Apodektai
Encyclopedia
Apodektai or "Receivers", were public officers at Athens
, who were introduced by Cleisthenes
in the place of the ancient kolakretai
. They were ten in number, one for each tribe
or phyle
, and their duty was to receive all the ordinary taxes and distribute them to the separate branches of the administration, which were entitled to them. They accordingly kept lists of persons indebted to the state, made entries of all monies that were paid in, and erased the names of the debtor
s from the lists. They had the power to decide causes connected with the subjects under their management; though if the matters in dispute were of importance, they were obliged to bring them for decision into the ordinary courts.
Classical Athens
The city of Athens during the classical period of Ancient Greece was a notable polis of Attica, Greece, leading the Delian League in the Peloponnesian War against Sparta and the Peloponnesian League. Athenian democracy was established in 508 BC under Cleisthenes following the tyranny of Hippias...
, who were introduced by Cleisthenes
Cleisthenes
Cleisthenes was a noble Athenian of the Alcmaeonid family. He is credited with reforming the constitution of ancient Athens and setting it on a democratic footing in 508/7 BC...
in the place of the ancient kolakretai
Kolakretai
Kolakretai was the name of very ancient magistrates at Athens, who had the management of all financial matters in the time of the kings, at least as early as the 7th century BC. They are said to have derived their name from collecting certain parts of the victims at sacrifices , from kola, a...
. They were ten in number, one for each tribe
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
or phyle
Phyle
Phyle is an ancient Greek term for clan or tribe. They were usually ruled by a basileus...
, and their duty was to receive all the ordinary taxes and distribute them to the separate branches of the administration, which were entitled to them. They accordingly kept lists of persons indebted to the state, made entries of all monies that were paid in, and erased the names of the debtor
Debtor
A debtor is an entity that owes a debt to someone else. The entity may be an individual, a firm, a government, a company or other legal person. The counterparty is called a creditor...
s from the lists. They had the power to decide causes connected with the subjects under their management; though if the matters in dispute were of importance, they were obliged to bring them for decision into the ordinary courts.