a smaller history of greece-第6章

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erations　in　his　laws　before　his　return；　he　quitted　Sparta　for　ever。　　He　set　out　on　a　journey　to　Delphi；　where　he　obtained　an　oracle　from　the　god；　approving　of　all　he　had　done；　and　promising　prosperity　to　the　Spartans　as　long　as　they　preserved　his　laws。　　Whither　he　went　afterwards；　and　how　and　where　he　died；　nobody　could　tell。　　He　vanished　from　earth　like　a　god；　leaving　no　traces　behind　him　but　his　spirit：　　and　his　grateful　countrymen　honoured　him　with　a　temple；　and　worshipped　him　with　annual　sacrifices　down　to　the　latest　times。

The　population　of　Laconia　was　divided　into　the　three　classes　of　Spartans；　Perioeci　and　Helots。　　　I。　The　SPARTANS　were　the　descendants　of　the　leading　Dorian　conquerors。　　They　formed　the　sovereign　power　of　the　state；　and　they　alone　were　eligible　to　honours　and　public　offices。　　They　lived　in　Sparta　itself　and　were　all　subject　to　the　discipline　of　Lycurgus。　　They　were　divided　into　three　tribes；the　HYLLEIS；　the　PAMPHILI；　and　the　DYMANES；which　were　not；　however；　peculiar　to　Sparta；　but　existed　in　all　the　Dorian　states。　　　II。　The　PERIOECI　were　personally　free；　but　politically　subject　to　the　Spartans。　　＇This　word　signifies　literally　DWELLERS　AROUND　THE　CITY；　and　was　generally　used　to　indicate　the　inhabitants　in　the　country　districts；　who　possessed　inferior　political　privileges　to　the　citizens　who　lived　in　the　city。＇　　They　possessed　no　share　in　the　government；　and　were　bound　to　obey　the　commands　of　the　Spartan　magistrates。　　They　appear　to　have　been　the　descendants　of　the　old　Achaean　population　of　the　country；　and　they　were　distributed　into　a　hundred　townships；　which　were　spread　through　the　whole　of　Laconia。　　　III。　The　HELOTS　were　serfs　bound　to　the　soil；　which　they　tilled　for　the　benefit　of　the　Spartan　proprietors。　　Their　condition　was　very　different　from　that　of　the　ordinary　slaves　in　antiquity；　and　more　similar　to　the　villanage　of　the　middle　ages。　　They　lived　in　the　rural　villages；　as　the　Perioeci　did　in　the　towns；　cultivating　the　lands　and　paying　over　the　rent　to　their　masters　in　Sparta；　but　enjoying　their　homes；　wives；　and　families；　apart　from　their　master's　personal　superintendence。　　They　appear　to　have　been　never　sold；　and　they　accompanied　the　Spartans　to　the　field　as　light　armed　troops。　　But　while　their　condition　was　in　these　respects　superior　to　that　of　the　ordinary　slaves　in　other　parts　of　Greece；　it　was　embittered　by　the　fact　that　they　were　not　strangers　like　the　latter；　but　were　of　the　same　race　and　spoke　the　same　language　as　their　masters；　being　probably　the　descendants　of　the　old　inhabitants；　who　had　offered　the　most　obstinate　resistance　to　the　Dorians；　and　had　therefore　been　reduced　to　slavery。　　As　their　numbers　increased；　they　became　objects　of　suspicion　to　their　masters；　and　were　subjected　to　the　most　wanton　and　oppressive　cruelty。

The　functions　of　the　Spartan　government　were　distributed　among　two　kings；　a　senate　of　thirty　members；　a　popular　assembly；　and　an　executive　directory　of　five　men　called　the　Ephors。

At　the　head　of　the　state　were　the　two　hereditary　kings。　　The　existence　of　a　pair　of　kings　was　peculiar　to　Sparta；　and　is　said　to　have　arisen　from　the　accidental　circumstance　of　Aristodemus　having　left　twin　sons；　Eurysthenes　and　Procles。　　This　division　of　the　royal　power　naturally　tended　to　weaken　its　influence　and　to　produce　jealousies　and　dissensions　between　the　two　kings。　　The　royal　power　was　on　the　decline　during　the　whole　historical　period；　and　the　authority　of　the　kings　was　gradually　usurped　by　the　Ephors；　who　at　length　obtained　the　entire　control　of　the　government；　and　reduced　the　kings　to　a　state　of　humiliation　and　dependence。

The　Senate；　called　GERUSIA；　or　the　COUNCIL　OF　ELDERS；　consisted　of　thirty　members；　among　whom　the　two　kings　were　included。　　They　were　obliged　to　be　upwards　of　sixty　years　of　age；　and　they　held　their　office　for　life。　　They　possessed　considerable　power　and　were　the　only　real　check　upon　the　authority　of　the　Ephors。　　They　discussed　and　prepared　all　measures　which　were　to　be　brought　before　the　popular　assembly；　and　they　had　some　share　in　the　general　administration　of　the　state。　　But　the　most　important　of　their　functions　was；　that　they　were　judges　in　all　criminal　cases　affecting　the　life　of　a　Spartan　citizen。

