From this it would appear that the authority of the parents was equal; though generally at Athens, as Plato[564] elsewhere complains, greater reverence was paid to the commands of the mother even than to those of the father. Indeed to be wanting in respect to her was there deemed the _ne plus ultra_ of depravity.[565] The father, however, of necessity took a considerable share in the instruction and moral training of his son,[566] who at home profited by his conversation, and, arrived at the proper age, accompanied him abroad.[567] When reduced to the state of orphanhood the republic took children under its own protection, not considering it safe to intrust them to the sole guidance of masters or pædagogues. Footnote 564: Repub. viii. 5. t. ii. p. 182. Stallb. Footnote 565: Aristoph. Nub. 1443. Δυοῖν δ᾽ ὀνομάτοιν σεβασμίοιν πᾶσαι τιμαι μένουσιν, ἐξίσου παρτὶ μητέρα προσκυνούντων.—Luc. Amor. § 19. Footnote 566: On the force of example and imitation see Plato, de Rep. t. vi. p. 124. Footnote 567: Plat. Lach. t. i. p. 269.—Among the public places to which a father might take his sons the courts of law were not included, though we find Demosthenes, when a boy, contriving to introduce himself, where unseen of the judges he might listen to the eloquence of Callistratos.—Victor. Var. Lect. l. xxx. c. 20. Care, too, was taken lest those public schools, established for the advancement of virtue and morals, should themselves be converted into nurseries of vice. They were by law[568] forbidden to be opened before sunrise, and were closed at sunset; nor during the day could any other men be introduced besides the teachers,[569] though it appears from some of Plato’s dialogues that this enactment was not very strictly observed.[570] To prevent habits of brawling, boys were forbidden to assemble in crowds in the streets on their way to school. Nor were these laws deemed sufficient; but still further to protect their morals ten annual magistrates called Sophronistæ, one from each tribe, were elected by show of hands,[571] whose sole business it was to watch over the manners of youth. This magistracy, dated as far back as the age of Solon,[572] and continued in force to the latest time. The Gymnasiarch, another magistrate,[573] was intrusted with the superintendence of the Gymnasia, which, like the public games and festivals, appeared to require peculiar care; and, if we can receive the testimony of Plautus[574] for the classical ages of the commonwealth, transgressors received severe chastisement. Footnote 568: Æsch. cont. Timarch. § 5, 6. Footnote 569: See Theoph. Char. c. 5. Sch. Aristoph. Nub. 180. Footnote 570: Lysis. t. i. p. 145. Theætet. t. iii. p. 179. Footnote 571: Etym. Mag. 742. 38. Footnote 572: Cramer de Educ. Puer. ap. Athen. p. 13. Footnote 573: Vandale Dissert. pp. 584–727. Footnote 574: Bacchid. iii. 3.