lycurgus-第9章

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few　of　their　sayings。　Paedaretus；　not　being　admitted　into　the　list
of　the　three　hundred；　returned　home　with　a　joyful　face；　well　pleased
to　find　that　there　were　in　Sparta　three　hundred　better　men　than
himself。　And　Polycratidas；　being　sent　with　some　others　ambassador　to
the　lieutenants　of　the　king　of　Persia；　being　asked　by　them　whether
they　came　in　a　private　or　in　a　public　character；　answered；　〃In　a
public；　if　we　succeed；　if　not；　in　a　private　character。〃　Argileonis；
asking　some　who　came　from　Amphipolis　if　her　son　Brasidas　died
courageously　and　as　became　a　Spartan；　on　their　beginning　to　praise　him
to　a　high　degree；　and　saying　there　was　not　such　another　left　in
Sparta；　answered；　〃Do　not　say　so；　Brasidas　was　a　good　and　brave　man；
but　there　are　in　Sparta　many　better　than　he。〃
　　The　senate；　as　I　said　before；　consisted　of　those　who　were　Lycurgus's
chief　aiders　and　assistants　in　his　plans。　The　vacancies　he　ordered
to　be　supplied　out　of　the　best　and　most　deserving　men　past　sixty　years
old；　and　we　need　not　wonder　if　there　was　much　striving　for　it；　for
what　more　glorious　competition　could　there　be　amongst　men；　than　one　in
which　it　was　not　contested　who　was　swiftest　among　the　swift　or
strongest　of　the　strong；　but　who　of　many　wise　and　good　was　wisest
and　best；　and　fittest　to　be　intrusted　for　ever　after；　as　the　reward　of
his　merits；　with　the　supreme　authority　of　the　commonwealth；　and　with
power　over　the　lives；　franchises；　and　highest　interests　of　all　his
countrymen？　The　manner　of　their　election　was　as　follows：　The　people
being　called　together；　some　selected　persons　were　locked　up　in　a
room　near　the　place　of　election；　so　contrived　that　they　could
neither　see　nor　be　seen；　but　could　only　hear　the　noise　of　the　assembly
without；　for　they　decided　this；　as　most　other　affairs　of　moment；　by
the　shouts　of　the　people。　This　done；　the　competitors　were　not
brought　in　and　presented　all　together；　but　one　after　another　by　lot；
and　passed　in　order　through　the　assembly　without　speaking　a　word。
Those　who　were　locked　up　had　writing…tables　with　them；　in　which　they
recorded　and　marked　each　shout　by　its　loudness；　without　knowing　in
favour　of　which　candidate　each　of　them　was　made；　but　merely　that
they　came　first；　second；　third；　and　so　forth。　He　who　was　found　to　have
the　most　and　loudest　acclamations　was　declared　senator　duly　elected。
Upon　this　he　had　a　garland　set　upon　his　head；　and　went　in　procession
to　all　the　temples　to　give　thanks　to　the　gods；　a　great　number　of　young
men　followed　him　with　applauses；　and　women；　also；　singing　verses　in
his　honour；　and　extolling　the　virtue　and　happiness　of　his　life。　As
he　went　round　the　city　in　this　manner；　each　of　his　relations　and
friends　set　a　table　before　him；　saying　〃The　city　honours　you　with　this
banquet；〃　but　he；　instead　of　accepting；　passed　round　to　the　common
table　where　he　formerly　used　to　eat；　and　was　served　as　before；
excepting　that　now　he　had　a　second　allowance；　which　he　took　and　put
by。　By　the　time　supper　was　ended；　the　women　who　were　of　kin　to　him　had
come　about　the　door；　and　he；　beckoning　to　her　whom　he　most　esteemed；
presented　to　her　the　portion　he　had　saved；　saying；　that　it　had　been
a　mark　of　esteem　to　him；　and　was　so　now　to　her；　upon　which　she　was
triumphantly　waited　upon　home　by　the　women。
　　Touching　burials；　Lycurgus　made　very　wise　regulations；　for；　first　of
all；　to　cut　off　all　superstition；　he　allowed　them　to　bury　their　dead
within　the　city；　and　even　round　about　their　temples；　to　the　end　that
their　youth　might　be　accustomed　to　such　spectacles；　and　not　be
afraid　to　see　a　dead　body；　or　imagine　that　to　touch　a　corpse　or　to
tread　upon　a　grave　would　defile　a　man。　In　the　next　place；　he　commanded
them　to　put　nothing　into　the　ground　with　them；　except；　if　they
pleased；　a　few　olive　leaves；　and　the　scarlet　cloth　that　they　were
wrapped　in。　He　would　not　suffer　the　names　to　be　inscribed；　except　only
of　men　who　fell　in　the　wars；　or　women　who　died　in　a　sacred　office。　The
time；　too；　appointed　for　mourning；　was　very　short；　eleven　days；　on　the
