lycurgus-第4章

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sleep；　warm　bathing；　freedom　from　work；　and；　in　a　word；　of　as　much
care　and　attendance　as　if　they　were　continually　sick。　It　was　certainly
an　extraordinary　thing　to　have　brought　about　such　a　result　as　this；
but　a　greater　yet　to　have　taken　away　from　wealth；　as　Theophrastus
observes；　not　merely　the　property　of　being　coveted；　but　its　very
nature　of　being　wealth。　For　the　rich；　being　obliged　to　go　to　the
same　table　with　the　poor；　could　not　make　use　of　or　enjoy　their
abundance；　nor　so　much　as　please　their　vanity　by　looking　at　or
displaying　it。　So　that　the　common　proverb；　that　Plutus；　the　god　of
riches；　is　blind；　was　nowhere　in　all　the　world　literally　verified
but　in　Sparta。　There；　indeed；　he　was　not　only　blind；　but　like　a
picture；　without　either　life　or　motion。　Nor　were　they　allowed　to
take　food　at　home　first；　and　then　attend　the　public　tables；　for
every　one　had　an　eye　upon　those　who　did　not　eat　and　drink　like　the
rest；　and　reproached　them　with　being　dainty　and　effeminate。
　　This　last　ordinance　in　particular　exasperated　the　wealthier　men。
They　collected　in　a　body　against　Lycurgus；　and　from　ill　words　came
to　throwing　stones；　so　that　at　length　he　was　forced　to　run　out　of
the　market…place；　and　make　to　sanctuary　to　save　his　life；　by
good…hap　he　outran　all；　excepting　one　Alcander；　a　young　man
otherwise　not　ill　accomplished；　but　hasty　and　violent；　who　came　up
so　close　to　him；　that　when　he　turned　to　see　who　was　so　near　him；　he
struck　him　upon　the　face　with　his　stick；　and　put　out　one　of　his
eyes。　Lycurgus；　so　far　from　being　daunted　and　discouraged　by　this
accident；　stopped　short　and　showed　his　disfigured　face　and　eye　beat
out　to　his　countrymen；　they；　dismayed　and　ashamed　at　the　sight；
delivered　Alcander　into　his　hands　to　be　punished；　and　escorted　him
home；　with　expressions　of　great　concern　for　his　ill…usage。　Lycurgus；
having　thanked　them　for　their　care　of　his　person；　dismissed　them
all；　excepting　only　Alcander；　and；　taking　him　with　him　into　his　house；
neither　did　nor　said　anything　severely　to　him；　but；　dismissing　those
whose　place　it　was；　bade　Alcander　to　wait　upon　him　at　table。　The　young
man；　who　was　of　an　ingenuous　temper；　without　murmuring　did　as　he　was
commanded；　and　being　thus　admitted　to　live　with　Lycurgus；　he　had　an
opportunity　to　observe　in　him；　besides　his　gentleness　and　calmness
of　temper；　an　extraordinary　sobriety　and　an　indefatigable　industry；
and　so；　from　an　enemy；　became　one　of　his　most　zealous　admirers；　and
told　his　friends　and　relations　that　Lycurgus　was　not　that　morose　and
ill…natured　man　they　had　formerly　taken　him　for；　but　the　one　mild
and　gentle　character　of　the　world。　And　thus　did　Lycurgus；　for
chastisement　of　his　fault；　make　of　a　wild　and　passionate　young　man　one
of　the　discreetest　citizens　of　Sparta。
　　In　memory　of　this　accident；　Lycurgus　built　a　temple　to　Minerva；
surnamed　Optiletis；　optilus　being　the　Doric　of　these　parts　for
ophthalmus；　the　eye。　Some　authors；　however；　of　whom　Dioscorides　is　one
（who　wrote　a　treatise　on　the　commonwealth　of　Sparta）；　say　that　he
was　wounded；　indeed；　but　did　not　lose　his　eye　with　the　blow；　but
that　he　built　the　temple　in　gratitude　for　the　cure。　Be　this　as　it
will；　certain　it　is；　that；　after　this　misadventure；　the　Lacedaemonians
made　it　a　rule　never　to　carry　so　much　as　a　staff　into　their　public
assemblies。
　　But　to　return　to　their　public　repast；…　these　had　several　names　in
Greek；　the　Cretans　called　them　andria；　because　the　men　only　came　to
them。　The　Lacedaemonians　called　them　phiditia；　that　is；　by　changing
l　into　d；　the　same　as　philitia；　love　feasts；　because　that；　by　eating
and　drinking　together；　they　had　opportunity　of　making　friends。　Or
perhaps　from　phido；　parsimony；　because　they　were　so　many　schools　of
sobriety；　or　perhaps　the　first　letter　is　an　addition；　and　the　word
at　first　was　editia；　from　edode；　eating。　They　met　by　companies　of
fifteen；　more　or　less；　and　each　of　them　stood　bound　to　bring　in
monthly　a　bushel　of　meal；　eight　gallons　of　wine；　five　pounds　of
cheese；　two　pounds　and　a　half　of　figs；　and　a　very　　small　sum　of
