Archæologiæ græcæ: or, The antiquities of Greece. By John Potter, M.A. and Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxon

CHAPTER I. Of the Wars, Valour, Military Glory, &c. of the Ancient Grecians.

THE ancient Grecians were an innocent and unpolish'd sort of Mortals, wholly unacquainted with the mo∣dern, and more refin'd Arts of War and Peace. Persons of the highest Birth and Quality, and whom they phan∣sy'd to be descended from the Race of the Immortal Gods, had little other business to employ their Hours, beside tilling the Earth, or feeding their Flocks and Herds; and the rapine of these, or some other petty Concerns, which was look'd on as a ge∣nerous and heroical Exploit, occasion'd most of the Wars: so famous in their Story. Achilles in Homer tells Agamemnon, that 'twas purely to oblige him, he had engag'd himself in so long and dangerous a War against the Trojans, from whom he had never receiv'd any just cause of Quarrel, having never been

despoil'd of his Oxen, or Horses, or had the Fruits of his Ground destroy'd by them (a) 1.1:

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For tho' I here 'gainst warlike Trojans fight, 'Tis not to vindicate my injur'd Right; Since they by impious Theft have ne'er detain'd My Oxen, Horses, or on Pthia's Land Destroy'd my Fruits; for me, the craggy Way O'er pathless Mountains, and the boist'rous Sea Secure from what Invasion they wou'd make: But 'tis, ungrateful Man, 'tis for thy sake, T' advance thy Triumphs that I hither come, That thou with greater State may'st lord it home.

Mr. Hutchin.

And the simplicity of their Conduct may be sufficiently evin∣c'd, as from several other Instances, so by those especially, where an Achilles, an Hector, or an Ajax are introduc'd opposing them∣selves to vast Numbers, and by the force of their own Valour put∣ting to flight whole Squadrons of their Enemies. Nor is the Poet to be thought blame-worthy, or to have transgress'd the rules of probability in such Relations; which, tho' perhaps strange and incredible in our Days, were no doubt accommodated to the manners of the Times, of which he wrote. For even in the Sacred Story we find it recorded, that a single Goliath defy'd all the Armies of Israel (b) 1.2, and with a big look, and a few ar∣rogant Words, put so great terrour into them, that they fled be∣fore him.

Notwithstanding this, in the revolution of a few Ages, Greece became the celebrated Mother of the bravest, and most experienc'd Souldiers in the World: For being canton'd into a great num∣ber of little independent States, all which, tho' bordering upon one another, were govern'd by different Laws, and prosecuted con∣trary Interests, it became the Seat of continual Wars; every Hamlet being ambitious of enlarging it's Territory, by encroaching upon

it's neighbour-village, and contending for the addition of a few Lands with no less heat and fury, than if whole Kingdoms had been the Prize: The consequence whereof was, that the Grecians, being from their childhood inur'd to Martial Affairs, and having to their native Bravery added long and constant Experience, were ren∣der'd as well in good Order and Discipline, as true Courage and Valour, superiour to most other Nations. They became a ter∣rour to all the Countries round about them, and with small Num∣bers often put to flight vast multitudes of the Barbarians: The Persians frequently experienc'd the sad effects of it in the loss of numerous Armies, and at length of the greatest Empire in the World. And (to enumerate no more Instances in a thing so well known) the Carthaginians, tho' Men of great Courage, and excellently skill'd in the Art of War, being worsted in Sicily by Timoleon the Corinthian in several Encounters, and by unequal numbers of Men, were driven into an admiration of the Grecian Valour; and forc'd to confess, that they were the most pugnacious and insupportable of Mankind; and forthwith made it their business to entertain as many of them as they could procure, in their Service (a) 1.3.