twelfth；　they　were　to　do　sacrifice　to　Ceres；　and　leave　it　off；　so　that
we　may　see；　that　as　he　cut　off　all　superfluity；　so　in　things　necessary
there　was　nothing　so　small　and　trivial　which　did　not　express　some
homage　of　virtue　or　scorn　of　vice。　He　filled　Lacedaemon　all　through
with　proofs　and　examples　of　good　conduct；　with　the　constant　sight　of
which　from　their　youth　up　the　people　would　hardly　fail　to　be　gradually
formed　and　advanced　in　virtue。
　　And　this　was　the　reason　why　he　forbade　them　to　travel　abroad；　and　go
about　acquainting　themselves　with　foreign　rules　of　morality；　the
habits　of　ill…educated　people；　and　different　views　of　government。
Withal　he　banished　from　Lacedaemon　all　strangers　who　would　not　give
a　very　good　reason　for　their　coming　thither；　not　because　he　was　afraid
lest　they　should　inform　themselves　of　and　imitate　his　manner　of
government　（as　Thucydides　says）；　or　learn　anything　to　their　good；
but　rather　lest　they　should　introduce　something　contrary　to　good
manners。　With　strange　people；　strange　words　must　be　admitted；　these
novelties　produce　novelties　in　thought；　and　on　these　follow　views
and　feelings　whose　discordant　character　destroys　the　harmony　of　the
state。　He　was　as　careful　to　save　his　city　from　the　infection　of
foreign　bad　habits；　as　men　usually　are　to　prevent　the　introduction
of　a　pestilence。
　　Hitherto　I；　for　my　part；　see　no　sign　of　injustice　or　want　of
equity　in　the　laws　of　Lycurgus；　though　some　who　admit　them　to　be
well　contrived　to　make　good　soldiers；　pronounce　them　defective　in
point　of　justice。　The　Cryptia；　perhaps　（if　it　were　one　of　Lycurgus's
ordinances；　as　Aristotle　says　it　was）；　gave　both　him　and　Plato；　too；
this　opinion　alike　of　the　lawgiver　and　his　government。　By　this
ordinance；　the　magistrates　despatched　privately　some　of　the　ablest
of　the　young　men　into　the　country；　from　time　to　time；　armed　only
with　their　daggers；　and　taking　a　little　necessary　provision　with　them；
in　the　daytime；　they　hid　themselves　in　out…of…the…way　places；　and
there　lay　close；　but　in　the　night　issued　out　into　the　highways；　and
killed　all　the　Helots　they　could　light　upon；　sometimes　they　set　upon
them　by　day；　as　they　were　at　work　in　the　fields；　and　murdered　them。
As；　also；　Thucydides；　in　his　history　of　the　Peloponnesian　war；　tells
us；　that　a　good　number　of　them；　after　being　singled　out　for　their
bravery　by　the　Spartans；　garlanded；　as　enfranchised　persons；　and　led
about　to　all　the　temples　in　token　of　honours；　shortly　after
disappeared　all　of　a　sudden；　being　about　the　number　of　two　thousand；
and　no　man　either　then　or　since　could　give　an　account　how　they　came　by
their　deaths。　And　Aristotle；　in　particular；　adds；　that　the　ephori；
so　soon　as　they　were　entered　into　their　office；　used　to　declare　war
against　them；　that　they　might　be　massacred　without　a　breach　of
religion。　It　is　confessed；　on　all　hands；　that　the　Spartans　dealt
with　them　very　hardly；　for　it　was　a　common　thing　to　force　them　to
drink　to　excess；　and　to　lead　them　in　that　condition　into　their
public　halls；　that　the　children　might　see　what　a　sight　a　drunken　man
is；　they　made　them　to　dance　low　dances；　and　sing　ridiculous　songs；
forbidding　them　expressly　to　meddle　with　any　of　a　better　kind。　And
accordingly；　when　the　Thebans　made　their　invasion　into　Laconia；　and
took　a　great　number　of　the　Helots；　they　could　by　no　means　persuade
them　to　sing　the　verses　of　Terpander；　Alcman；　or　Spendon；　〃For；〃
said　they；　〃the　masters　do　not　like　it。〃　So　that　it　was　truly　observed
by　one；　that　in　Sparta　he　who　was　free　was　most　so；　and　he　that　was
a　slave　there；　the　greatest　slave　in　the　world。　For　my　part；　I　am　of
opinion　that　these　outrages　and　cruelties　began　to　be　exercised　in
Sparta　at　a　later　time；　especially　after　the　great　earthquake；　when
the　Helots　made　a　general　insurrection；　and；　joining　with　the
Messenians；　laid　the　country　waste；　and　brought　the　greatest　danger
upon　the　city。　For　I　cannot　persuade　myself　to　ascribe　to　Lycurgus
so　wicked　and　barbarous　a　course；　judging　of　him　from　the　gentleness
of　his　disposition　and　justice　upon　all　other　occasions；　to　which
the　oracle　also　testified。
　　When　he　perceived　that　his　more　important　instit