ABSTRACT
An Athenian selected for public office had to undergo a candidacy examination called a dokimasia (often translated “scrutiny”). The candidate was asked (Ath. Pol. 55.3-4): “Who is your father and what is his deme? Who is your father’s father? Who is your mother? Who is your mother’s father and what is his deme? Do you have an ancestral Apollo and a Zeus of the Courtyard, and where are their sanctuaries? Do you have a family tomb, and where is it? Do you treat your parents well? Do you perform the sacrifices? Have you served on the assigned military campaigns?” Witnesses were called to verify the candidate’s answers. Then the examiner asked, “Does anyone wish to accuse this man?” If an accuser came forward, he gave a speech, then the candidate spoke in his own defense. Finally, the body hearing the dokimasia voted to accept or reject the candidate.