But tho' almost all the Grecians had their share in Military Glory, yet were the rest far inferiour to the Lacedemonians, who by the Laws of their Country were under an obligation to make War their Profession; they never apply'd themselves to any Art, or Em∣ployment, or the exercise of Trade, which they accounted un∣worthy of Generous and Free-born Souls; but, committing all such cares to the Helots, who were a gentiler sort of Slaves, spent their Time in manly Exercises, to render their Bodies strong and active. They were also accustom'd by hard Diet, by Stripes, and other severities, patiently to undergo any hardships, to endure Wounds, to encounter any Dangers, and, if the Honour of their Country so requir'd, to throw themselves into the Arms of Death without Fear, or Regret. Yet were they not so imprudent or fool∣hardy, as to court Dangers, or Death; but were taught from their childhood to be always prepar'd either to live, or die, and equally willing to do either; as appears from those Verses, cited by Plu∣tarch (b) 1.4 to this purpose;

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They dy'd, but not as lavish of their Blood, Or thinking Death it self was simply good, Or Life: both these the strictest Vertu•• ••y'd. And as that call'd, they gladly liv'd, or 〈◊〉〈◊〉.

Nor was this Indifferency to Life or Death only discours'd of amongst them, as a point of meer Speculation; but carefully and seriously instill'd into their tender Years, and always embrac'd as one of the first Principles of their Actions; which begot in them such an undaunted Courage, and so firm and unmoveable a Resolution, that scarce any thing compos'd of Flesh and Blood was able to stand before them. This extraordinary and unparal∣lell'd Bravery, being adorn'd and strengthen'd with the wisest Con∣duct, and the most perfect Skill in all the Stratagems of War those Times were capable of, has render'd them famous in Story, and examples of Military Vertue to all succeeding Ages:

For (these are Plutarch's (a) 1.5 words) the Lacedemonians were most expert and cunning in the Art of War, being train'd up and accustom'd to nothing more than to keep themselves, from Confusion, when their Order should be broken; to follow any Leader or Right∣handman, so rallying themselves into Order; and to sight on what part soever Dangers press.

It is therefore by no mean▪ to be wonder'd, that foreign and vastly remote Nations should be desirous to entertain the Laceac∣monians into their Service; that Cyrus the Younger should think That the readiest and most effectual Method to advance himself to the Empire of Persia: That Crasus, the wealthy King of Lydia, and several of the Aegyptian Monarchs, tho' surrounded with nu∣merous Forces of their own, should never esteem themselves se∣cure without assistance from Sparta; or that the Sicilians, Thracians, Carthaginians, with the Cyrenaeans, and many others, were be∣holding to it for Protection, and Deliverance from powerful Ene∣mies. And for the Grecians themselves, whenever any of their little States were in danger of being swallow'd up by their more powerful Neighbours, we find them having Recourse for Aid to the Spartans, who were a common Refuge to the oppress'd, and restrain'd the Ambitious Invaders of other Men's Rights.

Hence likewise it came to pass, that in all Confederacies they were look'd on as the principal Associates; and in all Wars carry'd on by publick Contributions, they challeng'd the chief Command as their right and peculiar. Nor could any Exigency prevail with them to depart from that Claim, or resign it to the greatest of Princes: Gelon, King of Sicily, tho' promising to furnish them with large Sup∣plies against the Barbarians, on condition he might be declar'd Captain-general of the Grecian Forces, was rejected (b) 1.6. Yet we find, that after the Victory over Mardonius at Plataeae, Pausanias the Lacedaemonian General, having by his excessive Severity, and Tyrannical Behaviour to the rest of the Souldiers render'd the Spartans very odious, in the end they revolted to the Athenians,

the gentle and courteous Carriage of whose Commanders, Ari∣stides and Cimon, had endear'd them to all the rest of the Grecians: And here the Magnanimity of the Lacedemonians was wonderful; For when they perceiv'd that their Generals were corrupted, and their Minds too much elevated and puffed up by the greatness of their Authority, they left off sending any more of them to the Wars, choosing rather to have Citizens of Moderation, and that persever'd in their ancient Manners and Customs, than to be ho∣nour'd with the Superiority of all Greece (a) 1.7. But this Misfor∣tune did not put an end to the Lacedomonian Greatness; for we find them in a little time re-assuming their ancient Spirits, and disdaining even Alexander himself (tho' submitted to by the rest of the Grecians, and declar'd their General against (Persia) for their Superiour: Which is the reason, that in the Monuments erected after the Persian Victories, and bearing the Names of Alexander and the Grecians, the Lacedemonians were excepted by Name, as having no share in that Honour (b) 1.8.

