ll as male guardians, and with priestesses as well
as priests, whose duty it was to fulfil sacerdotal functions. Special
attention is drawn to this point, as in practice, it naturally signifies a
dual government, such as I have traced in ancient Egypt,
Babylonia-Assyria, and also in Mexico and Peru.

"As regards the number of ... festivals ... let there be three hundred and
sixty-five ... so that some one of the magistrates may always sacrifice
... there are to be twelve festivals to the twelve gods from whom each
tribe has its name ... and twelve guardians of the law.... There ought to
be twelve hamlets, one in the middle of each twelfth part, and in each
hamlet to be selected first, a market place and temples ... prepare all
the rest of the country by it into thirteen parts for the handicraftsmen
and to cause one portion of these to reside in the city by distributing
this portion among the twelve parts of the whole city ... to have other
persons distributed out of the city, in a circle around it."

The portions of Plato's work dealing with the appointment of the governors
and guardians of the state and their rotations in office and imposed tours
of inspection, are of such particular interest in connection with the
present comparative research, that I am impelled to quote them here.

"Let each (of the twelve) phyles furnish for the year five Rural Stewards
(in all sixty) ... each of whom is to choose twelve young men ... to the
latter let there be allotted portions of the country during a month ... so
that all of them may have a practical knowledge of every part of the
country.... But let the governorship and guardianship continue to the
guards and governors for two years, and let those who first obtain by lot
their respective portions, the guard officers, lead out, _changing the
places of the country constantly by going to the place next in order
towards the right in a circle, and let the right be that which is in the
east_. But as the years come around, in the second year, in order that the
greatest portion of the guards may become acquainted with the country, not
only at one season of the year, but that as many as possible may know
thoroughly in addition to the country, at the same time what occurs
relatively to each spot in the country at each season, let the officers
_lead them out again to the left, constantly changing the place until they
go through the second year_. In the third year it is meet to choose other