EUROPE. posed however only of the citizens of Sparta; equal CHAP. III. division of land among 39,000 families; no trade; iron money; public and equal education; no walls; no fleets; common tables; all luxury forbidden; no theatre; enslaved helots, who alone attended to agriculture and trade. Description nians. The Laconians were a numerous people, and dwelt of the Laco- in many cities. They paid an especial attention to religious observances,' and were remarkable for studying an extreme brevity of speech, but at the same time they often said one thing whilst they meant another. The Spartans themselves were the most valiant men amongst the Greeks, and were all equal to those who fought at Thermopylae; the other Laconians were also valiant, but rather inferior. Demaratus thus briefly sketched their character to Xerxes. "In single combat, the Laconians are inferior to none, and when combined they are the bravest of mankind. Few indeed they are, and yet not absolutely few; for they have a masterTHE LAW: whom they fear, far more than your slaves fear you. Whatever that master commands they will do; and it inflexibly forbids them to fly from battle before any number of enemies, and enjoins them to remain in their ranks, and to conquer or die. It is utterly impossible that they should listen to your proposals for enslaving Hellas. They would oppose you for ever, even if all the rest of the Greeks went over to you; and you need not ask their number, for whether a thousand men or more or less should march out, they would certainly give you battle." 5 Rights and privileges of The Spartans gave to their kings two priesttheir kings. hoods; that of the Lacedaemonian, and that of the Uranian Zeus. Also the following privileges, which may be divided into those during war, and those during peace. In war. The Spartan kings might levy war against any 1 ix. 7. Comp. v. 63; vi. 106; vii. 206. 2 iii. 46. 4 viii. 209, 234. country they pleased, and any Spartan who opposed EUROPE. them fell under a curse. They were always the CHAP. III. A first in an advance, and the last in a retreat. hundred chosen men formed their body-guard in the field of battle. During the expeditions they sacrificed as many cattle as they pleased, and took as their own share the skins and chines of all the victims.' sacrifices, appointing In times of peace the Spartan kings enjoyed the In peace. following honours. At public sacrifices they were At public the first to sit down to the feasts; they were served feasts, and first; and they each received a double portion. games. They had the right of offering the first libations, and were entitled to the skins of the cattle that were sacrificed. At every new moon, and on the seventh day of the month, the state presented each of them with a perfect animal fit for sacrifice, in the temple of Apollo; together with a medimnus of barley flour and a Laconian quart of wine. At all public games, they had particular seats appointed. They Right of also had the right of selecting the proxeni, or officers the proxeni, to receive and entertain foreign ambassadors; and and pythii. of appointing the pythii, or persons sent to consult the oracle at Delphi, who dined publicly with the kings. If the kings were absent from the daily pub- Daily allowlic meal, two choenices of flour, and one cotyle of flour were sent to each of their houses. When they were present, a double portion of everything was given to them; and they received the same honour at every private banquet amongst the citizens. They Keepers also preserved the oracles with the privity of the pythii, and were the sole judges in deciding upon Guardians the husband for a virgin heiress, who had not been betrothed by her father; and in determining re- Commis specting the public high-ways. If any one desired the highto adopt a son, it was also necessary to do it in the ways, etc. presence of the kings. Finally, the kings sat in the Entitled to council of twenty-eight, where they each had two council of votes; and if prevented from attending the sittings, twenty 1 vi. 56. ance of food. the oracles. sioners of a seat in the EUROPE. they were represented by their nearest relations CHAP. III. amongst the senators.1 Manners and customs of the peo ple. Burial of kings. mourners. Our author mentions the following particulars respecting the manners and customs of the Laconians. After the death of a king, horsemen announced the