Ἀποτιμηταὶ
apotimetai, guarantors
Translated by David Whitehead8 Oct 2000Vetting: high8 revisions
Translation
['Guarantors'] and '[a] guarantee' and 'to guarantee' and derivatives from these: those renting the houses of orphans from the [Athenian] archon used to provide securities for the rent; and the archon had to send out individuals to guarantee the securities. And the securities were called "guarantees" and the men who had done the guaranteeing "guarantors", and the action "to guarantee". Also, those giving a dowry to a woman getting married used to ask from the husband[-to-be] a security for the dowry - a house or plot of land of equal value. [In such circumstances] the giver of the guarantee was said "to guarantee" it, in the active sense, while the recipient was [said] "to be guaranteed". The same word is also used for other debts, as [we see from] both Demosthenes in the second [speech] Against Onetor...1