a smaller history of greece-第8章

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sions。　　Thrice　was　he　taken　prisoner；　on　two　occasions　he　burst　his　bonds；　but　on　the　third　he　was　carried　to　Sparta；　and　thrown　with　his　fifty　companions　into　a　deep　pit；　called　Ceadas。　His　comrades　were　all　killed　by　the　fall；　but　Aristomenes　reached　the　bottom　unhurt。　　He　saw；　however；　no　means　of　escape；　and　had　resigned　himself　to　death；　but　on　the　third　day　perceiving　a　fox　creeping　among　the　bodies；　he　grasped　its　tail；　and；　following　the　animal　as　it　struggled　to　escape；　discovered　an　opening　in　the　rock；　and　on　the　next　day　was　at　Ira　to　the　surprise　alike　of　friends　and　foes。　　But　his　single　prowess　was　not　sufficient　to　avert　the　ruin　of　his　country。　　One　night　the　Spartans　surprised　Ira；　while　Aristomenes　was　disabled　by　a　wound；　but　he　collected　the　bravest　of　his　followers；　and　forced　his　way　through　the　enemy。　　Many　of　the　Messenians　went　to　Rhegium；　in　Italy；　under　the　sons　of　Aristomenes；　but　the　hero　himself　finished　his　days　in　Rhodes。

The　second　Messenian　war　was　terminated　by　the　complete　subjugation　of　the　Messenians；　who　again　became　the　serfs　of　their　conquerors。　　In　this　condition　they　remained　till　the　restoration　of　their　independence　by　Epaminondas　in　the　year　369　B。C。　During　the　whole　of　the　intervening　period　the　Messenians　disappear　from　history。　　The　country　called　Messenia　in　the　map　became　a　portion　of　Laconia；　which　thus　extended　across　the　south　of　Pelponnesus　from　the　eastern　to　the　western　sea。



CHAPTER　V。

THE　EARLY　HISTORY　OF　ATHENS；　DOWN　TO　THE　ESTABLISHMENT　OF　DEMOCRACY　BY　CLISTHENES；　B。C。　510。

Sparta　was　the　only　state　in　Greece　which　continued　to　retain　the　kingly　form　of　government　during　the　brilliant　period　of　Grecian　history。　　In　all　other　parts　of　Greece　royalty　had　been　abolished　at　as　early　age；　and　various　forms　of　republican　government　established　in　its　stead。　　The　abolition　of　royalty　was　first　followed　by　an　Oligarchy　or　the　government　of　the　Few。　Democracy；　or　the　government　of　the　Many；　was　of　later　growth。　It　was　not　from　the　people　that　the　oligarchies　received　their　first　and　greatest　blow。　　They　were　generally　overthrown　by　the　usurpers；　to　whom　the　Greeks　gave　the　name　of　TYRANTS。　　＇The　Greek　word　Tyrant　does　not　correspond　in　meaning　to　the　same　word　in　the　English　language。　　It　signifies　simply　an　irresponsible　ruler；　and　may；　therefore；　be　more　correctly　rendered　by　the　term　Despot。＇

The　rise　of　the　Tyrants　seems　to　have　taken　place　about　the　same　time　in　a　large　number　of　the　Greek　cities。　　In　most　cases　they　belonged　to　the　nobles；　and　they　generally　became　masters　of　the　state　by　espousing　the　cause　of　the　commonalty；　and　using　the　strength　of　the　people　to　put　down　the　oligarchy　by　force。　　At　first　they　were　popular　with　the　general　body　of　the　citizens；　who　were　glad　to　see　the　humiliation　of　their　former　masters。　But　discontent　soon　began　to　arise；　the　tyrant　had　recourse　to　violence　to　quell　disaffection；　and　the　government　became　in　reality　a　tyranny　in　the　modern　sense　of　the　word。

Many　of　the　tyrants　in　Greece　were　put　down　by　the　Lacedaemonians。　　The　Spartan　government　was　essentially　an　oligarchy；　and　the　Spartans　were　always　ready　to　lend　their　powerful　aid　in　favour　of　the　government　of　the　Few。　　Hence　they　took　an　active　part　in　the　overthrow　of　the　despots；　with　the　intention　of　establishing　the　ancient　oligarchy　in　their　place。　But　this　rarely　happened；　and　they　found　it　impossible　in　most　cases　to　reinstate　the　former　body　of　nobles　in　their　ancient　privileges。　　The　latter；　it　is　true；　attempted　to　regain　them　and　were　supported　in　their　attempts　by　Sparta。　　Hence　arose　a　new　struggle。　　The　first　contest　after　the　abolition　of　royalty　was　between　oligarchy　and　the　despot；　the　next　was　between　oligarchy　and　democracy。

The　history　of　Athens　affords　the　most　striking　illustration　of　the　different　revolutions　of　which　we　have　been　speaking。

