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A metic is one who is migrating [metoikw=n] from one city [and residing permanently] in another and not visiting briefly, as a foreigner [does]. Every year [a tax of] twelve drachmas, which bore the name metic-tax, used to be paid by them. Isaeus in the [speech] Against Elpagoras and Demophanes indicates that the man paid twelve drachmas in metic-tax, the woman six; also that a mother did not pay if her son did - she paid it only if he did not.[1] When slaves had been freed by their masters they paid the metic-tax. Menander says that, besides the twelve drachmas, these men also pay a three-obol tax, perhaps to the tax-collector.[2] However, metics not laying out the metic-tax used to be hauled in front of the citizens,[3] and, if convicted, were sold. They also used to send the metics aboard the warships, as Demosthenes shows in [the] Philippics.[4] The comic poets used to call the metics "bowl-men",[5] since it was they who carried the bowls in the [festival] processions.

*metoi/kion: me/toikos me/n e)stin o( e)c e(te/ras po/lews metoikw=n e)n e(te/ra| kai\ mh\ pro\s o)li/gon e)pidhmw=n, w(s ce/nos. e)di/donto de\ u(p' au)tw=n kaq' e(/kaston e)/tos draxmai\ ib#, o(/per w)no/mastai metoi/kion. *)isai=os de\ e)n tw=| kat' *)elpago/rou kai\ *dhmofa/nous u(poshmai/nei, o(/ti o( me\n a)nh\r ib# draxma\s e)te/lei metoi/kion, h( de\ gunh\ #2#: kai\ o(/ti tou= ui(ou= telou=ntos h( mh/thr ou)k e)te/lei, mh\ telou=ntos de\ au)th\ e)te/lei. oi( dou=loi de\ a)feqe/ntes u(po\ tw=n despotw=n e)te/loun to\ metoi/kion. *me/nandros de/ fhsi pro\s tai=s ib# draxmai=s kai\ triw/bolon tou/tous telei=n, i)/sws tw=| telw/nh|. oi( me/ntoi metoi/kion mh\ tiqe/ntes me/toikoi a)ph/gonto pro\s tou\s poli/tas, kai\ ei) e(a/lwnto, e)pipra/skonto. e)nebi/bazon de\ kai\ ei)s ta\s nau=s tou\s metoi/kous, w(s *dhmosqe/nhs e)n *filippikoi=s dhloi=. e)ka/loun de\ oi( kwmikoi\ skafe/as tou\s metoi/kous, e)pei\ e)n tai=s pompai=s ta\s ska/fas e)ko/mizon ou(=toi.

Full though this entry is, it abridges the even fuller one in Harpokration s.v.
See also mu 820.
[1] Isaeus fr. 48 Sauppe.
[2] Harpok. identifies Menander's Anatithemene and Twins as sources (frs. 32 and 107 Koerte, now 33 and 116 K.-A.).
[3] Following the reading of the mss (poli/tai), but this is clearly a dictation error. The original reading in Harpok. was pwlh/tai ("sellers", i.e. tax officials), homophonous in late Greek.
[4] Demosthenes 4.36 (web address 1).
[5] This point is registered at Comica adespota fr. 1144 Kock, now 240 K.-A.

William Hutton (cosmetics, modified translation, added note, link and keyword, set status) on 17 September 2003@15:01:54.
David Whitehead (cosmetics) on 18 September 2003@02:50:15.
David Whitehead (another keyword) on 23 October 2005@09:44:34.
David Whitehead (cosmetics) on 12 July 2011@07:14:19.
David Whitehead on 20 May 2013@06:54:15.
David Whitehead on 28 December 2014@06:22:29.
David Whitehead on 18 May 2016@06:07:57.

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