himself afresh to the mood of the Assembly, and even to deceive it, in order
that he might lead at all, or carry out the policy which, in his opinion, his
country's need required. It is therefore a remarkable thing that both Eubulus
and Demosthenes succeeded for many years in maintaining a line of action as
consistent as that taken by practical men can ever be.

The fact that the Council of Five Hundred, which acted as a standing committee
of the people, and prepared business for the Assembly and was responsible for
the details of measures passed by the Assembly in general form, was chosen by
lot and changed annually, as did practically all the civil and the military
officials (though the latter might be re-elected), was all against efficiency
and continuity of policy.[5] After the system of election by lot, the most
characteristic feature of the Athenian democracy was the responsibility of
statesmen and generals to the law-courts.[6] Any citizen might accuse them upon
charges nominally limited in scope, but often serving in reality to bring their
whole career into question. Had it been certain that the courts would only
punish incompetence or misconduct, and not failure as such, little harm would
have resulted. But although there were very many acquittals in political trials,
the uncertainty of the issue was so great, and the sentences inflicted upon the
condemned so severe (commonly involving banishment at least), that the liability
to trial as a criminal must often have deterred the statesman and the general
from taking the most necessary risks; while the condemnation of the accused had
usually the result of driving a really able man out of the country, and
depriving his fellow countrymen of services which might be urgently required
when they were no longer available.

The financial system was also ill adapted for the purposes of a people
constantly liable to war. The funds required for the bare needs of a time of
peace seem indeed to have been sufficiently provided from permanent sources of
income (such as the silver mines, the rent of public lands, court fees and