Little　is　known　of　Athens　before　the　age　of　Solon。　　Its　legendary　tales　are　few；　its　historical　facts　still　fewer。　　Cecrops；　the　first　ruler　of　Attica；　is　said　to　have　divided　the　country　into　twelve　districts；　which　are　represented　as　independent　communities；　each　governed　by　a　separate　king。　　They　were　afterwards　united　into　a　single　state；　having　Athens　as　its　capital　and　the　seat　of　government。　　At　what　time　this　important　union　was　effected　cannot　be　determined；　but　it　is　ascribed　to　Theseus；　as　the　national　hero　of　the　Athenian　people。

A　few　generations　after　Theseus；　the　Dorians　are　said　to　have　invaded　Attica。　　An　oracle　declared　that　they　would　be　victorious　if　they　spared　the　life　of　the　Athenian　King；　whereupon　Codrus；　who　then　reigned　at　Athens；　resolved　to　sacrifice　himself　for　the　welfare　of　his　country。　　Accordingly　he　went　into　the　invaders'　camp　in　disguise；　provoked　a　quarrel　with　one　of　the　Dorian　soldiers　and　was　killed　by　the　latter。　　Upon　learning　the　death　of　the　Athenian　king；　the　Dorians　retired　from　Attica　without　striking　a　blow：　　and　the　Athenians；　from　respect　to　the　memory　of　Codrus；　abolished　the　title　of　king；　and　substituted　for　it　that　of　Archon　or　Ruler。　　The　office；　however；　was　held　for　life；　and　was　confined　to　the　family　of　Codrus。　　His　son　Medon　was　the　first　archon；　and　he　was　followed　in　the　dignity　by　eleven　members　of　the　family　in　succession。　　But　soon　after　the　accession　Alcmaeon；　the　thirteenth　in　descent　from　Medon；　another　change　was　introduced；　and　the　duration　of　the　archonship　was　limited　to　ten　years　（B。C。　752）。　　The　dignity　was　still　confined　to　the　descendants　of　Medon；　but　in　the　time　of　Hippomenes　（B。C。　714）　this　restriction　was　removed；　and　the　office　was　thrown　open　to　all　the　nobles　in　the　state。　　In　B。C。　683　a　still　more　important　change　took　place。　　The　archonship　was　now　made　annual；　and　its　duties　were　distributed　among　nine　persons；　all　of　whom　bore　the　title。　　The　last　of　the　decennial　archons　was　Eryxias；　the　first　of　the　nine　annual　archons　Creon。

Such　is　the　legendary　account　of　the　change　of　government　at　Athens；　from　royalty　to　an　oligarchy。　　It　appears　to　have　taken　place　peaceably　and　gradually；　as　in　most　other　Greek　states。　The　whole　political　power　was　vested　in　the　nobles；　from　them　the　nine　annual　archons　were　taken；　and　to　them　alone　these　magistrates　were　responsible。　　The　people；　or　general　body　of　freemen；　had　no　share　in　the　government。

The　Athenian　nobles　were　called　EUPATRIDAE；　the　two　other　classes　in　the　state　being　the　GEOMORI　or　husbandmen；　and　DEMIURGI　or　artisans。　　This　arrangement　is　ascribed　to　Theseus；　but　there　was　another　division　of　the　people　of　still　greater　antiquity。　　As　the　Dorians　were　divided　into　three　tribes；　so　the　Ionians　were　usually　distributed　into　four　tribes。　　The　latter　division　also　existed　among　the　Athenians；　who　were　Ionians；　and　it　continued　in　full　vigour　down　to　the　great　revolution　of　Clisthenes　（B。C。　509）。　　These　tribes　were　distinguished　by　the　names　of　GELEONTES　（or　TELEONTES）　〃cultivators；〃　HOPLETES　〃warriors；〃　AEGICORES　〃goat…herds；〃　and　ARGADES　〃artisans。〃　　Each　tribe　contained　three　Phratriae；　each　Phratry　thirty　Gentes；　and　each　Gens　thirty　heads　of　families。

The　first　date　in　Athenian　history　on　which　certain　reliance　can　be　placed　is　the　institution　of　annual　archons；　in　the　year　683　B。C。　　The　duties　of　the　government　were　distributed　among　the　nine　archons　in　the　following　manner。　　The　first　was　called　THE　ARCHON　by　way　of　pre…eminence；　and　sometimes　the　Archon　Eponymus；　because　the　year　was　distinguished　by　his　name。　　The　second　archon　was　called　THE　BASILEUS　or　THE　KING；　because　he　represented　the　king　in　his　capacity　as　high…priest　of　the　nation。　　The　third　archon　bore　the　title　of　THE　POLEMARCH；　or　Commander…in…chief　and　was；　down　to　the　time　of　Clisthenes；　the　commander　of　the　troops。　　The　remaining　six　had　the　common　title　of　THESMOTHETAE；　or　Legislators。　　Their　duties　seem　to　have　been　almost　exclusively　judicial。

The　government　of　the　Eupatrids　was　oppressive；　and　the　discontent　of　the　people　at　length　became　so　serious；　that　Draco　was　appointed　in　624　B。C。　to　draw　up　a　written　code　of　laws。　They　were　marked　by　extreme　severity。　　He　affixed　the　penalty　of　death　to　all　crimes　alike；　to　petty　thefts；　for　instance；　as　well　as　to　sacrilege　and　m