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

LYCURGUS. LYCtRGUS. 855
fined because he married a short woman (Plut. de division of the army, and a political body, bound
Educat. 2), from whom no kings, but only kinglings together by the ties of friendship and mutual
(f6aoihItcoL), could be expected. To the matri- esteem. The youths and boys used to eat semonial alliance so little sanctity was attached for parately from the men in their own divisions. For
its own sake, that it was sacrificed without scruple a concise view of the Spartan system of education
to maxims of state policy or private expediency see Thirlwall's Hist. of Greece, vol. i. p. 327.
(Plut. Lye. 15; comp. Polyb. in Mai's Nov. Coll. The organisation of the Spartan army, the climax
Vet. Scriptor. ii. p. 384.); a regular family life was of all their political institutions and social arrangerendered impossible by the husband's continual ab- ments, which wre have now reviewed, is treated of
sence from home, either in the gymnasia, or at the in the Diet. of Ant.,.so that we can here dispense
chase, or at the Syssitia and Leschae. Women with a repetition of its details. It was more perfect
were excluded from the common meals of the men. than any other in Greece, and procured to Sparta
It was considered disreputable for the husband to an authority among Greeks and barbarians, which
be seen much in the company of his wife (Xen. de the envy and hatred of her bitterest enemies could
Rep. Lac. i. 5); his whole existence was engrossed not but acknowledge. As long as Sparta could
by his public duties. The chief and only object of supply her armies with a sufficient number of
marriage was the procreation of a healthy offspring genuine Spartan citizens they were invincible; but
to supply the state with good citizens. Hence the decline of her free population necessarily drew
those regulations, so shocking to our feelings, which after it that of her military strength, and after the
authorised a weak or old husband to admit a strong days of Leuctra and Mantineia she neverrose to
man to his,matrimonial rights; or those which that eminence she had proudly, occupied after the
provided a widow, who had not yet any children, battle of Plataeae or Aegos-potami.
to supply her husband's place with a man (proba- We now return to the more immediate subject
bly a slave), and to produce heirs and successors to of this article, and inquire how far the framing of
the deceased. (Xen. Rep. Lac. i. 6; Mull. Dor. iii. the constitution of Sparta must be attributed to
10. ~ 4). In Sparta it was considered an act of Lycurgus. This inquiry is not a useless speculation,
magnanimity that, when Leonidas was sent to but will, serve to throw additional light on the chaThermopylae, he left as a legacy to his wife, Gorgo, racter of that extraordinary political organisation,
the maxim," Marry nobly, and produce a noble as we shall have to determine whether it was a
offspring" (Plut. de Herod. Malign. 32, p. 321, spontaneous result of the Dorian character and the
Lac. Apoplth. p. 216, fr. p. 355).; and when Acro- peculiar circumstances of the Spartan Dorians, or
tatus had fought bravely in the war against Pyr- whether it was stamped upon them by the hand of
rhus, the women followed him through the town; a superior genius, without whose interference the
and some of the older ones shouted after him: course of political development would have run in
"Go, Acrotatus, enjoy yourself with Chelidonis, a different direction.
and beget valiant sons for Sparta." (Plut. Pyrrh. We have said already that the ancients were
28.) unanimous in regarding Lycurgus not only as a
We cannot blame the Spartans so much for the real historical person, but also as the originator of
laws which disposed of the hands of heiresses all the institutions of Sparta. But their testimony
without in the least taking notice of their individual in this respect proves too much. One need only
inclinations. The laws regarding this point were read Xenophon's little work, De Republica Lacepretty nearly alike in most ancient Greek states, daemoniorzm, in order to see the absurdity of
as every where the maintenance of the existing ascribing every thing to the lawgiver. According
families and properties was considered of primary to this view, the; Spartans must have lived before
importance to the welfare of the state. Hence at Lycurgus without all law, custom, and government,
Sparta the next in kin had a right and. was bound which we know is not, true, and cannot be true, or,
to marry an heiress, and to continue her father's what would be more wonderful still, Lycurgus had
family. (Mill. Dor. iii. 10. ~ 4.) the power of sweeping away every ancient custom,
But that branch of social life in which Sparta and supplanting it by a whole system of new
stood most aloof from the rest of Greece and -the foreign regulations. To adduce a few instances of
world was the education of her citizens, young and this erroneous view, we will mention the institution
old; for the education of the Spartan was not of the popular assembly, which is ascribed to Lyconfined to his youth, but extended nearly through- curgus (Plut. Lye. 6). There cannot be any doubt
out his whole life. The syssitia, or, as they were that an assembly of the people existed in Sparta
called at- Sparta, phiditia, the common meals, may from the first, as well as in all other Greek states,
be regarded as an educational institution; for at even in the heroic ages. A still more essential
these meals subjects of general interest were dis- part of every Greek commonwealth was the council
cussed and political questions debated, so that they of elders, and yet this also is ascribed to Lycurgus.
were not a bad school in politics and laws for the (Plut. Lye. 5.) But it is quite ridiculous to say
citizens. The discussions on these occasions may that Lycurgus abolished gold and silver money,
have been a sort of compensation for the silence and enacted that iron should be the only currency.
that was imposed on the popular assembly; they The first money in Greece was coined about the
may to -some extent have answered the purpose of eighth Olympiad by Pheidon, tyrant of Argos.
the Roman contiones, and of the public press of (Miill. Aeginetica, p.57.) This was silver money.
our days. And they were the more efficient for Gold money was first coined in Asia. The Spartan
such purposes, as friends and relations generally, state at the time of Solon possessed not gold enough
to the number of fifteen, formed companies for to gild the face of the statue of Apollo at Thornax,
dining together at one table, into which companies and sent to Croesus to buy it. (Herod. i. 69.) A
fresh members were only admitted by unanimous similar mistake is made when the institution of
election. These &ratplaL (as they were called by the ephors is ascribed to Lycurgus. (Herod. i.
the Dorians in Crete) formed a:sort-of elementary 65; Xen. de Rep. Laced. 8. ~ 3.) Other-accounts
314