Literally “an advocate,” but applied to Athenian officers of various functions. Litigants were theoretically required to conduct their cases in person, but the practice early arose of employing a friend, or later a hired expert, to act as συνήγορος. Such an advocate, after a short speech by his principal, would assume the leading part in the trial. An example of this is the defence of Ctesiphon by Demosthenes, against the accusation of Aeschines, though in this case Demosthenes was himself indirectly involved. The terms συνήγορος and (Syndicus) σύνδικος seem to have been used indiscriminately in many cases. Thus the officers referred to under Syndicus (1, 2, 3) were known also as συνήγοροι. The term was also applied to magistrates chosen by lot to assist the λογισταί in the scrutiny of the accounts of a retiring magistrate ( Pol. Ath. 54; Schol. Aristoph. Vesp.689).

Index Law