lycurgus-第3部分

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assures　us　that　there　were　but　twenty…eight　of　the　confederates　at
first；　perhaps　there　is　some　mystery　in　the　number；　which　consists
of　seven　multiplied　by　four；　and　is　the　first　of　perfect　numbers　after
six；　being；　as　that　is；　equal　to　all　its　parts。　For　my　part；　I　believe
Lycurgus　fixed　upon　the　number　of　twenty…eight；　that；　the　two　kings
being　reckoned　amongst　them；　they　might　be　thirty　in　all。　So　eagerly
set　was　he　upon　this　establishment；　that　he　took　the　trouble　to　obtain
an　oracle　about　it　from　Delphi；　the　Rhetra；　which　runs　thus：　〃After
that　you　have　built　a　temple　to　Jupiter　Helianius；　and　to　Minerva
Hellania；　and　after　that　you　have　phyle'd　the　people　into　phyles；
and　obe'd　them　into　obes；　you　shall　establish　a　council　of　thirty
elders；　the　leaders　included；　and　shall；　from　time　to　time；　apellazein
the　people　betwixt　Babyca　and　Cnacion；　there　propound　and　put　to　the
vote。　The　commons　have　the　final　voice　and　decision。〃　By　phyles　and
obes　are　meant　the　divisions　of　the　people；　by　the　leaders；　the　two
kings；　apellazein；　referring　to　the　Pythian　Apollo；　signifies　to
assemble；　Babyca　and　Cnacion　they　now　call　Oenus；　Aristotle　says
Cnacion　is　a　river；　and　Babyca　a　bridge。　Betwixt　this　Babyca　and
Cnacion；　their　assemblies　were　held；　for　they　had　no　council…house
or　building　to　meet　in。　Lycurgus　was　of　opinion　that　ornaments　were　so
far　from　advantaging　them　in　their　counsels；　that　they　were　rather
an　hindrance；　by　diverting　their　attention　from　the　business　before
them　to　statues　and　pictures；　and　roofs　curiously　fretted；　the　usual
embellishments　of　such　places　amongst　the　other　Greeks。　The　people
then　being　thus　assembled　in　the　open　air；　it　was　not　allowed　to　any
one　of　their　order　to　give　his　advice；　but　only　either　to　ratify　or
reject　what　should　be　propounded　to　them　by　the　king　or　senate。　But
because　it　fell　out　afterwards　that　the　people；　by　adding　or
omitting　words；　distorted　and　perverted　the　sense　of　propositions；
Kings　Polydorus　and　Theopompus　inserted　into　the　Rhetra；　or　grand
covenant；　the　following　clause：　〃That　if　the　people　decide　crookedly
it　should　be　lawful　for　the　elders　and　leaders　to　dissolve；〃　that　is
to　say；　refuse　ratification；　and　dismiss　the　people　as　depravers　and
perverters　of　their　counsel。　It　passed　among　the　people；　by　their
management；　as　being　equally　authentic　with　the　rest　of　the　Rhetra；　as
appears　by　these　verses　of　Tyrtaeus；…

　　　　　　　　〃These　oracles　they　from　Apollo　heard；
　　　　　　　　And　brought　from　Pytho　home　the　perfect　word：
　　　　　　　　The　heaven…appointed　kings；　who　love　the　land；
　　　　　　　　Shall　foremost　in　the　nation's　council　stand；
　　　　　　　　The　elders　next　to　them；　the　commons　last；
　　　　　　　　Let　a　straight　Rhetra　among　all　be　passed。〃

