a smaller history of greece-第5章

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A　further　element　of　union　among　the　Greeks　was　the　similarity　of　manners　and　character。　　It　is　true　the　difference　in　this　respect　between　the　polished　inhabitants　of　Athens　and　the　rude　mountaineers　of　Acarnania　was　marked　and　striking；　but　if　we　compare　the　two　with　foreign　contemporaries；　the　contrast　between　them　and　the　latter　is　still　more　striking。　　Absolute　despotism　human　sacrifices；　polygamy；　deliberate　mutilation　of　the　person　as　a　punishment；　and　selling　of　children　into　slavery；　existed　in　some　part　or　other　of　the　barbarian　world；　but　are　not　found　in　any　city　of　Greece　in　the　historical　times。

The　elements　of　union　of　which　we　have　been　speaking　only　bound　the　Greeks　together　in　common　feelings　and　sentiments：　　they　never　produced　any　political　union。　　The　independent　sovereignty　of　each　city　was　a　fundamental　notion　in　the　Greek　mind。　　This　strongly　rooted　feeling　deserves　particular　notice。　　Careless　readers　of　history　are　tempted　to　suppose　that　the　territory　of　Greece　was　divided　among　comparatively　small　number　of　independent　states；　such　as　Attica；　Arcadia；　Boeotia；　Phocis；　Locris；　and　the　like；　but　this　is　a　most　serious　mistake；　and　leads　to　a　total　misapprehension　of　Greek　history。　　Every　separate　city　was　usually　an　independent　state；　and　consequently　each　of　the　territories　described　under　the　general　names　of　Arcadia；　Boeotia；　Phocis；　and　Locris；　contained　numerous　political　communities　independent　of　one　another。　　Attica；　it　is　true；　formed　a　single　state；　and　its　different　towns　recognised　Athens　as　their　capital　and　the　source　of　supreme　power；　but　this　is　an　exception　to　the　general　rule。



CHAPTER　IV。

EARLY　HISTORY　OF　PELOPONNESUS　AND　SPARTA；　DOWN　TO　THE　END　OF　THE　MESSENIAN　WARS；　B。C。　668。

In　the　heroic　age　Peloponnesus　was　occupied　by　tribes　of　Dorian　conquerors。　　They　had　no　share　in　the　glories　of　the　Heroic　age；　their　name　does　not　occur　in　the　Iliad；　and　they　are　only　once　mentioned　in　the　Odyssey；　but　they　were　destined　to　form　in　historical　times　one　of　the　most　important　elements　of　the　Greek　nation。　　Issuing　from　their　mountain　district　between　Thessaly；　Locris　and　Phocis；　they　overran　the　greater　part　of　Peloponnesus；　destroyed　the　ancient　Achaean　monarchies　and　expelled　or　reduced　to　subjection　the　original　inhabitants　of　the　land；　of　which　they　became　the　undisputed　masters。　　This　brief　statement　contains　all　that　we　know　for　certain　respecting　this　celebrated　event；　which　the　ancient　writers　placed　eighty　years　after　the　Trojan　war　（B。C。　1104）。　　The　legendary　account　of　the　conquest　of　Peloponnesus　ran　as　follows：The　Dorians　were　led　by　the　Heraclidae；　or　descendants　of　the　mighty　hero　Hercules。　　Hence　this　migration　is　called　the　Return　of　the　Heraclidae。　　The　children　of　Hercules　had　long　been　fugitives　upon　the　face　of　the　earth。　　They　had　made　many　attempts　to　regain　possession　of　the　dominions　in　the　Peloponnesus；　of　which　their　great　sire　had　been　deprived　by　Eurystheus；　but　hitherto　without　success。　　In　their　last　attempt　Hyllus；　the　son　of　Hercules；　had　perished　in　single　combat　with　Echemus　of　Tegea；　and　the　Heraclidae　had　become　bound　by　a　solemn　compact　to　renounce　their　enterprise　for　a　hundred　years。　　This　period　had　now　expired；　and　the　great…grandsons　of　HyllusTemenus；　Cresphontes；　and　Aristodemusresolved　to　make　a　fresh　attempt　to　recover　their　birthright。　　They　were　assisted　in　the　enterprise　by　the　Dorians。　　This　people　espoused　their　cause　in　consequence　of　the　aid　which　Hercules　himself　had　rendered　to　the　Dorian　king；　AEgimius；　when　the　latter　was　hard　pressed　in　a　contest　with　the　Lapithae。　　The　invaders　were　warned　by　an　oracle　not　to　enter　Peloponnesus　by　the　Isthmus　of　Corinth；　but　across　the　mouth　of　the　Corinthian　gulf。　　The　inhabitants　of　the　northern　coast　of　the　gulf　were　favourable　to　their　enterprise。　Oxylus；　king　of　the　AEtolians；　became　their　guide；　and　from　Naupactus　they　crossed　over　to　Peloponnesus。　　A　single　battle　decided　the　contest。　　Tisamenus；　the　son　of　Orestes；　was　defeated　and　retired　with　a　portion　of　his　Achaean　subjects　to　the　northern　coast　of　Peloponnesus；　then　occupied　by　the　Ionians。　He　expelled　the　Ionians；　and　took　possession　of　the　country；　which　continued　henceforth　to　be　inhabited　by　the　Achaeans；　and　to　be　called　after　them。　　The　Ionians　withdrew　to　Attica；　and　the　greater　part　of　them　afterwards　emigrated　to　Asia　Minor。

