William Watson Goodwin, Commentary on Demosthenes: On the Crown

2. τὸ μέρος (sc. πέμπτον): cf. § 266.6. See note on § 82.9.

4. ἡγεμόνας τῶν συμμοριῶν, lead- ers of the symmories, here probably the symmories of the trierarchy, though the term commonly refers to the 300 richest citizens (οἱ τριακόσιοι, § 171.5), who were leaders of the symmories of the property-tax (εἰσφορά). Under the system which prevailed from 357 to 340 B.C., the 1200 richest citizens, who alone were liable to the duty of the trierarchy, were divided into 20 symmories, regularly of 60 men each. But exemption or changes in property might reduce the whole number of 1200 and the number in each symmory in any year. To each of these symmories was assigned a number of triremes to be fitted out in each year, regulated by the needs of the state. The symmory divided itself into smaller bodies (συντέλειαι), each of which equipped a single ship. The expense was borne equally by all the members, without regard to their wealth. Each symmory probably had a single leader, and the 20 leaders, with the two classes called δεύτεροι and τρίτοι (who are not mentioned elsewhere), evidently belonged to the τριακόσιοι, perhaps including all of that class in the symmories (15 in each). The new law of Demosthenes imposed the burden of the trierarchy on the members of each symmory according to their taxable property, thus greatly increasing the assessment of the richer and diminishing that of the poorer members. Of this a striking case is given in § 104.6, 7.

5. διδόναι, offered, representing ἐδίδοσαν, which appears in § 104.10.

6. μάλιστα μὲν, above all things, opposed to εἰ δὲ μὴ, otherwise, if not (M.T. 478).—μὴ θεῖναι, not to enact; see next note.

7. καταβάλλοντ᾽ ἐᾶν ἐν ὑπωμοσίᾳ, to drop it and let it lie under notice of indictment (lit. under the prosecutor's oath to bring an indictment). Whenever anyone brought a γραφὴ παρανόμων against a law or decree, he was required to bind himself by an oath, called ὑπωμοσία, to prosecute the case. This had the effect of suspending the law or decree if it was already finally passed, or of stopping a decree which had passed only the Senate (i.e. a προβούλευμα) from being voted on by the Assembly, until the γραφὴ παρανόμων could be tried. (See Essay II.) The meaning here is that Demosthenes was offered large sums if he would either decline to bring his new law before the νομοθέται (μὴ θεῖναι) or else quietly let it drop (ἐᾶν) when a γραφὴ παρανόμων was brought against it after it was passed.