lycurgus-第3章

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covenant；　the　following　clause：　〃That　if　the　people　decide　crookedly
it　should　be　lawful　for　the　elders　and　leaders　to　dissolve；〃　that　is
to　say；　refuse　ratification；　and　dismiss　the　people　as　depravers　and
perverters　of　their　counsel。　It　passed　among　the　people；　by　their
management；　as　being　equally　authentic　with　the　rest　of　the　Rhetra；　as
appears　by　these　verses　of　Tyrtaeus；…

　　　　　　　　〃These　oracles　they　from　Apollo　heard；
　　　　　　　　And　brought　from　Pytho　home　the　perfect　word：
　　　　　　　　The　heaven…appointed　kings；　who　love　the　land；
　　　　　　　　Shall　foremost　in　the　nation's　council　stand；
　　　　　　　　The　elders　next　to　them；　the　commons　last；
　　　　　　　　Let　a　straight　Rhetra　among　all　be　passed。〃

　　Although　Lycurgus　had；　in　this　manner；　used　all　the　qualifications
possible　in　the　constitution　of　his　commonwealth；　yet　those　who
succeeded　him　found　the　oligarchical　element　still　too　strong　and
dominant；　and　to　check　its　high　temper　and　its　violence；　put；　as　Plato
says；　a　bit　in　its　mouth；　which　was　the　power　of　the　ephori；
established　an　hundred　and　thirty　years　after　the　death　of　Lycurgus。
Elatus　and　his　colleagues　were　the　first　who　had　this　dignity
conferred　upon　them　in　the　reign　of　King　Theopompus；　who；　when　his
queen　upbraided　him　one　day　that　he　would　leave　the　regal　power　to　his
children　less　than　he　had　received　it　from　his　ancestors；　said　in
answer；　〃No；　greater；　for　it　will　last　longer。〃　For；　indeed；　their
prerogative　being　thus　reduced　within　reasonable　bounds；　the　Spartan
kings　were　at　once　freed　from　all　further　jealousies　and　consequent
danger；　and　never　experienced　the　calamities　of　their　neighbours　at
Messene　and　Argos；　who；　by　maintaining　their　prerogative　too
strictly　for　want　of　yielding　a　little　to　the　populace；　lost　it　all。
　　Indeed；　whosoever　shall　look　at　the　sedition　and　misgovernment　which
befell　these　bordering　nations　to　whom　they　were　as　near　related　in
blood　as　situation；　will　find　in　them　the　best　reason　to　admire　the
wisdom　and　foresight　of　Lycurgus。　For　these　three　states；　in　their
first　rise；　were　equal；　or；　if　there　were　any　odds；　they　lay　on　the
side　of　the　Messenians　and　Argives；　who；　in　the　first　allotment；
were　thought　to　have　been　luckier　than　the　Spartans；　yet　was　their
happiness　of　but　small　continuance；　partly　the　tyrannical　temper　of
their　kings　and　partly　the　ungovernableness　of　the　people　quickly
bringing　upon　them　such　disorders；　and　so　complete　an　overthrow　of　all
existing　institutions；　as　clearly　to　show　how　truly　divine　a
blessing　the　Spartans　had　had　in　that　wise　lawgiver　who　gave　their
government　its　happy　balance　and　temper。　But　of　this　I　shall　say
more　in　its　due　place。
　　After　the　creation　of　the　thirty　senators；　his　next　task；　and；
indeed；　the　most　hazardous　he　ever　undertook；　was　the　making　a　new
division　of　their　lands。　For　there　was　an　extreme　inequality　amongst
them；　and　their　state　was　overloaded　with　a　multitude　of　indigent
and　necessitous　persons；　while　its　whole　wealth　had　centred　upon　a
very　few。　To　the　end；　therefore；　that　he　might　expel　from　the　state
arrogance　and　envy；　luxury　and　crime；　and　those　yet　more　inveterate
diseases　of　want　and　superfluity；　he　obtained　of　them　to　renounce
their　properties；　and　to　consent　to　a　new　division　of　the　land；　and
that　they　should　live　all　together　on　an　equal　footing；　merit　to　be
their　only　road　to　eminence；　and　the　disgrace　of　evil；　and　credit　of
worthy　acts；　their　one　measure　of　difference　between　man　and　man。
　　Upon　their　consent　to　these　proposals；　proceeding　at　once　to　put
them　into　execution；　he　divided　the　country　of　Laconia　in　general　into
thirty　thousand　equal　shares；　and　the　part　attached　to　the　city　of
Sparta　into　nine　thousand；　these　he　distributed　among　the　Spartans；　as
he　did　the　others　to　the　country　citizens。　Some　authors　say　that　he
made　but　six　thousand　lots　for　the　citizens　of　Sparta；　and　that　King
Polydorus　added　three　thousand　more。　Others　say　that　Polydorus　doubled
the　number　Lycurgus　had　made；　which；　according　to　them；　was　but　four
