A source-book of ancient history - The Search For Mecca

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Economy and Colonization
Government.
lb. 5-
Timuchi,
"holders of
honor"
(office.)
Livelihood.
dess appeared in a dream to Aristarcha, one of the most
honorable women of the city, and commanded her to accompany
the Phocaeans, and to take with her a plan of
the temple and statues. When this was done and the
colony settled, the Phocseans built a temple, and evinced
their great respect for Aristarcha by making her priestess.
All the colonies sent out from Marseilles hold this goddess
in peculiar reverence, preserving the form of the statue
as well as every rite observed in the mother-city.
The Massalians live under a well-regulated aristocracy.
They have a council composed of six hundred persons
called timuchi, who enjoy this dignity for Hfe. Fifteen
timuchi preside over the council and have the management
of current affairs; these fifteen are presided over by
three of their number, in whom rests the chief authority;
and of these three, one is chairman. No one can become
a timuchus unless he has children and has been a citizen
for three generations.
Their laws, which are the same as
those of the lonians, they expound in public.
Their country abounds in vines and olives, but on account
of its ruggedness their wheat is poor. Hence they
trust more to the resources of the sea than of the land, and
avail themselves of their excellent position for commerce.
They have found it possible, however, through perseverance
to annex some of the surrounding plains, and also
to found cities.
Of this number are the cities they founded
in Iberia as a rampart against the Iberians, in which they
introduced the worship of Artemis of Ephesus as practised
in the fatherland, with the Greek mode of sacrifice. . . .
They possess also dry docks and armories. Formerly
they had an abundance of vessels, arms, and machines
for navigation and for besieging towns, by which means
they defended themselves against the barbarians.