Of Lycurgus the Lawgiver.
Lycurgus the lawgiver, designing to reclaim his citizens
from their former luxury and bring them to a more sober
course of life and make them brave men (for they were
then loose and delicate), bred up two whelps of the same
litter; one he kept at home, bred him tenderly, and fed
him well; but the other he taught to hunt, and used him
to the chase. Both these dogs he brought out into the
public assembly, and setting down some scraps of meat and
letting go a hare at the same time, each of the dogs ran
greedily to what they had been accustomed. And the
hunter catching the hare, Lycurgus said: See, countrymen,
how these two, though of the same litter, by my breeding
them are become very different; and that custom and exercise conduces more than Nature to make things brave and
excellent. Some say that he did not bring out two whelps
of the same kind, but one a house dog and the other a
hunter; the former of which (though the baser kind) he
had accustomed to the woods, and the other (though more
noble) kept lazily at home; and when in public, each of
them pursuing his usual delight, he had given a clear evidence that education is of considerable force in raising bad
or good inclinations, he said: Therefore, countrymen, our
honorable extraction, that idol of the crowd, though from
Hercules himself, profits us little, unless we learn and exercise all our life in such famous exploits as made him
accounted the most noble and the most glorious in the
world.
[p. 420]
When he made a division of the land, giving each man
an equal portion, it is reported that some while after, in
his return from a journey, as he past through the country
in harvest time and saw the cocks of wheat all equal and
lying promiscuously, he was extremely pleased, and with a
smile said to his companions, All Sparta looks like the possession of many loving brothers who have lately divided
their estate. Having discharged every man from his debts,
he endeavored likewise to divide all movables equally
amongst all, that he might have no inequality in his commonwealth. But seeing that the rich men would hardly
endure this open and apparent spoil, he cried down all
gold and silver coin, and ordered nothing but iron to be
current; and rated every man's estate and defined how
much it was worth upon exchange for that money. By
this means all injustice was banished Sparta; for none
would steal, none take bribes, none cheat or rob any man
of that which he could not conceal, which none would
envy, which could not be used without discovery, or carried
into other countries with advantage. Besides, this contrivance freed them from all superfluous arts; for no merchant,
Sophist, fortune-teller, or mountebank would live amongst
them; no carver, no contriver ever troubled Sparta; because he cried down all money that was advantageous to
them, and permitted none but this iron coin, each piece
of which was an Aegina pound in weight, and less than a
penny in value.
1 Designing farther to check all luxury
and greediness after wealth, he instituted public meals,
where all the citizens were obliged to eat. And when
some of his friends demanded what he designed by this
institution and why he divided the citizens, when in arms,
into small companies, he replied: That they may more
[p. 421]
easily hear the word of command; and if there are any
designs against the state, the conspiracy may join but
few; and besides, that there may be an equality in the
provision, and that neither in meat nor drink, sets, tables,
or any furniture, the rich may be better provided than the
poor. When he had by this contrivance made wealth less
desirable, it being unfit both for use and show, he said to
his familiars, What a brave thing is it, my friends, by our
actions to make Plutus appear (as he is indeed) blind!
He took care that none should sup at home and afterwards,
when they were full of other victuals, come to the public
entertainments; for all the rest reproached him that did
not feed with them as a glutton and of too delicate a palate for the public provision; and when he was discovered,
he was severely punished. And therefore Agis the king,
when after a long absence he returned from the camp (the
Athenians were beaten in the expedition), willing to sup
at home with his wife once, sent a servant for his allowance; the officers refused, and the next day the Ephors
fined him for the fault.
The wealthy citizens being offended at these constitutions made a mutiny against him, abused, threw stones,
and designed to kill him, Thus pursued, he ran through
the market-place towards the temple of Minerva of the
Brazen House, and reached it before any of the others;
only Alcander pursuing close struck him as he turned
about, and beat out one eye. Afterward the commonwealth
delivered up this Alcander to his mercy; but he neither
inflicted any punishment nor gave him an ill word, but
kindly entertained him at his own house, and brought him
to be his friend, an admirer of his course of life and very
well affected to all his laws. Yet he built a monument of
this sad disaster in the temple of Minerva, naming it Optiletis,—for the Dorians in that country call eyes
optiloi.
