a smaller history of greece-第6节

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　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　permitted　even　to　reside　and　take　his　meals　with　his　wife。　　It　was　not　till　he　had　reached　his　sixtieth　year　that　he　was　released　from　the　public　discipline　and　from　military　service。

The　public　messcalled　SYSSITIAis　said　to　have　been　instituted　by　Lycurgus　to　prevent　all　indulgence　of　the　appetite。　　Public　tables　were　provided；　at　which　every　male　citizen　was　obliged　to　take　his　meals。　　Each　table　accommodated　fifteen　persons；　who　formed　a　separate　mess；　into　which　no　new　member　was　admitted；　except　by　the　unanimous　consent　of　the　whole　company。　　Each　sent　monthly　to　the　common　stock　a　specified　quantity　of　barley…meal；　wine；　cheese；　and　figs　and　a　little　money　to　buy　flesh　and　fish。　No　distinction　of　any　kind　was　allowed　at　these　frugal　meals。　Meat　was　only　eaten　occasionally；　and　one　of　the　principal　dishes　was　black　broth。　　Of　what　it　consisted　we　do　not　know。　　The　tyrant　Dionysius　found　it　very　unpalatable；　but；　as　the　cook　told　him；　the　broth　was　nothing　without　the　seasoning　of　fatigue　and　hunger。

The　Spartan　women　in　their　earlier　years　were　subjected　to　a　course　of　training　almost　as　rigorous　as　that　of　the　men；　and　contended　with　each　other　in　running；　wrestling　and　boxing。　　At　the　age　of　twenty　a　Spartan　woman　usually　married；　and　she　was　no　longer　subjected　to　the　public　discipline。　　Although　she　enjoyed　little　of　her　husband's　society；　she　was　treated　by　him　with　deep　respect；　and　was　allowed　a　greater　degree　of　liberty　than　was　tolerated　in　other　Grecian　states。　　Hence　she　took　a　lively　interest　in　the　welfare　and　glory　of　her　native　land；　and　was　animated　by　an　earnest　and　lofty　spirit　of　patriotism。　　The　Spartan　mother　had　reason　to　be　proud　of　herself　and　of　her　children。　　When　a　woman　of　another　country　said　to　Gorgo；　the　wife　of　Leonidas；　〃The　Spartan　women　alone　rule　the　men；〃　she　replied；　〃The　Spartan　women　alone　bring　forth　men。〃　　Their　husbands　and　their　sons　were　fired　by　their　sympathy　to　deeds　of　heroism。　　〃Return　either　with　your　shield；　or　upon　it；〃　was　their　exhortation　to　their　sons　when　going　to　battle。

Lycurgus　is　said　to　have　divided　the　land　belonging　to　the　Spartans　into　9000　equal　lots　and　the　remainder　of　Laconia　into　30；000　equal　lots；　and　to　have　assigned　to　each　Spartan　citizen　one　of　the　former　of　these　lots；　and　to　each　Perioecus　one　of　the　latter。

Neither　gold　nor　silver　money　was　allowed　in　Sparta；　and　nothing　but　bars　of　iron　passed　in　exchange　for　every　commodity。　　As　the　Spartans　were　not　permitted　to　engage　in　commerce；　and　all　luxury　and　display　in　dress；　furniture；　and　food　was　forbidden；　they　had　very　little　occasion　for　a　circulating　medium；　and　iron　money　was　found　sufficient　for　their　few　wants。　　But　this　prohibition　of　the　precious　metals　only　made　the　Spartans　more　anxious　to　obtain　them；　and　even　in　the　times　of　their　greatest　glory　the　Spartans　were　the　most　venal　of　the　Greeks；　and　could　rarely　resist　the　temptation　of　a　bribe。

The　legislation　of　Lycurgus　was　followed　by　important　results。　It　made　the　Spartans　a　body　of　professional　soldiers；　all　trained　and　well　disciplined；　at　a　time　when　military　training　and　discipline　were　little　known；　and　almost　unpractised　in　the　other　states　of　Greece。　　The　consequence　was　the　rapid　growth　of　the　political　power　of　Sparta；　and　the　subjugation　of　the　neighbouring　states。　　At　the　time　of　Lycurgus　the　Spartans　held　only　a　small　portion　of　Laconia：　　they　were　merely　a　garrison　in　the　heart　of　an　enemy's　country。　　Their　first　object　was　to　make　themselves　masters　of　Laconia；　in　which　they　finally　succeeded　after　a　severe　struggle。　　They　next　turned　their　arms　against　the　Messenians；　Arcadians；　and　Argives。　　Of　these　wars　the　two　waged　against　Messenia　were　the　most　celebrated　and　the　most　important。　They　were　both　long　protracted　and　obstinately　contested。　　They　both　ended　in　the　victory　of　Sparta；　and　in　the　subjugation　of　Messenia。　　These　facts　are　beyond　dispute；　but　of　the　details　we　have　no　trustworthy　narrative。

The　FIRST　MESSENIAN　WAR　lasted　from　B。C。　743　to　724。　　During　the　first　four　years　the　Lacedaemonians　made　little　progress；　but　in　the　fifth　a　great　battle　was　fought；　and　although　its　result　was　indecisive；　the　Messenians　did　not　venture　to　risk　another　engagement；　and　retired　to　the　strongly　fortified　mountain　of　Ithome。　　In　their　distress　they　sent　to　consult　the　oracle　at　Delphi；　and　received　the　appalling　answer　that　the　salvation　of　Messenia　required　the　sacrifice　of　a　virgin　of　the　royal　house　to　the　gods　of　the　lower　world。　　Aristodemus；　who　is　the　Messenian　hero　of　the　first　war；　slew　his　own　daughter；　which　so　disheartened　the　Spartans；　that　they　abstained　from　attacking　the　Messenians　for　some　years。　　In　the　thirteenth　year　of　the　war　the　Spartan　king　marched　against　Ithome；　and　a　second　great　battle　was　fought；　but　the　result　was　again　indecisive。　　The　Messenian　king　fell　in　the　action；　and　Aristodemus；　who　was　chosen　king　in　his　place；　prosecuted　the　war　with　vigour。　　In　the　fifth　year　of　his　reign　a　third　great　battle　was　fought。　　This　time　the　Messenians　gained　a　decisive　victory；　and　the　Lacedaemonians　were　driven　back　into　their　own　territory。　　They　now　sent　to　ask　advice　of　the　Delphian　oracle；　and　were　promised　success　upon　using　stratagem。　　They　therefore　had　recourse　to　fraud：　　and　at　the　same　time　various　prodigies　dismayed　the　bold　spirit　of　Aristodemus。　　His　daughter　too　appeared　to　him　in　a　dream；　showed　him　her　wounds；　and　beckoned　him　away。　　Seeing　that　his　country　was　doomed　to　destruction；　Aristodemus　slew　himself　on　his　daughter's　tomb。　　Shortly　afterwards；　in　the　twentieth　year　of　the　war；　the　Messenians　abandoned　Ithome；　which　the　Lacedaemonians　razed　to　the　ground；　and　the　whole　country　became　subject　to　Sparta。　　Many　of　the　inhabitants　fled　into　other　countries；　but　those　who　remained　were　reduced　to　the　condition　of　Helots；　and　were　compelled　to　pay　to　their　masters　half　of　the　produce　of　their　lands。

For　thirty…nine　years　the　Messenians　endured　this　degrading　yoke。　At　the　end　of　this　time　they　took　up　arms　against　their　oppressors。　　The　SECOND　MESSENIAN　WAR　lasted　f