parastasis

PARA´STASIS(παράστασις), a fee of one drachm paid to an arbitrator by the plaintiff, on bringing his cause before him, and by the defendant, on putting in his answer; likewise on making an application for delay, and probably also on making a counter-affidavit (Pollux, 8.39, 127; Harpocr. s. v.: cf. [Dem.] c. Timoth. p. 1190.19; Photius and Etym. M. s. v. παρακατάστασις). Meier (Privatschiedsrichter, etc. p. 13 f.) is of opinion that the state received these fees, and out of them paid the public arbitrators a drachm for every day they were engaged in their official duties; yet both Pollux and Harpocration use the expression λαμβάνειν of the arbitrator.

The same name was given to the fee (probably a drachm) paid to the state by the prosecutor in certain public causes. Aristotle (in Harpocr. s. v.) mentions as γραφαὶ to be laid before the thesmothetae those in which this fee had to be paid, viz. ξενίας, δωροξενίας, φευδεγγραφῆς, ψευδοκλητείας, βουλεύσεως, ἀγραφίου and μοιχείας: and from Andoc. de Myst. § 120, we learn that παράστασις had to be paid by one who claimed an heiress in marriage as having a better title than another. On the other hand, this fee was not paid in an εἰσαγγελία κακώσεως ἐπικλήρων (Isae. Pyrrh. § 45), nor probably in a γραφὴ ὕβρεως (Isocr. Lochit. § 2). (Att. Process, ed. Lipsius, p. 813 f.)