LYCURGUS.*

The Helotes, or Ilotes, were inhabitants of Helos, a maritime town of Laconia. The Lacedæmonians Strabo says, that Lycurgus the lawgiver certainly having conquered and made slaves of them, called not lived in the fifth generation after Althemenes, who led only them, but all the other slaves they happened to a colony into Crete. This Althemenes was the son of have, by the name of Helotes. It is certain, however, Cissus, who founded Argos, at the same time that that the descendants of the original Helotes, though Patrocles, Lycurgus's ancestor in the fifth degree, laid they were extremely ill-treated, and some of them asthe foundations of Sparta. So that Lycurgus flourish-sassinated, subsisted many ages in Laconia.

PLUTARCH'S LIVES.

drank. Then Sous went down to the spring | laid him down upon the chair of state, and himself, and having only sprinkled his face in sight of the enemy, he marched off, and still held the country, because all had not drank. Yet, though he was highly honoured for this, the family had not their name from him, but from his son, were called Eurytionidæ, and this, because Eurytion seems to be the first who relaxed the strictness of kingly government, inclining to the interest of the people, and ingratiating himself with them. Upon this relaxation, their encroachments increased, and the succeeding kings, either becoming odious, treating them with greater rigour, or else giving way through weakness or in hopes of favour, for a long time anarchy and confusion prevailed in Sparta; by which one of its kings, the father of Lycurgus, lost his life. For while he was endeavouring to part some persons who were concerned in a fray, he received a wound by a kitchen knife, of which he died, leaving the kingdom to his eldest son Polydectes.

named him Charilaus, because of the joy and admiration of his magnanimity and justice tes tified by all present. Thus the reign of Lycur gus lasted only eight months. But the citizens had a great veneration for him on other accounts, and there were more that paid him their attentions, and were ready to execute his commands, out of regard to his virtues, than those that obeyed him as a guardian to the king, and director of the administration. There were not, however, wanting those that envied him, and opposed his advancement, as too high for so young a man; particularly the relations and friends of the queen-mother, who seemed to have been treated with contempt. Her brother Leonidas, one day boldly attacked him with virulent language, and scrupled not to tell him, that he was well assured he would soon be king; thus preparing suspicions, and matter of accusation against Lycurgus, in case any accident should befal the king. Inspread by the queen-mother. Moved with this sinuations of the same kind were likewise ill treatment, and fearing some dark design, he travelling into other countries, till his nephew determined to get clear of all suspicion, by should be grown up, and have a son to succeed him in the kingdom.

But he too dying soon after, the general voice gave it for Lycurgus to ascend the throne; and he actually did so, that his brother's widow was pregnant. As till it appeared soon as he perceived this, he declared that the kingdom belonged to her issue, provided it were male, and he kept the administration in his hands only as his guardian. This he did There having observed the forms of He set sail, therefore, and landed in Crete. with the title of Prodicos, which the Lacedæ-ment, and conversed with the most illustrious monians give to the guardians of infant kings. personages, he was struck with admiration of govern Soon after, the queen made him a private some of their laws,* and resolved at his return overture, that she would destroy her child, to make use of them in Sparta. Some others upon condition that he would marry her when he rejected. Among the friends he gained in king of Sparta. Though he detested her Crete, was Thales,† with whom he had interwickedness, he said nothing against the pro- est enough to persuade him to go and settle at posal, but pretending to approve it, charged Sparta. Thales was famed for his wisdom her not to take any drugs to procure an abor- and political abilities: he was withal a lyric tion, lest she should endanger her own health poet, who under colour of exercising his art, or life; for he would take care that the child, performed as great things as the most excellent as soon as born, should be destroyed. Thus lawgivers. For his odes were so many perhe artfully drew on the woman to her full suasives to obedience and unanimity, as by time, and, when he heard she was in labour, means of melody and numbers they had great he sent persons to attend and watch her de- grace and power, they softened insensibly the livery, with orders, if it were a girl, to give it manners of the audience, drew them off from to the women, but if a boy, to bring it to him, the animosities which then prevailed, and in whatever business he might be engaged. united them in zeal for excellence and virtue. It happened that he was at supper with the So that, in some measure, he prepared the way magistrates when she was delivered of a boy, for Lycurgus towards the instruction of the and his servants, who were present, carried Spartans. From Crete Lycurgus passed to the child to him. When he received it, he is Asia, desirous, as is said, to compare the reported to have said to the company, Spar- Ioniant expense and luxury with the Cretan tans, see here your new-born king. He then