money　to　buy　flesh　or　fish　with。　Besides　this；　when　any　of　them　made
sacrifice　to　the　gods；　they　always　sent　a　dole　to　the　common　hall；
and；　likewise；　when　any　of　them　had　been　a　hunting；　he　sent　thither
a　part　of　the　venison　he　had　killed；　for　these　two　occasions　were
the　only　excuses　allowed　for　supping　at　home。　The　custom　of　eating
together　was　observed　strictly　for　a　great　while　afterwards；
insomuch　that　King　Agis　himself；　after　having　vanquished　the
Athenians；　sending　for　his　commons　at　his　return　home；　because　he
desired　to　eat　privately　with　his　queen；　was　refused　them　by　the
polemarchs；　which　refusal　when　he　resented　so　much　as　to　omit　next　day
the　sacrifice　due　for　a　war　happily　ended；　they　made　him　pay　a　fine。
　　They　used　to　send　their　children　to　these　tables　as　to　schools　of
temperance；　here　they　were　instructed　in　state　affairs　by　listening　to
experienced　statesmen；　here　they　learned　to　converse　with
pleasantry；　to　make　jests　without　scurrility　and　take　them　without　ill
humour。　In　this　point　of　good　breeding；　the　Lacedaemonians　excelled
particularly；　but　if　any　man　were　uneasy　under　it；　upon　the　least　hint
given；　there　was　no　more　to　be　said　to　him。　It　was　customary　also
for　the　eldest　man　in　the　company　to　say　to　each　of　them；　as　they　came
in；　〃Through　this〃　（pointing　to　the　door）；　〃no　words　go　out。〃　When　any
one　had　a　desire　to　be　admitted　into　any　of　these　little　societies；　he
was　to　go　through　the　following　probation：　each　man　in　the　company
took　a　little　ball　of　soft　bread；　which　they　were　to　throw　into　a　deep
basin；　which　a　waiter　carried　round　upon　his　head；　those　that　liked
the　person　to　be　chosen　dropped　their　ball　into　the　basin　without
altering　its　figure；　and　those　who　disliked　him　pressed　it　betwixt
their　fingers；　and　made　it　flat；　and　this　signified　as　much　as　a
negative　voice。　And　if　there　were　but　one　of　these　flattened　pieces　in
the　basin；　the　suitor　was　rejected；　so　desirous　were　they　that　all　the
members　of　the　company　should　be　agreeable　to　each　other。　The　basin
was　called　caddichus；　and　the　rejected　candidate　had　a　name　thence
derived。　Their　most　famous　dish　was　the　black　broth；　which　was　so　much
valued　that　the　elderly　men　fed　only　upon　that；　leaving　what　flesh
there　was　to　the　younger。
　　They　say　that　a　certain　king　of　Pontus；　having　heard　much　of　this
black　broth　of　theirs；　sent　for　a　Lacedaemonian　cook　on　purpose　to
make　him　some；　but　had　no　sooner　tasted　it　than　he　found　it
extremely　bad；　which　the　cook　observing；　told　him；　〃Sir；　to　make
this　broth　relish；　you　should　have　bathed　yourself　first　in　the
river　Eurotas。〃
　　After　drinking　moderately；　every　man　went　to　his　home　without
lights；　for　the　use　of　them　was；　on　all　occasions；　forbid　to　the　end
that　they　might　accustom　themselves　to　march　boldly　in　the　dark。
Such　was　the　common　fashion　of　their　meals。
　　Lycurgus　would　never　reduce　his　laws　into　writing；　nay　there　is　a
Rhetra　expressly　to　forbid　it。　For　he　thought　that　the　most　material
points；　and　such　as　most　directly　tended　to　the　public　welfare；
being　imprinted　on　the　hearts　of　their　youth　by　a　good　discipline；
would　be　sure　to　remain；　and　would　find　a　stronger　security；　than
any　compulsion　would　be　in　the　principles　of　action　formed　in　them
by　their　best　lawgiver；　education。　And　as　for　things　of　lesser
importance；　as　pecuniary　contracts；　and　such　like；　the　forms　of
which　have　to　be　changed　as　occasion　requires；　he　thought　it　the
best　way　to　prescribe　no　positive　rule　or　inviolable　usage　in　such
cases；　willing　that　their　manner　and　form　should　be　altered
according　to　the　circumstances　of　time；　and　determinations　of　men　of
sound　judgment。　Every　end　and　object　of　law　and　enactment　it　was　his
design　education　should　effect。
　　One；　then；　of　the　Rhetras　was；　that　their　laws　should　not　be
written；　another　is　particularly　levelled　against　luxury　and
expensiveness；　for　by　it　was　ordained　that　the　ceilings　of　their
houses　should　only　be　wrought　by　the　axe；　and　their　gates　and　doors
smoothed　only　by　the　saw。　Epaminondas's　famous　dictum　about　his　own
table；　that　〃Treason　and　a　dinner　like　this　do　not　keep　company
togethe