First published in 1933 as the second edition of an 1891 original, this book contains the text of the prize-winning dissertation by James Wycliffe Headlam (later James Headlam-Morley) on the ancient Athenian practice of election by lot. Headlam reviews the custom from its inception in the sixth century BC and its introduction into a variety of public offices such as the magistracy and public finance using a wide range of sources, both ancient and modern. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in ancient democracy and its application.