* It may be proper here to give the reader a short view of the regal government of Lacedæmon, under the Herculean line. The Heraclidæ, having driven out Tisamenes, the son of Orestes, Eurysthenes and Procles, the sons of Aristodemus, reigned in that kingdom. Under them the government took a new form, and instead of one sovereign, became subject to two. These two brothers did not divide the kingdom between them, neither did they agree to reign alternately, but they resolved to govern jointly, and with equal power and authority. What is surprising is, that, notwithstanding this mutual jealousy, this diarchy did not end with these two brothers, but continued under a succession of thirty princes of the line of Eurysthenes, and twenty-seven of that of Procles. Eurysthenes was succeeded by his son Agis, from whom all the descendants of that line were surnamed Agidie, as the other line took the name of Eurytionida, from Eurytion, the grandson of Procles, Patrocles, or Protocles. Pausan. Strab. et al.

"At

thenes, Aristotle, and Plato, are of opinion, that LyThe most ancient writers, as Ephorus, Calliscurgus adopted many things in the Cretan polity. But Polybius will have it that they are all mistaken. Sparta," says he, in his sixth book, "the lands are equally divided among all the citizens; wealth is banished; the crown is hereditary; whereas in Crete the contrary obtains." But this does not prove that Lycurgus might not take some good laws and usages from Crete, and leave what he thought defective. There is, indeed, so great a conformity between the laws of Lycurgus and those of Minos, that we must believe, with Strabo, that these were the foundation of the other.

be distinguished from Thales the Milesian, who was
This Thales, who was a poet and musician, must
one of the seven wise men of Greece. The poet lived
two hundred and fifty years before the philosopher.

Minor, about one thousand and fifty years before the
The Ionians sent a colony from Attica into Asia
Christian Æra, and one hundred and fifty before L

by medicines, it was necessary to begin a new regimen. With these sentiments he went to Delphi, and when he had offered and consulted the god, he returned with that celebrated oracle, in which the priestess called him, Beloved of the gods, and rather a god than a

frugality and hard diet, so as to judge what effect each had on their several manners and governments; just as physicians compare bodies that are weak and sickly with the healthy and robust. There also, probably, he met with Homer's poems, which were preserved by the posterity of Cleophylus. Ob-man. As to his request that he might enact serving that many moral sentences, and much good laws, she told him, Apollo had heard his political knowledge were intermixed with his request, and promised that the constitution he stories, which had an irresistible charm, he should establish would be the most excellent collected them inte one body, and transcribed in the world. Thus encouraged, he applied to them with pleasure, in order to take them the nobility, and desired them to put their home with him. For his glorious poetry was hands to the work; addressing himself privatenot yet fully known in Greece; only some par-ly at first to his friends, and afterwards, by ticular pieces were in a few hands, as they degrees, trying the disposition of others, and happened to be dispersed. Lycurgus was the preparing them to concur in the business. first that made them generally known. The Egyptians likewise suppose that he visited them; and as of all their institutions he was most pleased with their distinguishing the military men from the rest of the people, he took the same method at Sparta, and, by separating from these the mechanics and artificers, he rendered the constitution more noble and more of a piece. This assertion of the Egyp-lishing of his laws, was called Arithmiades. tians is confirmed by some of the Greek writers. But we know of no one, except Aristocrates, son of Hipparchus, and a Spartan, who has affirmed that he went to Libya and Spain, and in his Indian excursions conversed with the Gymnosophists.†

The Lacedæmonians found the want of Lycurgus when absent, and sent many embassies to entreat him to return. For they perceived that their kings had barely the title and outward appendages of royalty, but in nothing else differed from the multitude; whereas Lycurgus had abilities from nature to guide the measures of government, and powers of persuasion, that drew the hearts of men to him. The kings, however, were consulted about his return, and they hoped that in his presence they should experience less insolence amongst the people. Returning then to a city thus disposed, he immediately applied himself to alter the whole frame of the constitution; sensible that a partial change, and the introducing of some new laws, would be of no sort of advantage; but, as in the case of a body diseased and full of bad humours, whose temperament is to be corrected and new formed

eurges And though they might not be greatly degenerated in so short a time, yet our lawgiver could Judge of the effect which the climate and Asiatic plenty had upon them.

The ancient Egyptians kept not only the priests and military men, who consisted chiefly of the nobility, distinct from the rest of the people; but the other employments, viz. those of herdsmen, shepherds, merchants, interpreters, and seamen, descended in particular tribes from father to son.

