NŎMŎTHĔTAE

( νομόθεται ), movers or proposers of laws, the name of a legislative committee at Athens, which, by an institution of Solon, was appointed to amend and revise the laws. At the first κυρία ἐκκλησία in every year, any person was at liberty to point out defects in the existing code or propose alterations. If his motion was deemed worthy of attention, the third a embly might refer the matter to the Nomothetae. They were selected by lot from the Heliastic body; it being the intention of Solon to limit the power of the popular a embly by means of a superior board emanating from itself, composed of citizens of mature age, bound by a stricter oath, and accustomed to weigh legal principles by the exercise of their judicial functions. The number of the committee so appointed varied according to the exigency of the occasion. The people appointed five advocates ( σύνδικοι ) to attend before the board and maintain the policy of the existing institution. If the proposed measure met the approval of the committee, it pa ed into law forthwith. Besides this, the Thesmothetae were officially authorised to review the whole code, and to refer to the Nomothetae all statutes which they considered unworthy of being retained. Hence appears the difference between Psephism a ( ψήφισμα ) and Nomos ( νόμος ). The mere resolution of the people in a embly was a psephism a , and only remained in force a year, like a decree of the senate. Nothing was a law that did not pa the ordeal of the Nomothetae.