Ephors

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The five ephors in Sparta. Illustration from the 19th century by Ludwig Löffler.

Ephors ( Greek ἔφορος éphoros , German 'overseer' ) were five supervisory officers in ancient Sparta who were re-elected every year.

Competencies

The competencies of the ephors have not been fully clarified. Among other things, they called the People's Assembly and organized its debates. The kings left them with parts of civil justice . The Ephors represented the indictment in serious offenses and state trials in the Gerusia . In addition, they took on religious duties and monitored the diet, health and appearance of the young men.

The ephors also played an important role in foreign policy . They conducted the negotiations with foreign delegations and determined which of the envoys could speak to the Apella. Two of them accompanied the kings on their campaigns. It is unknown whether this was used to monitor the rulers.

In order to prevent abuse of power, the term of office of the ephors was limited to one year and could not be extended. The Ephors enjoyed immunity during their tenure , but this expired after a year. The successors in this office could then prosecute the former Ephors for offenses . Merited or respected former ephors could be appointed geronted after their term of office .

Origin and decisions

The Ephorate, which is not mentioned in the Great Rhetra , was probably created at the urging of the popular assembly ( Apella ) to oppose the power of the council of elders ( Gerusia ) and the kings with a participatory element. Because every full citizen was entitled to vote and eligible for the ephorate. For all other functions, however, there were severe restrictions: the descent of the kings , the age over 60 for the geronts. The dual kingship and ephorate were guarantees for the existence of the state. Both institutions reaffirmed this duty time and again by taking a monthly oath . The ephors became influential officials over time. The Spartans showed their appreciation for them by naming the current year after the chairman of the Ephors.

Since the ephors made their decisions by majority vote, they could change Sparta's policy at any time. For example, in 403 BC , King Pausanias persuaded Three ephors to change their voting behavior and to send an army to Attica . This represented a complete reversal of the previous policy of General Lysander .

Cases are known in which the ephors pronounced severe punishments up to and including exile against Spartan kings. Agis IV was even sentenced to death by them.

Critique and End of the Ephorate

Aristotle was opposed to the Ephorates. Since such an influential office was not only open to aristocrats, he assumed that the temptation for ordinary citizens to enrich themselves as ephors through corruption was very high. This negative assessment has proven to be influential until modern times. However, there is no evidence that it was founded.

227 BC Eliminated Cleomenes III. the ephorate by killing four of the reigning ephors. Antigonus III. Doson restored it when he occupied Sparta after the Battle of Sellasia . Under the rule of the Macedonians and later the Romans , the Ephorates finally disappeared from the life of Sparta.

See also

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Alan E. Samuel: Greek and Roman Chronology. Calendars and Years in Classical Antiquity . CH Beck, Munich 1972, p. 238-241 .
  2. ↑ Donald Kagan : The Outbreak of the Peloponnesian War. 4th printing. Cornell University Press, Ithaca NY et al. 1989, ISBN 0-8014-9556-3 , p. 29.
  3. ↑ Plutarch , Kleomenes , chap. 8 and 30