prytanyn.
/ˈprɪtəni/, U.S. /ˈprɪdəni/ Ancient Greek History.
1.
a. In the Athenian state: the period of 35 or 36 days (a tenth of a year) during which each of the ten divisions, or phyles, constituting the Council of Five Hundred presided (after which time another division took its place).
ΚΠ
1606 R. Knolles tr. J. Bodin Six Bks. Common-weale v. iii. 584 The sentence given against Archiptolome..in Athence in the form that followeth: the 16 [sic] day of [the] Prytanee [Fr. du xxi. jour de la Prytanee; L. decima Minervae data], Demonicus Dalopece being Register, [etc.].
1697 J. Potter Archæologiæ Græcæ I. i. xxvi. 153 He that doth not make payment within the ninth Prytanie, shall be oblig'd to pay double.
1776 tr. G. B. de Mably Observ. Greeks ii. 77 The ordinary days of meeting were the 11, 20, 30, and 33d of every Prytanie.
1797 J. Gillies tr. Aristotle Ethics & Politics II. ii. 68 The fifty presiding senators were entitled the Prytanes..and the period of thirty-five days, during which they held their dignity, was called a Prytany.
1807 J. Robinson Archæol. Græca i. xxxi. 115 If these officers did not carry their rents before the ninth prytany, they were to pay double.
1882 Jrnl. Hellenic Stud. 3 139 Whatever sacrifiices were offered by the Senate would be offered by the prytanes at the commencement of each prytany.
1962 A. R. Burn Persia & Greeks ix. 185 This function was performed..in an order determined by casting lots, towards the end of each prytany, among the tribes that had not yet presided during the current civil year.
1995 E. M. Harris Aeschines & Athenian Polit. 163 A third amount, again unpreserved, was paid to the spondophoroi in the tenth prytany.
b. Each of these ten divisions; spec. the presiding one.
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1615 E. Grimeston tr. P. d'Avity Estates 927 The Pritani paid the Iudges with such summes of money as were collected vpon the consignations of those that pleaded.
1886 Athenæum 14 Aug. 216/1 A building called a Tholos, in which statues were dedicated and sacrifices were performed by the prutanies.
1921 Classical Philol. 21 74 Under the democratic constitution the chairman belonged to the officiating prytany, the secretary to some one or other of the other nine prytanies.
1963 J. D. Duff tr. M. Rostovtzeff Greece vi. 96 Part of the prytany remained on duty day and night, eating and sleeping in the Tholos.
1990 D. Stockton Classical Athenian Democracy ii. 27 Each prytany contained men drawn from each of the trittyes of each tribe.
2. The office or position of presiding in the Council of Five Hundred. Also occasionally in extended use.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > rule or government > ruler or governor > deliberative, legislative, or administrative assembly > governing or legislative body of a nation or community > other national governing or legislative bodies > [noun] > in ancient world > member of council committee in ancient Athens > position of
prytany1797
1797 J. Gillies tr. Aristotle Ethics & Politics II. ii. 69 The nine other tribes attained the honour of the Prytany, each in the order which had been established by lot.
1885 Trans. Amer. Philol. Assoc. 16 p. xxxvi The presiding officer in the Senate and Assembly must always belong to the tribe which held the prytany at the time.
1898 A. Lang Making Relig. xv. 286 Modified by a weak reminiscence of the old kingship in the not very effective sovereignty (or prytany) of Zeus.
1934 Hesperia 3 33 Pandionis was the first tribe to hold the prytany during the year.
1960 M. L. Lang Athenian Citizen 12 (note) Decree honoring the prytany of Pandionis. 20 B.C.
1998 Hesperia Suppl. 29 18 Kephisiphon..was excluded from the secretaryship while his own tribe held the prytany.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2007; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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