Irlandos at 12:23, April 5, 2006

2006-04-05T12:23:56Z

Irlandos at 12:23, April 5, 2006

2006-04-05T12:23:34Z

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An '''ephor''' was an official of ancient [[Sparta]]. There were five ephors elected annually, who swore each month to uphold the rule of the [[Kings of Sparta|kings]], while the kings swore to uphold the law.

[[Herodotus]] claimed that the institution was created by [[Lycurgus]], but it may have arisen from the need for governors while the kings were leading armies in battle. The ephors were elected by the popular assembly, and all citizens were eligible for election. They provided a balance for the two kings, who rarely cooperated with each other. [[Plato]] called them tyrants who ran Sparta as despots, while the kings were little more than generals.

The ephors presided over meetings of the [[Gerousia]], the oligarchic council of elders. They were in charge of civil trials, [[taxation]], the calendar, foreign policy, and military training for young men. The year was named after one of them, like the [[Archons of Athens|eponymous archon]] of [[Athens]]. Two ephors accompanied the army in battle, and they could arrest and imprison the kings for misconduct during war. The ephors were also considered to be personally at war with the [[helot]]s, so that they could imprison or execute any of them for any reason at any time without having to bring them to trial or violate religious rituals.

[[Cleomenes III]] abolished the ephors in [[227 BC]], but they were restored by the [[Kings of Macedon|Macedonian king]] [[Antigonus III Doson]] after the [[Battle of Sellasia]]. The position existed into the [[2nd century|2nd century AD]] when it was probably abolished by the Roman emperor Hadrian.

{{Credit wikipedia}}

[[Category:Sparta]]
[[Category:Ancient Greek titles]]

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 [[Herodotus]] claimed that the institution was created by [[Lycurgus]], but it may have arisen from the need for governors while the kings were leading armies in battle. The ephors were elected by the popular assembly, and all citizens were eligible for election. They provided a balance for the two kings, who rarely cooperated with each other. [[Plato]] called them tyrants who ran Sparta as despots, while the kings were little more than generals.
-The ephors presided over meetings of the [[Gerousia]], the oligarchic council of elders. They were in charge of civil trials, [[taxation]], the calendar, foreign policy, and military training for young men. The year was named after one of them, like the [[Archons of Athens|eponymous archon]] of [[Athens]]. Two ephors accompanied the army in battle, and they could arrest and imprison the kings for misconduct during war. The ephors were also considered to be personally at war with the [[helot]]s, so that they could imprison or execute any of them for any reason at any time without having to bring them to trial or violate religious rituals.
+The ephors presided over meetings of the [[Gerousia]], the oligarchic council of elders. They were in charge of civil trials, taxation, the calendar, foreign policy, and military training for young men. The year was named after one of them, like the [[Archons of Athens|eponymous archon]] of [[Athens]]. Two ephors accompanied the army in battle, and they could arrest and imprison the kings for misconduct during war. The ephors were also considered to be personally at war with the [[helot]]s, so that they could imprison or execute any of them for any reason at any time without having to bring them to trial or violate religious rituals.
 [[Cleomenes III]] abolished the ephors in [[227 BC]], but they were restored by the [[Kings of Macedon|Macedonian king]] [[Antigonus III Doson]] after the [[Battle of Sellasia]]. The position existed into the [[2nd century|2nd century AD]] when it was probably abolished by the Roman emperor Hadrian.

Ephor - Revision history

Irlandos at 12:23, April 5, 2006

Irlandos at 12:23, April 5, 2006