When matters were ripe, he ordered thirty of the principal citizens to appear armed in the market place by break of day, to strike terror into such as might desire to oppose him. Hermippus has given us the names of twenty of the most eminent of them; but he that had the greatest share in the whole enterprise, and gave Lycurgus the best assistance in the estab

Upon the first alarm, king Charilaus, apprehending it to be a design against his person, took refuge in the Chalcioicos.t But he was soon satisfied, and accepted of their oath. Nay, so far from being obstinate, he joined in the undertaking. Indeed, he was so remarka ble for the gentleness of his disposition, that Archelaus, his partner in the throne, is report ed to have said to some that were praising the young king, Yes, Charilaus is a good man to be sure, who cannot find in his heart to punish the bad. Among the many new institutions of Lycurgus, the first and most important was that of a senate; which sharing, as Plato says,

laws were delivered to him from Jupiter, so, LycurAs Minos had persuaded the Cretans that his gus, his imita or, was willing to make the Spartans believe that he did every thing by the direction of Apollo. Other legislators have found it very conve níent to propagate an opinion, that their institutions were from the gods. For that self-love in human nariority of genius that must have been acknowledged ture, which would but ill have borne with the supein an unassisted lawgiver, found an ease and satis faction in admitting his new regulations, when they were said to come from heaven.

That is, the brazen temple. It was standing in the time of Pausanias, who lived in the reign of Marcus Antonius.

The passage to which Plutarch refers, is in Plato's third book of laws, where he is examining into the causes of the downfall of states. An Athenian is introduced thus speaking to a Lacedæmonian. "Some god, I believe, in his care for your state, and in his foresight of what would happen, has given you two kings of the same family, in order that reigning jointly, they might govern with the more moderation, Indian priests and philosophers who went almost and Sparta experience the greater tranquillity. After naked, and lived in woods. The Brachmans were this, when the regal authority was grown again too one of their sects. They had a great aversion to idle- absolute and imperious, a divine spirit residing in ness. Apuleius tells us, every pupil of theirs was a human nature (i. e. Lycurgus) reduced it within obliged to give account every day of some good he had the bounds of equity and moderation, by the wise done, either by meditation or action, before he was ad-provision of a senate, whose authority was to be mitted to sit down to dinner. So thoroughly were they persuaded of the transmigration of the soul, and a happy one for themselves, that they used to commit themselves to the flames, when they had lived to satiety, or were apprehensive of any misfortune. But we are afraid it was vanity that induced one of them to burn himself before Alexander the Great, and another to do the same before Augustus Cæsar.

equal to that of the kings." Aristotle finds fault with this circumstance in the institution of the senate, that the senators were to continue for life; for, as the mind grows old with the body, he thought it unreasonable to put the fortunes of the citizens into the power of men who, through age, might become incapable of judging. He likewise thought it very unreasonable that they were not

Ye sons of Sparta, who at Phoebus' shrine
Your humble vows prefer, attentive hear
The god's decision. O'er your beauteous lands
Two guardian kings, a senate, and the voice
Of the concurring people, lasting laws
Shall with joint power establish.

in the power of the kings, too imperious and law, the senate and chiefs shall retire: that unrestrained before, and having equal authority is, they shall dissolve the assembly, and annul with them, was the means of keeping them the alterations. And they found means to within the bounds of moderation, and highly persuade the Spartans that this too was ordercontributed to the preservation of the state. ed by Apollo; as we learn from these verses For before it had been veering and unsettled, of Tyrtæus: sometimes inclining to arbitrary power, and sometimes towards a pure democracy; but this establishment of a senate, an intermediate body, like ballast, kept it in a just equilibrium, and put it in a safe posture: the twentyeight senators adhering to the kings, whenever they saw the people too encroaching, and, on the other hand, supporting the people, when by Lycurgus, yet soon after it degenerated Though the government was thus tempered the kings attempted to make themselves ab-into an oligarchy, whose power was exercised solute. This, according to Aristotle, was the number of Senators fixed upon, because two of the thirty associates of Lycurgus deserted the business through fear But Sphærus tells us there were only twenty-eight at first entrusted with the design. Something, perhaps, there is in its being a perfect number, formed of seven multiplied by four, and withal the first number, after six, that is equal to all its parts. But I rather think, just so many senators were created, that together with the two kings, the whole body might consist of thirty members.

with such wantonness and violence, that it wanted indeed a bridle, as Plato expresses it. This curb they found in the authority of the Ephori, about a hundred and thirty years after Lycurgus. Elatus was the first invested with this dignity, in the reign of Theopompus; who, when his wife upbraided him, that he would leave the regal power to his children less than he received it, replied, Nay, but greater, because more lasting. And, in fact, the prerogative, so stripped of all extravagant envy or danger to its possessors. By these pretensions, no longer occasioned either means they escaped the miseries which befel the Messenian and Argive kings, who would not in the least relax the severity of their power in favour of the people. Indeed, from nothing more does the wisdom and foresight of Lycurgus appear, than from the disorderly governments, and the bad understanding that subsisted between the kings and people of Messena and Argos, neighbouring states, and related in blood to Sparta. For, as at first they were in all respects equal to her, and possessed of a better country, and yet pre

