Kitap 2
35
Ophellas of Olynthus appointed an officer to superintend the revenues of the Province of Athribis. The local governors came to him, and told him they were willing to pay a much larger amount in taxes; but asked him to remove the present superintendent. Ophellas inquired if they were really able to pay what they promised; and on their assuring him that they were, left the superintendent in office and instructed him to demand from them the amount of tax which they themselves had assessed. And so, without being chargeable either with discountenancing the officer he had appointed, or with taxing the governors beyond their own estimate, he obtained from the latter many times his previous revenue.
36
Pythocles the Athenian recommended his fellow-countrymen that the State should take over from private citizens the lead obtained from the mines of LauriumThese silver mines were state property; but mining rights therein were let to private citizens. Lead and silver were found in the same ore and had to be separated. The weight of the lead is not specified: it may have been a talent of 80 lbs. See Boeckh, Staatshaushaltung der Athener; and Xen. Ways. at the price of two drachmae 〈per talent〉 which they were asking, and should itself sell it at the fixed price of six drachmae.
