had the mini- 

 llersof different temples any common interefl ; and in caufes 

 which reipecled them perfonally, they were amenable to 

 the ordinary tribunals. Funfiions of inferior fanftity, that 

 related to the fervice of the temple, were intruiled to lay 

 ofhcers : fome of whom were guardians of the trealury, 

 and others alTifted as witneffes and infpcftors at lolemu 

 facrifices. Next to the priefts, were llie loothfayers and 

 interpreters of omens. The worfhip of the Athenians was 

 originally performed in the open air, upon the tops of moun- 

 tains ; and on thefe fpots temples were afterwards erefttd, 

 and dedicated to Jupiter, Apollo, and the other gods. 

 Their altars, alfo, were conllrufted of various materials and 

 of different dimcnfions, according to the variety of gods to 

 v/hom they were confecrated. Both temples and altars 

 were places of rtfuge or afyluni for malefactors and crimi- 

 nals of all dcfcriptions : and it was deemed an act of facri- 

 lege to force them from their fancluary. See Asylum. 

 Their facrifices aUo were of various kinds, as to their objeft 

 and defign, the rhaterials of which they confided, and the 

 places in which they were offered, and the ceremonies that 

 attended them. (See Sacrifice.) As public worfliip was 

 prcfcrihed by one of the fundamental laws, and therefore 

 clofely connected with the conititution, it was impoffible to 

 attack religion, without endangering that conftitution. It 

 was confequently the duty of the magiflrates to maintain it, 

 and to ojipofe all innovations vifibly tending to its deflruc- 

 tion. Hence the poet jEfchylus was accufed of having, in 

 one of his tragedies, revealed the doftrine of the rnyfteries; 

 Diagoras under a fimilar charge, faved himfclf by flight ; 

 Protagoras was criminally profccuted, and obliged to Sy ; 

 Prodicus of Ceos was condemned to drink poifon ; Anaxa- 

 goras was imprifoned, and his life was prelerved by the in- 

 terpofition and influence of Pericles ; and the life of Alei- 

 biades was endangered by a charge of his having been con- 

 cerned in tiie mutilation of the llatues of Mercuiy. See 

 each of thefe biographical articles. 



Athens, in Geogmjyhy, a to wnfhip of America, in Wind- 

 ham county, ^'ermont, thirtv-two miles north-eaft from 

 Bennington, and ab;)ut fix weft from Connecticut river, 

 having 450 iniiabitants. 



ATHERDEE. See Ardee. 



ATHERINA, or Atherine, in Ichthyology, one of 

 the Linno^an genera of abdominal fi.lies ; and diilinguilhcd 

 by having the upper jaw rather flat, fix rays in the gill- 

 niembrane, and a filveiy ftripe on each fide of the body. 

 Gmelin notices five fpecies of this gtmis, viz. I'lepfetus, 

 MeniJia, Sihama, Japonica, and Brownii ; which fee re- 

 fpeiitivelv. 



ATH'ERINOIDES, a fpecies of Clupea, diftingniflicd 

 from the other filhes of the fame genus by having a filveiy 

 lateral line. Gmelin obfervts, that this fifii from its broad 



filverv 



