Administration of Justice in Sparta

Abstract

IN SPARTA as in Athens' administrative bodies and officials had also judicial powers and duties. The two kings, the five ephors, and a council of twenty-eight elders constituted the criminal court. The ephors were the presiding officers. The elders were recruited from the nobility; the ephors from the whole people. Candidates for the council of elders annually appeared before the popular assembly called the Apella in the order determined by lot. Each candidate was received with more or less shouting. Those who received the most applause were elected.2 A committee who could hear the shouting but was unable to see the candidates determined which candidate received the most applause. Aristotle characterizes the election of both elders and ephors as childish, and from this it has been properly inferred that the election of the ephors was eff ected in the same way as that described for the elders.3 There are no records of litigation in Sparta such as are found for Athens in the Attic orators. But there are accounts of trials found in various sources. It is proposed to set down what is known about