A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

LYCURGUS. LrCURGUS. 853'to indulge in unlimited'leisure themselves. But'nded wonder no more at the co-existence of the
-the number of these miserable creatures was large. three political elements of monarchy, aristocracy,
(Mull. Dor. iii. 3, ~ 6.) At Plataeae every Spartan and democracy,'which, although varying at times
was accompanied by seven Helots; and they were in their relative positions, were on the whole pieby no means so different in race, language, and served as integral parts.of the constitution, none
accomplishments, either from one another or from being entirely crushed by theother; and therefore
their masters, as were the slaves of Athens or caused the discrepancy of the ancients in calling
Rome, bought from various barbarous countries, a the Spartan constitution either a monarchy, or an
motley mass, that was easily kept down. Such aristocracy, or a democracy. It was the fear of
slaves were very rare at Sparta. (Mill. Dor. iii. their common enemy that kept all those unani3. ~ 2.) The Helots assumed the appearance of a mously together, who were within the precincts of
regular class in the state, and became both useful the privileged class. The same forbearance was
and formidable to their masters: their moral claims shown in Sparta by the people, who constitutionally
for enfranchisement were much stronger than those possessed the sovereign power, as that: which we
of the Athenian slaves. The resistance of their see existing in Rome for a long period after the
ancestors to the invading Dorians' was forgotten in comitia of the tribes had unlimited power in en;
course of time, and in the same proportion the in- acting and abolishing laws. As in Rome it was
justice of their degraded state became more and the danger of foreign wars which induced the people'more flagrant and insupportable; therefore the to resign into the hands of a select body, the senate,
Helots yielded only a reluctant obedience so long that prerogative which they constitutionally posas it could be enforced. They kept a vigilant sessed, so at Sparta the assembly of the people
look-out for the misfortunes of their masters, ever voluntarily withdrew from the immediate exercise
ready to shake off theirj yoke, and would gladly~ of all the powers it might have assumed, because
"have eaten the flesh of the Spartans raw." Hence they saw that they must, and that they could with
we hear of constant revolts or attempts at revolts safety entrust the management of public affairs to
on the side of the oppressed, and of all possible a few men who were themselves as much interested
devices for keeping them' down on the side of the as the whole people.in supporting the dominion of
oppressors. No cruelty was too flagrant or too Sparta. In comparison with thesesubjects, indeed,
refined to accomplish this end. We need only every Spartan was a noble, and thus the Spartan
advert to the hateful crypteia, an institution which constitution might on this account be termed an
authorised select bands of Spartan youths to range aristocracy, as well as that of the early Roman
the country in all directions armed with daggers, republic. Arnold,_ in his 2nd Appendix to his
and secretly to despatch those of the Helots who Thucydides, considers this the ground on which
gave umbrage to their masters. (See Dict. of Ant. the Spartan government was looked upon in Greece
s. v.) But when this quiet massacre worked too as the model aristocracy, and always took the lead
slow, wholesale slaughters were resorted to. Thu- of the aristocratical against the democratical party.
cydides'(iv. 80) relates an act of tyranny, the But G. C. Lewis (in the Philol. Mus. vol. ii. p. 56,
enormity of which is increased by the mystery &c.) has satisfactorily refuted this supposition,
that surrounds it. By a promise of manumission, and shown that the condition of slaves and perioici
the most impatient and dangerous of the Helots never came into consideration with ancient politiwere induced to come forward to claim this high cians in determining the nature of a government,
reward for their former services in war, and then' but that only the body politic, which comprised
were all secretly despatched, about 2000 in number. the citizens of full right, was taken notice of.'
In the face of such a heinous cowardly crime, it Thus, Plato says, -that Sparta was an aristocracy,
is difficult to be persuaded'by Miiller, who (Dor. not by reason of the perioici, but of the gerontes:
iii. 3. ~ 3) attempts to make out that the slavery and when he, Isocrates, and others, call it demoof the Helots was far milder than'it is represented. cratic, they allude to the power of the whole
If it had been,'it would have been borne'more'Spartan order in making laws and' in electing
patiently. But after the great earthquake in B.C. magistrates, to the equality-of education, to the
465' we find that the Messenian Helots took advan- public tables, &c., which are democratical institutage of:the confusion at Sparta, Seized upon the tions in relation to the body of Spartans, though
towns of Thuria and Aethaea, and fortified Ithome, they were' aristocratical in respect of the perioici
whbre they long held out against all the power'of:and helots'(Phil. Mus. vol. ii. p. 60). This is'
Sparta. (Thuc. i. 100.) After the taking of Pylos, very true; but nevertheless it was their dominion'
when the Spartans and Athenians concluded an over their subjects, which fostered oriinally among
alliance for fifty years, it was stipulated that if the'the Spartans that predilection'for aristocratical inHelots should revolt, the Athenians should assist stitutions in other parts'of Greece, because they'
the Spartans with all their forces. (Comp. Thuc. were accustomed'to consider them as the support
i. 118, v. 14, 23; Arist. Pol. ii. 6, ~ 2.) Similar of order and quiet, in opposition to the restless'
apprehensions often occur in after-times. After spirit of democracy.
the battle of Leuctra, many of the Perioici and all If we go more into the details of the institutions
the Helots revolted to the Thebans. They kept of Sparta, we find in the military aspect of the'
up this character to the very last, when they joined Iwhole body of citizens, or rather soldiers, another
the Romans in the war, which extinguished the striking result of this operative cause at the bottom'
independence of Sparta. "' of the whole political system. The Spartans formed,'
It is unnecessary to go much into detail. Enough as it were, an army of invaders in an enemy's:
has been said to show, that as long as Sparta was country, their city was a camp, every man a soldier,'
determined to maintain her tyrannical'ascendancy and very properly called ei'mpovpos from his sevenover her subject population, all her'institutions teenth' to his sixtieth year. The peaceful life in
must have united to accomplish this one end. And the city was subjected to more restraints and hard-'
ouch, indeed, Was the case. In the first place we ships-than the life during a'real campaign,' for the
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