in antiquity. The ceryces were a sort of public crier appointed to proclaim or publish things aloud in assemblies. The ceryx among the Greeks answered to the praeco among the Romans. Our criers have only a small part of their office and authority.

There were two kinds of ceryces, civil and sacred. The former were those appointed to call assemblies, and make silence therein; also to go on messages, and do the office of our heralds, &c. The sacred ceryces were a sort of priests, whose office was to proclaim silence in the public games and sacrifices, publish the names of the conquerors, proclaim feasts, and the like. The priesthood of the ceryces was annexed to a particular family, the descendants of Ceryx, son of Eumolpus. To them it also belonged to lead solemn victims to slaughter. Before the ceremonies began, they called silence in the assembly, by the formula, Ευφραντεῖς ὁρᾶτε πρὸς τὸ λέγειν; answered to the favete linguis of the Romans. When the service was over, they dismissed the people with this formula, Δαιμῶν αὐτοῖς, Ἰε, μῆλα εἰ.