Being asked why he used no written laws, he replied, Because
[p. 422]
those that are well instructed are able to suit matters
to the present occasion. And another time, when some
enquired why he had ordained that the timber which
roofed the houses should be wrought with the axe only,
and the doors with no other instrument but the saw, he
answered: That my citizens might be moderate in every
thing which they bring into their houses, and possess nothing which others so much prize and value. And hence
it is reported that King Leotychides the First, supping with
a friend and seeing the roof curiously arched and richly
wrought, asked him whether in that country the trees grew
square. And some demanding why he forbade them to
war often with the same nation, he replied, Lest being
often forced to stand on their defence, they should get experience and be masters of our art. And therefore it was a
great fault in Agesilaus, that by his frequent incursions
into Boeotia he made the Thebans a match for the Lacedaemonians. And another asking why he exercised the
virgins' bodies with racing, wrestling, throwing the bar, and
the like, he answered: That the first rooting of the children
being strong and firm, their growth might be proportionable; and that the women might have strength to bear and
more easily undergo the pains of travail, or, if necessity
should require, be able to fight for themselves, their country, and their children. Some being displeased that the
virgins went about naked at certain solemnities, and demanding the reason of that custom, he replied: That using
the same exercises with men, they might equal them in
strength and health of body and in courage and bravery
of mind, and be above that mean opinion which the vulgar
had of them. And hence goes the story of Gorgo, wife
of Leonidas, that when a stranger, a friend of hers, said,
You Spartan women alone rule men, she replied, Good
reason, for we alone bear men. By ordering that no bachelor should be admitted a spectator of these naked solemnities
[p. 423]
and fixing some other disgrace on them, he made them all eager to be married and get children; besides, he deprived them
of that honor and observance which the young men were
bound to pay their elders. And upon that account none
can blame what was said to Dercyllidas, though a brave
captain'; for as he approached, one of the young men
refused to rise up and give him place, saying, You have
not begotten any to give place to me.
When one asked him why he allowed no dowry to be
given with a maid, he answered, that none might be slighted
for their poverty or courted for their wealth, but that every
one, considering the manners of the maid, might choose
for the sake of virtue. And for the same reason he forbade all painting of the face and curiousness in dress and
ornament. To one that asked him why he made a law
that before such an age neither sex should marry, he answered, that the children might be lusty, being born of
persons of full age. And to one wondering why he would
not suffer the husband to lie all night with his wife, but
commanded them to be most of the day and all the night
with their fellows, and creep to their wives cautiously and
by stealth, he said: I do it that they may be strong in
body, having never been satiated and surfeited with pleasure; that they may be always fresh in love, and their children more strong and lusty. He forbade all perfumes, as
nothing but good oil corrupted, and the dyer's art, as a
flatterer and enticer of the sense; and he ejected all skilled
in ornament and dressing, as those who by their lewd devices corrupt the true arts of decency and living well. At
that time the women were so chaste and such strangers to
that lightness to which they were afterwards addicted, that
adultery was incredible; and there goes a saying of Geradatas, one of the ancient Spartans, who being asked by
a stranger what punishment the Spartans appointed for
adulterers (for Lycurgus mentioned none), he said, Sir, we
[p. 424]
have no adulterers amongst us. And he replying, But suppose there should be? Geradatas made the same reply;
For how (said he) could there be an adulterer in Sparta,
where wealth, delicacy, and all ornaments are disesteemed,
and modesty, neatness, and obedience to the governors only
are in request? When one desired him to establish a democracy in Sparta, he said, Pray, sir, do you first set up that
form in your own family. And to another demanding why
he ordered such mean sacrifices he answered, That we may
always be able to honor the Gods. He permitted the citizens those exercises only in which the hand is not stretched
out; and one demanding his reason, he replied, That none
in any labor may be accustomed to be weary. And another enquiring why he ordered that in a war the camp
should be often changed, he answered, That we may damage
our enemies the more. Another demanding why he forbade to storm a castle, he said, Lest my brave men should
be killed by a woman, a boy, or some man of as mean
courage.
When the Thebans asked his advice about the sacrifices
and lamentation which they instituted in honor of Leucothea, he gave them this: If you think her a Goddess, do
not lament; if a woman, do not sacrifice to her as a Goddess. To some of the citizens enquiring, How shall we
avoid the invasions of enemies, he replied, If you are
poor, and one covets no more than another. And to others
demanding why he did not wall his city he said, That city
is not unwalled which is encompassed with men and not
brick. The Spartans are curious in their hair, and tell us
that Lycurgus said, It makes the handsome more amiable,
and the ugly more terrible. He ordered that in a war they
should pursue the routed enemy so far as to secure the
victory, and then retreat, saying, it was unbecoming the
Grecian bravery to butcher those that fled; and beside,
it was useful, for their enemies, knowing that they spared
[p. 425]
all that yielded and cut in pieces the opposers, would
easily conclude that it was safer to fly than to stand stoutly
to it and resist. When one asked him why he charged his
soldiers not to meddle with the spoil of their slain enemies,
he replied, Lest while they are eager on their prey they
neglect their fighting, but also that they may keep their
order and their poverty together.