　　Although　Lycurgus　had；　in　this　manner；　used　all　the　qualifications
possible　in　the　constitution　of　his　commonwealth；　yet　those　who
succeeded　him　found　the　oligarchical　element　still　too　strong　and
dominant；　and　to　check　its　high　temper　and　its　violence；　put；　as　Plato
says；　a　bit　in　its　mouth；　which　was　the　power　of　the　ephori；
established　an　hundred　and　thirty　years　after　the　death　of　Lycurgus。
Elatus　and　his　colleagues　were　the　first　who　had　this　dignity
conferred　upon　them　in　the　reign　of　King　Theopompus；　who；　when　his
queen　upbraided　him　one　day　that　he　would　leave　the　regal　power　to　his
children　less　than　he　had　received　it　from　his　ancestors；　said　in
answer；　〃No；　greater；　for　it　will　last　longer。〃　For；　indeed；　their
prerogative　being　thus　reduced　within　reasonable　bounds；　the　Spartan
kings　were　at　once　freed　from　all　further　jealousies　and　consequent
danger；　and　never　experienced　the　calamities　of　their　neighbours　at
Messene　and　Argos；　who；　by　maintaining　their　prerogative　too
strictly　for　want　of　yielding　a　little　to　the　populace；　lost　it　all。
　　Indeed；　whosoever　shall　look　at　the　sedition　and　misgovernment　which
befell　these　bordering　nations　to　whom　they　were　as　near　related　in
blood　as　situation；　will　find　in　them　the　best　reason　to　admire　the
wisdom　and　foresight　of　Lycurgus。　For　these　three　states；　in　their
first　rise；　were　equal；　or；　if　there　were　any　odds；　they　lay　on　the
side　of　the　Messenians　and　Argives；　who；　in　the　first　allotment；
were　thought　to　have　been　luckier　than　the　Spartans；　yet　was　their
happiness　of　but　small　continuance；　partly　the　tyrannical　temper　of
their　kings　and　partly　the　ungovernableness　of　the　people　quickly
bringing　upon　them　such　disorders；　and　so　complete　an　overthrow　of　all
existing　institutions；　as　clearly　to　show　how　truly　divine　a
blessing　the　Spartans　had　had　in　that　wise　lawgiver　who　gave　their
government　its　happy　balance　and　temper。　But　of　this　I　shall　say
more　in　its　due　place。
　　After　the　creation　of　the　thirty　senators；　his　next　task；　and；
indeed；　the　most　hazardous　he　ever　undertook；　was　the　making　a　new
division　of　their　lands。　For　there　was　an　extreme　inequality　amongst
them；　and　their　state　was　overloaded　with　a　multitude　of　indigent
and　necessitous　persons；　while　its　whole　wealth　had　centred　upon　a
very　few。　To　the　end；　therefore；　that　he　might　expel　from　the　state
arrogance　and　envy；　luxury　and　crime；　and　those　yet　more　inveterate
diseases　of　want　and　superfluity；　he　obtained　of　them　to　renounce
their　properties；　and　to　consent　to　a　new　division　of　the　land；　and
that　they　should　live　all　together　on　an　equal　footing；　merit　to　be
their　only　road　to　eminence；　and　the　disgrace　of　evil；　and　credit　of
worthy　acts；　their　one　measure　of　difference　between　man　and　man。
　　Upon　their　consent　to　these　proposals；　proceeding　at　once　to　put
them　into　execution；　he　divided　the　country　of　Laconia　in　general　into
thirty　thousand　equal　shares；　and　the　part　attached　to　the　city　of
Sparta　into　nine　thousand；　these　he　distributed　among　the　Spartans；　as
he　did　the　others　to　the　country　citizens。　Some　authors　say　that　he
made　but　six　thousand　lots　for　the　citizens　of　Sparta；　and　that　King
Polydorus　added　three　thousand　more。　Others　say　that　Polydorus　doubled
the　number　Lycurgus　had　made；　which；　according　to　them；　was　but　four
thousand　five　hundred。　A　lot　was　so　much　as　to　yield；　one　year　with
another；　about　seventy　bushels　of　grain　for　the　master　of　the
family；　and　twelve　for　his　wife；　with　a　suitable　proportion　of　oil　and
wine。　And　this　he　thought　sufficient　to　keep　their　bodies　in　good
health　and　strength；　superfluities　they　were　better　without。　It　is
reported；　that；　as　he　returned　from　a　journey　shortly　after　the
division　of　the　lands；　in　harvest　time；　the　ground　being　newly　reaped；
seeing　the　stacks　all　standing　equal　and　alike；　he　smiled；　and　said　to
those　about　him；　〃Methinks　all　Laconia　looks　like　one　family　estate
just　divided　among　a　number　of　brothers。〃
　　Not　contented　with　this；　he　resolved　to　make　a　division　of　their
movables　too；　that　there　might　be　no　odious　distinction　or
inequality　left　amongst　them；　but　finding　that　it　would　be　very
dangerous　to　go　about　it　openly；　he　took　another　course；　and
defeated　their　avarice　by　the　following　stratagem：　he　commanded　that
all　gold　and　silver　coin　should　be　called　in；　and　that　only　a　sort
of　money　made　of　iron　should　be　current；　a　great　weight　and　quantity
of