He had this institution so much at heart, that he obtained from Delphi an oracle in its behalf, called rhetra, or the decree. This was couched in very ancient and uncommon terms, which interpreted, ran thus: When you have built a temple to the Syllanian Jupiter, and the Syllanian Minerva,* divided the people into tribes and classes, and established a senate of thirty persons, including the two kings, you shall occasionally summon the people to an assembly between Babyce and Cnacion, and they shall have the determining voice. Babyce and Cnacion are now called Oenus. But Aristotle thinks, by Cnacion is meant the river, and by Babyce the bridge. Between these they held their as- Repub. Lac.) tell us, the Ephori were appointed by Herodotus, (1. i. c. 65.) and Xenophon, (De semblies, having neither halls, nor any kind of Lycurgus himself. But the account which Plutarch building for that purpose. These things he gives us from Aristotle, (Polit. 1. v.) and others, of thought of no advantage to their councils, but their being instituted long after, seems more agreearather a dis-service; as they distracted the atble to reason. For it is not likely, that Lycurgus, tention, and turned it upon trifles, on observ-tocracy, and left the people only the right of assentwho in all things endeavoured to support the aris ing the statues and pictures, the splendid roofs, and every other theatrical ornament. The people thus assembled had no right to propose any subject of debate, and were only authorised to ratify or reject what might be proposed to them by the senate and the kings. But because, in process of time, the people, by additions or re-ple out of their own body, and sometimes out of the trenchments, changed the terms, and perverted the sense of the decrees, the kings Polydorus and Theopompus inserted in the rhetra this clause. If the people attempt to corrupt any

made accountable for their actions. But for the latter inconvenience sufficient provision seems to have been made afterwards, by the institution of the Ephori, who had it chiefly in charge to defend the rights of the people; and therefore Plato adds, "A third blessing to Sparta was the prince, who finding the power of the senate and the kings too arbitrary and uncontrolled, contrived the authority of the Ephori as a restraint upon it," &c.

*As no account can be given of the meaning of the word Syllanian, it is supposed it should be either read Sellasian, from Sellasia, a town of Laconia upon the Eurotas; or else Hellanian, as much as to say, the Grecian Jupiter, &c.

ing or dissenting to what was proposed to them, would appoint a kind of tribunes of the people, to be masters as it were both of the kings and the senate. first the king's friends, to whom they delegated their Some, indeed, suppose the Ephori, to have been at authority, when they were obliged to be in the field. But it is very clear that they were elected by the peo

very dregs of it; for the boldest citizen, whoever he which was intended as a check on the senate and the was, was most likely to be chosen to this office, kings. They were five in number, like the Quinque vir in the republic of Carthage. They were annually elected, and, in order to effect any thing, the unanthority, though well designed at first, came to be in a imous voice of the college was requisite. Their aumanner boundless. They presided in popular assemblies, collected their suffrages, declared war, made peace, treated with foreign princes, determined the number of forces to be raised, appointed the funds to maintain them, and distributed rewards and punishments in the name of the state. They likewise held a court of justice, inquired into the conduct of all magistrates, inspected into the behaviour and education of youth, had a particular jurisdiction over the Helotes, and in short, by degrees, drew the whole administration into their hands. They even went so far as to put king Agis to death under a form of justice, and were themselves at last killed by Cleomenes.

After this he attempted to divide also the moveables, in order to take away all appearDesirous to complete the conquest of luxury, ance of inequality; but he soon perceived that and exterminate the love of riches, he intro they could not bear to have their goods direct-duced a third institution, which was wisely ly taken from them, and therefore took an- enough and ingeniously contrived. This was other method, counterworking their avarice by the use of public tables,† where all were to a stratagem. First he stopped the currency

* Whatever Plutarch might mean by TRUTH μEV SV spor, it is certain that kingly power was abolished in the states of Messene and Argos long before the time But when the Spartans, no longer satisfied with of Lycurgus the lawgiver, and a democracy had taken their own territories, (as Lycurgus had enjoined them place in those cities. Indeed those states experienced to be) came to be engaged in foreign wars, their money great internal troubles, not only while under the gov-not being passable in other countries, they found themernment of kings, but when in the forin of common-selves obliged to apply to the Persians, whose gold and wealths, and never, after the time of Lycurgus, made figure equal to Lacedæmon.