lycurgus-第7章

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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　institutions　had　taken
root　in　the　minds　of　his　countrymen；　that　custom　had　rendered　them
familiar　and　easy；　that　his　commonwealth　was　now　grown　up　and　able
to　go　alone；　then；　as　Plato　somewhere　tells　us；　the　Maker　of　the
world；　when　first　he　saw　it　existing　and　beginning　its　motion；　felt
joy；　even　so　Lycurgus；　viewing　with　joy　and　satisfaction　the　greatness
and　beauty　of　his　political　structure；　now　fairly　at　work　and　in
motion；　conceived　the　thought　to　make　it　immortal　too；　and；　as　far
as　human　forecast　could　reach　to　deliver　it　down　unchangeable　to
posterity。　He　called　an　extraordinary　assembly　of　all　the　people；
and　told　them　that　he　now　thought　everything　reasonably　well
established；　both　for　the　happiness　and　the　virtue　of　the　state；　but
that　there　was　one　thing　still　behind；　of　the　greatest　importance；
which　he　thought　not　fit　to　impart　until　he　had　consulted　the
oracle；　in　the　meantime；　his　desire　was　that　they　would　observe　the
laws　without　any　the　least　alteration　until　his　return；　and　then　he
would　do　as　the　god　should　direct　him。　They　all　consented　readily；　and
bade　him　hasten　his　journey；　but；　before　he　departed；　he
administered　an　oath　to　the　two　kings；　the　senate；　and　the　whole
commons；　to　abide　by　and　maintain　the　established　form　of　polity　until
Lycurgus　should　be　come　back。　This　done；　he　set　out　for　Delphi；　and；
having　sacrificed　to　Apollo；　asked　him　whether　the　laws　he　had
established　were　good；　and　sufficient　for　a　people's　happiness　and
virtue。　The　oracle　answered　that　the　laws　were　excellent；　and　that　the
people；　while　it　observed　them；　should　live　in　the　height　of　renown。
Lycurgus　took　the　oracle　in　writing；　and　sent　it　over　to　Sparta；
and；　having　sacrificed　the　second　time　to　Apollo；　and　taken　leave　of
his　friends　and　his　son；　he　resolved　that　the　Spartans　should　not　be
released　from　the　oath　they　had　taken；　and　that　he　would；　of　his　own
act；　close　his　life　where　he　was。　He　was　now　about　that　age　in　which
life　was　still　tolerable；　and　yet　might　be　quitted　without　regret。
Everything；　moreover；　about　him　was　in　a　sufficiently　prosperous
condition。　He　therefore　made　an　end　of　himself　by　a　total　abstinence
from　food；　thinking　it　a　statesman's　duty　to　make　his　very　death；　if
possible；　an　act　of　service　to　the　state；　and　even　in　the　end　of　his
life　to　give　some　example　of　virtue　and　effect　some　useful　purpose。　He
would；　on　the　one　hand；　crown　and　consummate　his　own　happiness　by　a
death　suitable　to　so　honourable　a　life；　and　on　the　other　hand；　would
secure　to　his　countrymen　the　enjoyment　of　the　advantages　he　had
spent　his　life　in　obtaining　for　them；　since　they　had　solemnly　sworn
the　maintenance　of　his　institutions　until　his　return。　Nor　was　he
deceived　in　his　expectations；　for　the　city　of　Lacedaemon　continued　the
chief　city　of　all　Greece　for　the　space　of　five　hundred　years；　in
strict　observance　of　Lycurgus's　laws；　in　all　which　time　there　was　no
manner　of　alteration　made；　during　the　reign　of　fourteen　kings　down
to　the　time　of　Agis；　the　son　of　Archidamus。　For　the　new　creation　of
the　ephori；　though　thought　to　be　in　favour　of　the　people；　was　so　far
from　diminishing；　that　it　very　much　heightened；　the　aristocratical
character　of　the　government。
　　In　the　time　of　Agis；　gold　and　silver　first　flowed　into　Sparta；　and
with　them　all　those　mischiefs　which　attend　the　immoderate　desire　of
riches。　Lysander　promoted　this　disorder；　for　by　bringing　in　rich
spoils　from　the　wars；　although　himself　incorrupt；　he　yet　by　this　means
filled　his　country　with　avarice　and　luxury；　and　subverted　the　laws　and
ordinances　of　Lycurgus；　so　long　as　which　were　in　force；　the　aspect
presented　by　Sparta　was　rather　that　of　a　rule　of　life　followed　by
one　wise　and　temperate　man；　than　of　the　political　government　of　a
nation。　And　as　the　poets　feign　of　Hercules；　that；　with　his　lion's　skin
and　his　club；　he　went　over　the　world；　punishing　lawless　and　cruel
tyrants；　so　may　it　be　said　of　the　Lacedaemonians；　that；　with　a
common　staff　and　a　coarse　coat；　they　gained　the　willing　and　joyful
obedience　of　Greece；　through　whose　whole　extent　they　suppressed　unjust
usurpations　and　despotisms；　arbitrated　in　war；　and　composed　civil
dissensions；　and　this　often　without　so　much　as　taking　down　one
buckler；　but　barely　by　sending　some　one　single　deputy　to　whose
direction　all　at　once　submitted；　like　bees　swarming　and　taking　their
places　around　their　prince。　Such　a　fund　of　order　and　equity；　enough
and　to　spare　for　others；　existed　in　their　state。
　　And　therefore　I　cannot　but　wonder　at　those　who　say　that　the　Spartans
were　good　subjects；　but　bad　governors；　and　for　proof　of　it　allege　a
saying　of　King　Theopompus；　who　when　one　said　that　Sparta　held　up　so
long　because　their　kings　could　command　so　well；　replied；　〃Nay；
rather　because　the　people　know　so　well　how　to　obey。〃　For　people　do　not
obey；　unless　rulers　know　how　to　command；　obedience　is　a　lesson
taught　by　commanders。　A　true　leader　himself　creates　the　obedience　of
his　own　followers；　as　it　is　the　last　attainment　in　the　art　of　riding
to　make　a　hors