The principal magistrates in the Ancient Greece were the 9 archons, who formed a corps of 10 with the secretary of the tesmótetas. The principal archons were:
- The chief or eponymous archon: he was the visible head of the State and gave his name to the year. With executive functions within the civil life of the city, it was the highest authority unless it was at war or extraordinary situation. He presided over and organized the great Dionysians and had some judicial duties: he is responsible for judicial processes.
- The archon king (basileus): was the main religious official of the state and judicially understood in religious causes. Heir to the rituals of the kings, he is in charge of the Mysteries, of the public sacrifices in general, of the processions, of the January Dionysians. He is the president of the Areopagus.
- Archon polemarco: he was no longer military leader, but he understood in the judicial cases of non-citizens. The Polemarco organizes civic ceremonies in relation to the army.
- The 6 archbishops tesmótetas: they were in charge of judicial and legal functions. They were the magistrates in charge of transcribing and guarding the sentences issued by the judges. The six tesmotetas (or depositaries of the institutions) instruct the rest of the causes and lawsuits. In the fourth century they revise and coordinate annually the set of the legislated.
Lately there are many people that criticize the current form of democracy (government of the people) that is practiced in most of the Western countries, since it is very easy to become a demagogy. In a demagogy we seek to direct the people through propaganda and discourse, that is, to convince ourselves of what is best for us through words. The thing is that we do not have fallen into a demagogy at this time, but it is true that in our democracy there is a lot of demagogy. A lot is said and little is done, and when someone does something (some of those who rule) he is criticized for it.
The Greek philosopher Plato said that it is very easy for democracy to derive towards a demagogy, practically as easy as monarchy derives towards a tyranny. To avoid the deformations of the forms of government, he proposed a new form based on the education and training of the leaders, seeking to create a political class whose work and purpose in life was "to command" and for which they had been prepared for decades.