The　Popular　Assembly　was　of　little　importance；　and　appears　to　have　been　usually　summoned　only　as　a　matter　of　form　for　the　election　of　certain　magistrates；　for　passing　laws；　and　for　determining　upon　peace　and　war。　　It　would　appear　that　open　discussion　was　not　allowed　and　that　the　assembly　rarely　came　to　a　division。

The　Ephors　were　of　later　origin；　and　did　not　exist　in　the　original　constitution　of　Lycurgus。　　They　may　be　regarded　as　the　representatives　of　the　popular　assembly。　　They　were　elected　annually　from　the　general　body　of　Spartan　citizens；　and　seem　to　have　been　originally　appointed　to　protect　the　interests　and　liberties　of　the　people　against　the　encroachments　of　the　kings　and　the　senate。　　They　correspond　in　many　respects　to　the　tribunes　of　the　people　at　Rome。　　Their　functions　were　at　first　limited　and　of　small　importance；　but　in　the　end　the　whole　political　power　became　centred　in　their　hands。

The　Spartan　government　was　in　reality　a　close　oligarchy；　in　which　the　kings　and　the　senate；　as　well　as　the　people；　were　alike　subject　to　the　irresponsible　authority　of　the　five　Ephors。

The　most　important　part　of　the　legislation　of　Lycurgus　did　not　relate　to　the　political　constitution　of　Sparta；　but　to　the　discipline　and　education　of　the　citizens。　　It　was　these　which　gave　Sparta　her　peculiar　character；　and　distinguished　her　in　so　striking　a　manner　from　all　the　other　states　of　Greece。　　The　position　of　the　Spartans；　surrounded　by　numerous　enemies；　whom　they　held　in　subjection　by　the　sword　alone；　compelled　them　to　be　a　nation　of　soldiers。　　Lycurgus　determined　that　they　should　be　nothing　else；　and　the　great　object　of　his　whole　system　was　to　cultivate　a　martial　spirit；　and　to　give　them　a　training　which　would　make　them　invincible　in　battle。　　To　accomplish　this　the　education　of　a　Spartan　was　placed　under　the　control　of　the　state　from　his　earliest　boyhood。　　Every　child　after　birth　was　exhibited　to　public　view；　and；　if　deemed　deformed　and　weakly；　was　exposed　to　perish　on　Mount　Taygetus。　　At　the　age　of　seven　he　was　taken　from　his　mother's　care；　and　handed　over　to　the　public　classes。　He　was　not　only　taught　gymnastic　games　and　military　exercises　but　he　was　also　subjected　to　severe　bodily　discipline；　and　was　compelled　to　submit　to　hardships　and　suffering　without　repining　or　complaint。　　One　of　the　tests　to　which　he　was　subjected　was　a　cruel　scourging　at　the　altar　of　Artemis　（Diana）；　until　his　blood　gushed　forth　and　covered　the　altar　of　the　goddess。　　It　was　inflicted　publicly　before　the　eyes　of　his　parents　and　in　the　presence　of　the　whole　city；　and　many　Spartan　youths　were　known　to　have　died　under　the　lash　without　uttering　a　complaining　murmur。　No　means　were　neglected　to　prepare　them　for　the　hardships　and　stratagems　of　war。　　They　were　obliged　to　wear　the　same　garment　winter　and　summer；　and　to　endure　hunger　and　thirst；　heat　and　cold。　　They　were　purposely　allowed　an　insufficient　quantity　of　food；　but　were　permitted　to　make　up　the　deficiency　by　hunting　in　the　woods　and　mountains　of　Laconia。　　They　were　even　encouraged　to　steal　whatever　they　could；　but　if　they　were　caught　in　the　fact；　they　were　severely　punished　for　their　want　of　dexterity。　Plutarch　tells　us　of　a　boy；　who；　having　stolen　a　fox；　and　hid　it　under　his　garment；　chose　rather　to　let　it　tear　out　his　very　bowels　than　be　detected　in　the　theft。

The　literary　education　of　a　Spartan　youth　was　of　a　most　restricted　kind。　　He　was　taught　to　despise　literature　as　unworthy　of　a　warrior；　while　the　study　of　eloquence　and　philosophy；　which　were　cultivated　at　Athens　with　such　extraordinary　success；　was　regarded　at　Sparta　with　contempt。　　Long　speeches　were　a　Spartan's　abhorrence；　and　he　was　trained　to　express　himself　with　sententious　brevity。

A　Spartan　was　not　considered　to　have　reached　the　full　age　of　manhood　till　he　had　completed　his　thirtieth　year。　　He　was　then　allowed　to　marry；　to　take　part　in　the　public　assembly；　and　was　eligible　to　the　offices　of　the　state。　　But　he　still　continued　under　the　public　discipline；　and　was　not　p