‘And if a man slays a man not with intent (to kill), let him be put on trial (φεύγειν), and let the “Kings” judge of the causes of death, or, if anyone accuses a person of slaying without deliberation (μὴ βουλεύσαντα), let the Ephetae adjudicate. And the “appeasement,” if there is a father or (and) brother(s) or (and) sons (of the slain), let all (accept) or let one objector hold the field: if there be none of these, let (the “appeasement” extend) to cousinship and cousins, provided all consent to be “appeased” having sworn the (customary) oath: if there be none of these (_i.e._ cousins) and if the man slays involuntarily, and the Fifty-one, the Ephetae, decide that he slew involuntarily, let ten phrateres permit his return from exile,[13A] if they (all) agree, and let the Fifty-one select these (ten) according to birth (or rank or merit—ἄριστίνδην), and let (all) previous slayers be bound by this law: ... and if any person slays a manslayer or causes (_i.e._ plots) his death while the manslayer abstains from the boundary markets and from Amphictyonic games and festivals, let him be liable to the same penalty as if he had slain an Athenian (citizen): and let the Ephetae judge the case: ... it is lawful to kill manslayers or to arrest them, in our territory (ἡμεδαπῇ) but it is not lawful to torture them or to amerce them: the fine payable shall be twice the amercement: ... if any person slays on the spur of the moment in self-defence a man who tries by violence unjustly to rob and plunder him, let his act of bloodshed go unpunished.’ Philippi[14] finds the reference to ‘the kings’ in this inscription rather difficult to explain. He thinks that the allusion can only be to archons, but he feels also that ‘it seems inadmissible to assume collegiate functioning after the archonship became annual.’ He therefore views with sympathy the extraordinary suggestion of Köhler, that τὸς βασιλέας means τοὺς ἀεὶ βασιλεύοντας, that ‘the kings’ are ‘those who from time to time held the office of king-archon.’ The solution of this, as of other difficulties in the inscription, is, we believe, to be found in a correct analysis of the word ἄκων, which means ‘involuntarily’ or without intent.