BOULE

(compare Spartan Gerusia or Gerousia), advisory council of ancient Greece; such a council, probably comosed of lea nobles, existed in omeric state. he original A then i an b. (later the ‘Areopagus’) was superseded by Solonian. b. of 400 members, 100 from each Ionic tribe; this in turn gave place to Cleisthenes’ council of 500, fifty from each of ten artificially created tribes. The members were app. by the demes, and proportional representation was aimed at; they were paid one drachma, per day (ater 5 obols). The b. was an administrative and judicial body, a part of the legislative machinery, and had to prepare all busine to be brought before the Ecclesia. After establishment of Gk. independence in XIX. cent. a b. of 235 senators was appointed under a system of manhood suffrage for four years; there is no Lower House.