lycurgus-第9节

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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　horse　gentle　and　tractable；　so　is　it　of　the　science　of
government；　to　inspire　men　with　a　willingness　to　obey。　The
Lacedaemonians　inspired　men　not　with　a　mere　willingness；　but　with　an
absolute　desire　to　be　their　subjects。　For　they　did　not　send
petitions　to　them　for　ships　or　money；　or　a　supply　of　armed　men；　but
only　for　a　Spartan　commander；　and；　having　obtained　one；　used　him
with　honour　and　reverence；　so　the　Sicilians　behaved　to　Gylippus；　the
Chalcidians　to　Brasidas；　and　all　the　Greeks　in　Asia　to　Lysander；
Callicratidas；　and　Agesilaus；　they　styled　them　the　composers　and
chasteners　of　each　people　or　prince　they　were　sent　to；　and　had　their
eyes　always　fixed　upon　the　city　of　Sparta　itself；　as　the　perfect　model
of　good　manners　and　wise　government。　The　rest　seemed　as　scholars；　they
the　masters　of　Greece；　and　to　this　Stratonicus　pleasantly　alluded；
when　in　jest　he　pretended　to　make　a　law　that　the　Athenians　should
conduct　religious　processions　and　the　mysteries；　the　Eleans　should
preside　at　the　Olympic　games；　and；　if　either　did　amiss；　the
Lacedaemonians　be　beaten。　Antisthenes；　too；　one　of　the　scholars　of
Socrates；　said；　in　earnest；　of　the　Thebans；　when　they　were　elated　by
their　victory　at　Leuctra；　that　they　looked　like　school…boys　who　had
beaten　their　master。
　　However；　it　was　not　the　design　of　Lycurgus　that　his　city　should
govern　a　great　many　others；　he　thought　rather　that　the　happiness　of
a　state；　as　a　private　man；　consisted　chiefly　in　the　exercise　of
virtue；　and　in　the　concord　of　the　inhabitants；　his　aim；　therefore；
in　all　his　arrangements；　was　to　make　and　keep　them　free…minded；
self…dependent；　and　temperate。　And　therefore　all　those　who　have
written　well　on　politics；　as　Plato；　Diogenes　and　Zeno；　have　taken
Lycurgus　for　their　model；　leaving　behind　them；　however　mere　projects
and　words；　whereas　Lycurgus　was　the　author；　not　in　writing　but　in
reality；　of　a　government　which　none　else　could　so　much　as　copy；　and
while　men　in　general　have　treated　the　individual　philosophic　character
as　unattainable；　he；　by　the　example　of　a　complete　philosophic　state；
raised　himself　high　above　all　other　lawgivers　of　Greece。　And　so
Aristotle　says　they　did　him　less　honour　at　Lacedaemon　after　his
death　than　he　deserved；　although；　he　has　a　temple　there；　and　they
offer　sacrifices　yearly　to　him　as　to　a　god。
　　It　is　reported　that　when　his　bones　were　brought　home　to　Sparta　his
tomb　was　struck　with　lightning；　an　accident　which　befell　no　eminent
person　but　himself　and　Euripides；　who　was　buried　at　Arethusa　in
Macedonia；　and　it　may　serve　that　poet's　admirers　as　a　testimony　in　his
favour；　that　he　had　in　this　the　same　fate　with　that　holy　man　and
favourite　of　the　gods。　Some　say　Lycurgus　died　in　Cirrha。
Apollothemis　says；　after　he　had　come　to　Elis；　Timaeus　and　Aristoxenus；
that　he　ended　his　life　in　Crete；　Aristoxenus　adds　that　his　tomb　is
shown　by　the　Cretans　in　the　district　of　Pergamus；　near　the
strangers'　road。　He　left　an　only　son；　Antiorus；　on　whose　death　without
issue　his　family　became　extinct。　But　his　relations　and　friends　kept　up
an　annual　commemoration　of　him　down　to　a　long　time　after；　and　the　days
of　the　meeting　were　called　Lycurgides。　Aristocrates；　the　son　of
Hipparchus；　says　that　he　died　in　Crete；　and　that　his　Cretan　friends；
in　accordance　with　his　own　request；　when　they　had　burned　his　body；
scattered　the　Ashes　into　the　sea；　for　fear　lest；　if　his　relics
should　be　transported　to　Lacedaemon；　the　people　might　pretend　to　be
released　from　their　oaths；　and　make　innovations　in　the　government。
Thus　much　may　suffice　for　the　life　and　actions　of　Lycurgus。




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