Extract

Proedroi were chairmen. In the 5th cent. bce in Athens the chairman at meetings of the *boulē and *ekklēsia was the foreman of the *prytaneis; but later, probably from 403/2 onwards, this duty was taken over by proedroi, presumably because the foreman of the prytaneis was thought to be overburdened. At each meeting of the boulē or ekklēsia the foreman of the prytaneis picked nine proedroi by lot from the other members of the boulē, one from each of the ten *phylai except that to which the prytaneis themselves belonged, and then he picked by lot one of these nine proedroi to be their foreman (ἐπιστάτης). One man could not be a proedros more than once in a prytany, nor foreman of the proedroi more than once in a year. The proedroi kept order at the meeting, brought forward the various items of business in accordance with the agenda, counted or estimated the votes given by show of hands, and finally dismissed the meeting.