The　Heraclidae　and　the　Dorians　now　divided　between　them　the　dominions　of　Tisamenus　and　of　the　other　Achaean　princes。　　The　kingdom　of　Elis　was　given　to　Oxylus　as　a　recompense　for　his　services　as　their　guide；　and　it　was　agreed　that　Temenus；　Cresphontes；　and　Eurysthenes　and　Procles；　the　infant　sons　of　Aristodemus　（who　had　died　at　Naupactus）；　should　draw　lots　for　Argos；　Sparta；　and　Messenia。　　Argos　fell　to　Temenus；　Sparta　to　Eurysthenes　and　Procles；　and　Messenia　to　Cresphontes。

Such　are　the　main　features　of　the　legend　of　the　Return　of　the　Heraclidae。　　In　order　to　make　the　story　more　striking　and　impressive；　it　compresses　into　a　single　epoch　events　which　probably　occupied　several　generations。　　It　is　in　itself　improbable　that　the　brave　Achaeans　quietly　submitted　to　the　Dorian　invaders　after　a　momentary　struggle。　　We　have；　moreover；　many　indications　that　such　was　not　the　fact；　and　that　it　was　only　gradually　and　after　a　long　protracted　contest　that　the　Dorians　became　undisputed　masters　of　the　greater　part　of　Peloponnesus。

Argos　was　originally　the　chief　Dorian　state　in　Peloponnesus；　but　at　the　time　of　the　first　Olympiad　its　power　had　been　supplanted　by　that　of　Sparta。　　The　progress　of　Sparta　from　the　second　to　the　first　place　among　the　states　in　the　peninsula　was　mainly　owing　to　the　military　discipline　and　rigorous　training　of　its　citizens。　The　singular　constitution　of　Sparta　was　unanimously　ascribed　by　the　ancients　to　the　legislator　Lycurgus；　but　there　were　different　stories　respecting　his　date；　birth；　travels；　legislation；　and　death。　　His　most　probable　date　however　is　B。C。　776；　in　which　year　he　is　said　to　have　assisted　Iphitus　in　restoring　the　Olympic　games。　　He　was　the　son　of　Eunomus；　one　of　the　two　kings　who　reigned　together　in　Sparta。　　On　the　death　of　his　father；　his　elder　brother；　Polydectes；　succeeded　to　the　crown；　but　died　soon　afterwards；　leaving　his　queen　with　child。　　The　ambitious　woman　offered　to　destroy　the　child；　if　Lycurgus　would　share　the　throne　with　her。　　Lycurgus　pretended　to　consent；　but　as　soon　as　she　had　given　birth　to　a　son；　he　presented　him　in　the　market…place　as　the　future　king　of　Sparta。　　The　young　king's　mother　took　revenge　upon　Lycurgus　by　accusing　him　of　entertaining　designs　against　his　nephew's　life。　　Hereupon　he　resolved　to　withdraw　from　his　native　country　and　to　visit　foreign　lands。　　He　was　absent　many　years；　and　is　said　to　have　employed　his　time　in　studying　the　institutions　of　other　nations；　in　order　to　devise　a　system　of　laws　and　regulations　which　might　deliver　Sparta　from　the　evils　under　which　it　had　long　been　suffering。　　During　his　absence　the　young　king　had　grown　up；　and　assumed　the　reins　of　government；　but　the　disorders　of　the　state　had　meantime　become　worse　than　ever；　and　all　parties　longed　for　a　termination　to　their　present　sufferings。　　Accordingly　the　return　of　Lycurgus　was　hailed　with　delight；　and　he　found　the　people　both　ready　and　willing　to　submit　to　an　entire　change　in　their　government　and　institutions。　　He　now　set　himself　to　work　to　carry　his　long　projected　reforms　into　effect；　but　before　he　commenced　his　arduous　task　he　consulted　the　Delphian　oracle；　from　which　he　received　strong　assurances　of　divine　support。　　Thus　encouraged　by　the　god；　he　suddenly　presented　himself　in　the　market…place；　surrounded　by　thirty　of　the　most　distinguished　Spartans　in　arms。　　His　reforms　were　not　carried　into　effect　without　violent　opposition；　and　in　one　of　the　tumults　which　they　excited；　his　eye　is　said　to　have　been　struck　out　by　a　passionate　youth。　　But　he　finally　triumphed　over　all　obstacles；　and　succeeded　in　obtaining　the　submission　of　all　classes　in　the　community　to　his　new　constitution。　　His　last　act　was　to　sacrifice　himself　for　the　welfare　of　his　country。　　Having　obtained　from　the　people　a　solemn　oath　to　make　no　alterations　in　his　laws　before　his　return；　he　quitted　Spart