Dikastes

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Dikastes were citizen-judges in ancient Athens. The word means judge or juror, and the dikastai formed the core of the city’s democratic courts. They were ordinary citizens, chosen by lot to sit as a panel that could hear many different cases under the laws and customs of Athens. They are somewhat like jurors, but the system had notable differences from modern juries.

Who could be a dikast and how many were chosen
To become a dikast you had to be a free citizen with full political rights and at least thirty years old. About six thousand men were picked each year. The selection was run by the nine archons (magistrates) and a scribe. Names were drawn from each tribe and divided into ten groups of 500, with extra members to fill gaps. Each dikast received a small certificate (a pinakion) showing his group letter, so he could be identified and admitted to sittings.

The oath and rules
Before serving, a dikast swore an oath. In earlier times this oath was taken at a place called Ardettus, near Athens, and later at other locations. The oath bound him to be faithful, to discharge his duties fairly and impartially, and to support the constitution. It also included commitments related to the appointment of magistrates and avoiding corruption.

Assigning courts and seating
The actual assignment of dikastes to specific courts happened as needed for each case. This was usually done by the thesmothetai (the magistrates) using a system of drawings from two urns: one for the 500-member sections and one for the courts. Depending on the case, sections might sit together or be divided, and sometimes special qualifications were required (for example, when mysteries were judged, only initiates could judge, or when military offenders were judged by those who knew the accused). After the allotment, each dikast received a staff marked with his court’s letter and color, which also served as his entrance ticket.

Payment
Dikastes were paid for their service. The pay started at about one obolus and later was often two oboli; in some periods a triobolon (three oboli) is mentioned. The payment was given after each court session, via the Kolakretai, who collected the tickets and paid the judges as they left. Late arrivals did not receive the pay. The total annual amount paid to dikastes is mentioned by Aristophanes as around 150 talents, a large sum indicating the scale of Athens’ judicial system during its peak.

In short, dikastes were citizen judges chosen by lot, serving in organized panels to hear many types of cases, sworn to fairness, and paid for their service as part of Athens’ distinctive democratic process.