thousand　five　hundred。　A　lot　was　so　much　as　to　yield；　one　year　with
another；　about　seventy　bushels　of　grain　for　the　master　of　the
family；　and　twelve　for　his　wife；　with　a　suitable　proportion　of　oil　and
wine。　And　this　he　thought　sufficient　to　keep　their　bodies　in　good
health　and　strength；　superfluities　they　were　better　without。　It　is
reported；　that；　as　he　returned　from　a　journey　shortly　after　the
division　of　the　lands；　in　harvest　time；　the　ground　being　newly　reaped；
seeing　the　stacks　all　standing　equal　and　alike；　he　smiled；　and　said　to
those　about　him；　〃Methinks　all　Laconia　looks　like　one　family　estate
just　divided　among　a　number　of　brothers。〃
　　Not　contented　with　this；　he　resolved　to　make　a　division　of　their
movables　too；　that　there　might　be　no　odious　distinction　or
inequality　left　amongst　them；　but　finding　that　it　would　be　very
dangerous　to　go　about　it　openly；　he　took　another　course；　and
defeated　their　avarice　by　the　following　stratagem：　he　commanded　that
all　gold　and　silver　coin　should　be　called　in；　and　that　only　a　sort
of　money　made　of　iron　should　be　current；　a　great　weight　and　quantity
of　which　was　very　little　worth；　so　that　to　lay　up　twenty　or　thirty
pounds　there　was　required　a　pretty　large　closet；　and；　to　remove　it；
nothing　less　than　a　yoke　of　oxen。　With　the　diffusion　of　this　money；　at
once　a　number　of　vices　were　banished　from　Lacedaemon；　for　who　would
rob　another　of　such　a　coin？　Who　would　unjustly　detain　or　take　by
force；　or　accept　as　a　bribe；　a　thing　which　it　was　not　easy　to　hide；
nor　a　credit　to　have；　nor　indeed　of　any　use　to　cut　in　pieces？　For　when
it　was　just　red　hot；　they　quenched　it　in　vinegar；　and　by　that　means
spoilt　it；　and　made　it　almost　incapable　of　being　worked。
　　In　the　next　place；　he　declared　an　outlawry　of　all　needless　and
superfluous　arts；　but　here　he　might　almost　have　spared　his
proclamation；　for　they　of　themselves　would　have　gone　after　the　gold
and　silver；　the　money　which　remained　being　not　so　proper　payment　for
curious　work；　for；　being　of　iron；　it　was　scarcely　portable；　neither；
if　they　should　take　the　means　to　export　it；　would　it　pass　amongst
the　other　Greeks；　who　ridiculed　it。　So　there　was　now　no　more　means
of　purchasing　foreign　goods　and　small　wares；　merchants　sent　no
shiploads　into　Laconian　ports；　no　rhetoric…master；　no　itinerate
fortune…teller；　no　harlot…monger；　or　gold　or　silversmith；　engraver；　or
jeweller；　set　foot　in　a　country　which　had　no　money；　so　that　luxury；
deprived　little　by　little　of　that　which　fed　and　fomented　it；　wasted　to
nothing　and　died　away　of　itself。　For　the　rich　had　no　advantage　here
over　the　poor；　as　their　wealth　and　abundance　had　no　road　to　come
abroad　by　but　were　shut　up　at　home　doing　nothing。　And　in　this　way　they
became　excellent　artists　in　common；　necessary　things；　bedsteads；
chairs；　and　tables；　and　such　like　staple　utensils　in　a　family；　were
admirably　well　made　there；　their　cup；　particularly；　was　very　much　in
fashion；　and　eagerly　bought　up　by　soldiers；　as　Critias　reports；　for
its　colour　was　such　as　to　prevent　water；　drunk　upon　necessity　and
disagreeable　to　look　at；　from　being　noticed；　and　the　shape　of　it　was
such　that　the　mud　stuck　to　the　sides；　so　that　only　the　purer　part　came
to　the　drinker's　mouth。　For　this　also；　they　had　to　thank　their
lawgiver；　who；　by　relieving　the　artisans　of　the　trouble　of　making
useless　things；　set　them　to　show　their　skill　in　giving；　beauty　to
those　of　daily　and　indispensable　use。
　　The　third　and　most　masterly　stroke　of　this　great　lawgiver；　by
which　he　struck　a　yet　more　effectual　blow　against　luxury　and　the
desire　of　riches；　was　the　ordinance　he　made；　that　they　should　all
eat　in　common；　of　the　same　bread　and　same　meat；　and　of　kinds　that　were
specified；　and　should　not　spend　their　lives　at　home；　laid　on　costly
couches　at　splendid　tables；　delivering　themselves　up　into　the　hands　of
their　tradesmen　and　cooks；　to　fatten　them　in　corners；　like　greedy
brutes；　and　to　ruin　not　their　minds　only　but　their　very　bodies
which；　enfeebled　by　indulgence　and　excess；　would　stand　in　need　of　long
sleep；　warm　bathing；　freedom　from　work；　and；　in　a　word；　of　as　much
care　and　attendance　as　if　they　were　continually　sick