[599] Plato, _Rep._ 518. [600] Plato, _Phaidr._ 277 A. [601] Plato, _Phaidr._ 276 D, E. [602] Plato apparently regarded his dialogues as mere trifles compared with what he taught to his inner circle. [603] Plato, _Phaidr._ 278 D. [604] Xen. _Anab._ vii. 5. 14. [605] Xen. _Mem._ iv. 2. [606] Xen. _Horsemanship_, i. [607] Xen. _Econ._ xvi. [608] Aristot. _Pol._ i. 11. 7. [609] Plato, _Gorg._ 518 B. [610] Aristot. _Pol._ ii. 3. 9. [611] Plato, _Apol._ 26 D. CHAPTER VII TERTIARY EDUCATION When he reached eighteen years, the young Athenian partly came of age. His property passed into his possession, if he had been a ward, and he could now prosecute his guardians if they had defrauded him. But he could not appear in any other sort of lawsuit, or take part in the National Assembly, nor could he be taxed, till he was twenty. First of all, his deme or parish had to examine him to see if he was of proper parentage and of the requisite age.[612] If they rejected him, the case came before the regular Court of Athens. In the event of being again rejected, if it was on the score of age, he returned to the ranks of the boys to wait a further trial, but if on the score of parentage, he might be sold as a slave and his price put into the Treasury. If his deme accepted him he was again examined by the Boule of 500 at Athens, who might rescind their decision.[613] When he had passed all these preliminary examinations, the boy was inscribed upon the roll of his deme, the ληξιαρχικὸν γραμματεῖον [lêxiarchikon grammateion], and became in the eyes of the law an ephebos. It was then incumbent upon him to take a solemn oath in the temple of Aglauros, in the following terms[614]:―― “I will not disgrace my sacred weapons nor desert the comrade who is placed by my side. I will fight for things holy and things profane, whether I am alone or with others. I will hand on my fatherland greater and better than I found it. I will hearken to the magistrates, and obey the existing laws and those hereafter established[615] by the people. I will not consent unto any that destroys or disobeys the constitution, but will prevent him, whether I am alone or with others. I will honour the temples and the religion which my forefathers established. So help me Aglauros, Enualios, Ares, Zeus, Thallo, Auxo, Hegemone.”