event throughout the whole country; in the town however it was made known by an old woman, who paraded through the streets, beating a kettle. As soon as this had taken place, two freed persons, a man and a woman from each house, were forced, under the penalty of heavy fines, to disfigure themselves as The Laconians also had the same custom as the Asiatic barbarians, for besides the citizens of Sparta, a certain number of their subjects throughout the country were obliged to join in the lament. Accordingly many thousand helots, perioeci, and Spartans, men and women, all assembled together in one place, and struck their foreheads, and gave themselves up to unbounded lamentations, affirming that the last king had been the best. If however one of the kings fell in war, they made his effigy, and exposed it on a richly ornamented couch. After the interment, all public business was supended for ten days; no assembly was held, and no elections for public officials, but the whole interval was spent in mourning. The people had a custom similar to the Persians, for a new king remits all debts due from any Spartan to the deceased king, or to the state.3 Hereditary They also resembled the Aegyptians, inasmuch as the sons of heralds, flute-players, and cooks followed the same profession which their father had exercised.* At the same time, handicraftsmen were the least respected, and those were esteemed the most noble Miscellane who devoted themselves to war.5 Executions were never carried into effect in the day-time, but only at night. The Laconians dressed their heads, when about to hazard their lives in combat." To the man dishonoured by cowardice, a Spartan would neither speak nor give any fire. When they wished to per professions. ous customs. 6 8 1 vi. 57. 3 vi. 59. 7 vii. 209. 4 vi. 60. 5 ii. 167. suade a man to take a good draught, they said, EUROPE. "Pour out like a Scythian; " an expression which CHAP. III. they had adopted from the time of Cleomenes, who contracted from the Scythians a habit of drinking unmixed wine, and at last died insane.' 6 3 Herodotus mentions a few towns and other locali- Topography ties in Laconica. The most celebrated of all was Sparta. Sparta, the noblest city and kingdom in Greece,2 and contained 8000 men. Near the palace gates was a shrine to the hero Astrabacus. The city contained a temple of Talthybius, the herald of Agamemnon, whose descendants were called Talthybiadae, and as a privilege, were intrusted with all embassies from Sparta.5 There was likewise a temple of Apollo, together with temples of the celestial Zeus, and of the Lacedaemonian Zeus, of which the two kings of Sparta held the two priesthoods. Mention is also made of the Aegidae as being a principal The Aetribe in Sparta. They seem to have been a priest family of the Cadmeians, like the Gephyraeans at Athens.9 Herodotus likewise mentions the Carneian, 10 Hyacinthian," and Gymnopaedian festivals. 12 At the town of Therapne stood a temple of Therapne. Helena, situated above stood a temple of Phoebus. 13 The town of Pitane sent a lochus of troops to Pitane. Plataea. Cardamyle is alluded to as being situ- Cardamyle. ated near Asine. 15 Oresteum was on the borders of Oresteum. Arcadia.16 14 8 gidae. Thornax. Taygetus. On Mount Thornax stood a golden statue of Mount Apollo: the Laconians wished to buy this gold of Croesus, but he gave it them as a present." Mount Mount Taygetus was once the seat of the Minyans, who from thence migrated partly to Elis, and partly to the island of Thera.18 Cape Taenarum is the place Cape Tae 1 v. 84. 5 vii. 134. 2 vii. 209. 6 vi. 57. 3 vii. 234. 7 vi. 56. 4 vi. 69. 8 iv. 149. The Aegidae probably became incorporated with the three general tribes, which are to be found in every Dorian community. There does not appear to have been much distinction between the tribes at Sparta, as by the constitution of Lycurgus, all the freemen were placed on a footing of equality. 10 vii. 206. 15 viii. 73. 11 ix. 7, 11. 12 vi. 67. 13 vi. 61. 14 ix. 53. narum. EUROPE. where Arion is said to have been carried by a dolCHAP. III. phin, and where there was a small brazen statue representing the story.' To Cape Malea the Argolic territory had extended in ancient times.2 Cape 3 The Laconians sent ten ships to Artemisium, and sixteen to Salamis. The description of this people concludes the geography of the Peloponnesus. 1 1 i. 23, 24. 2 i. 82. 3 viii. 1. 4 viii. 43. |