The Athenians alone were able to dispute with the Lacedemo∣nians this Prerogative; some few times excepted, when some un∣usual Success rais'd any of the other States beyond their ordinary Grandeur; as it happen'd to the Thebans, who, from a mean and despicable People, were by the Conduct of Epaminondas and Pelo∣pidas advanc'd to an Equality, is not a Superiority over the most flourishing Cities of Greece.

Notwithstanding these, and some other Obstacles, the La∣cedemonians for the most part made good their Pretensions, and, in most Wars carry'd on by a Confederacy, were Generals of all the Land-forces; but were at length constrain'd to leave the Do∣minion of the Seas to the Athenians; who having laid out their whole Strength in sitting out a Navy against Xer••es, for a long Time reign'd sole Lords of the liquid Element: During which Season we find a Decree put so••th by their Senate, wherein it was order'd, That the Command of all the Naval Forces of Greece should belong to Athens; but the Land armies should obey a General from Sparta (c) 1.9. But the Rival Cities could not be long content with this equal distribution of Power, each being jealous of the other's Greatness, and thinking her self best able to govern the whole ju∣risdiction; till at length the Athenians, having their whole Fleet, except twelve Trireme-Gallies, destroy'd at once by Lysander the Spartan Admiral, in the famous Battle at Aegos-potamus, were con∣strain'd to own the Lacedemonians for Sovereigns both at Sea and Land (d) 1.10.

But the Lacedemonians were not long able to maintain this Command; for the Athenians, having recruited their Naval Forces, and engag'd Evagoras the King of Cyprus, and Pharnabazus the Persian Emperour's Lieutenant to their Interest; by their Assistance, and the singular Conduct of their own Admiral Conon, gave them so great an overthrow at Cnidus (a) 1.11, that they never after pre∣tended to contest the Sovereignty of the Seas; contenting them∣selves with the chief Command at Land, which the Athenians suffer'd them to enjoy without farther molestation; both Cities being weary of the Contention, and convinc'd at length of the Truth of what had been commonly observ'd, That Fortune was most favourable to the Lacedemonians by Land, but in Sea-engage∣ments sided with the Athenians (b) 1.12. This seems not to have been without reason, the Athenians by the commodiousness of their Situation being dispos'd, and, as it were, invited by Nature to apply themselves to Naval Affairs; whereas the Lacedemonians were plac'd at a greater distance from the Sea, and more inclin'd to Land-service, (to which they were inur'd from their tender Years) than to venture themselves on the Ocean, to which they had never been accustom'd; for Lycurgus their Law-giver ex∣pressly forbad them (c) 1.13 to visit foreign Countries, out of a well∣grounded fear, lest his Citizens should be corrupted by the con∣versation of Strangers, and forsake that excellent platform of Go∣vernment, he contriv'd for them: And it happen'd to them as he had wisely foreseen; for no sooner had Lysander render'd them Sovereigns of the Seas, when they began by degrees to leave off their ancient Customs, and sensibly to degenerate from the Ver∣tue and Glory of their Ancestours (d) 1.14.

Notes

• (a) 1.1

  Iliad. ••. v. 152.
• (b) 1.2

  I Sam. XVII. 11, 14.
• (a) 1.3

  Plurarchus Timcleanse.
• (b) 1.4

  〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• (a) 1.5

  Telopida
• (b) 1.6

  Herodotus lib. VII.
• (a) 1.7

  Plutarchus Aristide.
• (b) 1.8

  Plutarchus Alexandre, Arrianus De gestis Alex∣andri lib 1.
• (c) 1.9

  Xenophon 〈◊〉〈◊〉 lib. VII.
• (d) 1.10

  Xemphon 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. lib. VI. Plutarchus Lysandro.
• (a) 1.11

  Isocrates pro 〈◊〉〈◊〉, in Phili••pum, Panamenaica, Xenoph••n 〈◊〉〈◊〉 lib VI. Plutarchus 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• (b) 1.12

  Xenophon 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 lib. VII.
• (c) 1.13

  Plutar∣chus Institut. La••cnices.
• (d) 1.14

  Demoslinenes Orat in Philip. III.