A-dictionary-of-greek-and-roman-antiquities-william-smith

1096 TAMIAS. TAMIAS.
of the feast was appointed among the Romans in a manner consecrated to Pallas ; while on th»
(Hor. Carm. I 4. 18, ii. 7. 25) [Symposium], and other hand the people reserved to themselves the
hi-ncc it was also called Uasilirus. (Plaut. Cure. ii. right of making use of the sacred monies, as well
3. 80.) Certain other throws were called by par as the other property of the temples, if the safety
ticular names, taken from gods, illustrious men and of the state should require it. (Thucyd. ii. 13.)
women, and heroes. Thus the throw, consisting Payments made to the temples were received by
of two aces and two trays, making eight, was de the treasurers in the presence of some members oi
nominated Stesichvrus. When the object was the senate, just as public monies were by the
•imply to throw the highest numbers, the game Apodectae ; and then the treasurers became re
was called vAcMrroffuAfroa. (Pollux, vii. 206, ix. sponsible for their safe custody. As to fines see
95, 11 0, 117.) Before a person threw the tali, he Epibole, Practorer, and on the whole of this
often invoked either a god or his mistress. (Plaut.
CapL i. 1. 5, Cure. ii. 3. 77—79.) These bones,
marked and thrown as above described, were also
used in divination. (Sueton. Tiber. 14.) [J. Y.]
TA'MIAS (ra/uar), was a name given to any
person who hnd the care, managing, or dispensing
of money, stock, or property of any description,
confided to him ; as a steward, butler, housekeeper,
•torehousekeeper, or treasurer. And the word is
applied metaphorically in a variety of ways. But
the rafjdat% who will fall under our notice in this
article, nre certain officers entrusted with import
ant duties by the Athenian government ; and more
especially the treasurers of the temples and the
revenue.
In ancient times every temple of any importance
had property belonging to it, besides its furniture
and ornaments ; and a treasury where such pro*
perty was kept Lands were attached to the
temple, from which rents accrued ; fines were made
payable to the god ; trophies and other valuables
were dedicated to him by the public ; and various
aacred offerings were made by individuals. There
was a rafxlas Upvv xpTnAoVttP, who, together with
iwttrrdrai and Upiowoiol, had the custody and
management of these funds. The wealthiest of all
the temples at Athens was thnt of Athena in the
Acropolis, in which were kept the spoils taken
from the Persians (to dptor tux rijt mjAfus), be
sides magnificent statues, painting, and other
works of art. (Pemosth. e. Timocr. 741.) To the
Goddess large fines were specially appropriated by
the law or given by decree of the courts or the
assembly ; and besides this she received a tenth of
all the fines that went to the state, a tenth of all
confiscations and prizes taken in war. Her trea
surers were called ra^lat ttjj &tov, or tsm» ttjs
dcoO, or TCLfiiat Up&v xpVfd* T^y dco£, and
sometimes simply raidai. (Demosth. o. Androf.
615.) They appear to have existed from an early
period. Herodotus (viii. 51, 53) relates that the
Ta/Aat tow itpov with a few other men awaited the
attack of Xerxes upon the Acropolis, and perished
in its defence. They were ten in number, chosen
annually by lot from the class of Pentacosiomed-imni,
and afterwards when the distinction of
classes had ceased to exist, from among the wealth
iest of Athenian citizens. ( Harpocr. and Suid. s. v.
Tafxlai.) The treasurers of the other gods were
chosen in like manner ; but they, about the 90th
Olympiad, where all united into one board, while
those of Pallas remained distinct. (Demosth. c.
Timocr. 743.) Their treasury, however, was trans
ferred to the same place as that of Athena, viz. to
the Opisthodomus of the Parthenon, where were
kept not only all the treasures belonging to the
temples, but also the state treasure (oVia xp^MaTa,
as contra-distinguished from 2epd), under the care
of the treasurers of Pallas. (Aristoph. IHtU. 1191.)
All the funds of the state were considered as being
subject, Bockh, PuU. Econ. of Athens, pp. 160
— 164.
The treasurer of the revenue, raiita% or iriu*Atjttjs
ti"s Kotrrjs irpoaoHov* was a more import
ant personage than those Last mentioned. He was
not a mere keeper of monies, like them, nor a mere
receiver, like the Apodectae ; but a general pay
master, who received through the Apodectae all
money which was to be disbursed for the purposes
of the administration (except the property- taxes
which were paid into the war-office, and the tri
bute from the allies, which was at first paid to the
Hellenotamiae, and afterwards to other persons
hereafter mentioned), and then distributed it in
such manner as he was required to do by the law ;
the surplus (if any) he paid into the war-office or
the Theoricfund. As this person knew all the chan
nels in which the public money had to flow, and
exercised a general superintendence over the ex
penditure, he was competent to give advice to the
people upon financial measures, with a view to im
prove the revenue, introduce economy, and prevent
abuses ; he is sometimes called rauias ttjs fiiounj-