lycurgus-第3部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


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　which　was　very　little　worth；　so　that　to　lay　up　twenty　or　thirty
pounds　there　was　required　a　pretty　large　closet；　and；　to　remove　it；
nothing　less　than　a　yoke　of　oxen。　With　the　diffusion　of　this　money；　at
once　a　number　of　vices　were　banished　from　Lacedaemon；　for　who　would
rob　another　of　such　a　coin？　Who　would　unjustly　detain　or　take　by
force；　or　accept　as　a　bribe；　a　thing　which　it　was　not　easy　to　hide；
nor　a　credit　to　have；　nor　indeed　of　any　use　to　cut　in　pieces？　For　when
it　was　just　red　hot；　they　quenched　it　in　vinegar；　and　by　that　means
spoilt　it；　and　made　it　almost　incapable　of　being　worked。
　　In　the　next　place；　he　declared　an　outlawry　of　all　needless　and
superfluous　arts；　but　here　he　might　almost　have　spared　his
proclamation；　for　they　of　themselves　would　have　gone　after　the　gold
and　silver；　the　money　which　remained　being　not　so　proper　payment　for
curious　work；　for；　being　of　iron；　it　was　scarcely　portable；　neither；
if　they　should　take　the　means　to　export　it；　would　it　pass　amongst
the　other　Greeks；　who　ridiculed　it。　So　there　was　now　no　more　means
of　purchasing　foreign　goods　and　small　wares；　merchants　sent　no
shiploads　into　Laconian　ports；　no　rhetoric…master；　no　itinerate
fortune…teller；　no　harlot…monger；　or　gold　or　silversmith；　engraver；　or
jeweller；　set　foot　in　a　country　which　had　no　money；　so　that　luxury；
deprived　little　by　little　of　that　which　fed　and　fomented　it；　wasted　to
nothing　and　died　away　of　itself。　For　the　rich　had　no　advantage　here
over　the　poor；　as　their　wealth　and　abundance　had　no　road　to　come
abroad　by　but　were　shut　up　at　home　doing　nothing。　And　in　this　way　they
became　excellent　artists　in　common；　necessary　things；　bedsteads；
chairs；　and　tables；　and　such　like　staple　utensils　in　a　family；　were
admirably　well　made　there；　their　cup；　particularly；　was　very　much　in
fashion；　and　eagerly　bought　up　by　soldiers；　as　Critias　reports；　for
its　colour　was　such　as　to　prevent　water；　drunk　upon　necessity　and
disagreeable　to　look　at；　from　being　noticed；　and　the　shape　of　it　was
such　that　the　mud　stuck　to　the　sides；　so　that　only　the　purer　part　came
to　the　drinker's　mouth。　For　this　also；　they　had　to　thank　their
lawgiver；　who；　by　relieving　the　artisans　of　the　trouble　of　making
useless　things；　set　them　to　show　their　skill　in　giving；　beauty　to
those　of　daily　and　indispensable　use。
　　The　third　and　most　masterly　stroke　of　this　great　lawgiver；　by
which　he　struck　a　yet　more　effectual　blow　against　luxury　and　the
desire　of　riches；　was　the　ordinance　he　made；　that　they　should　all
eat　in　common；　of　the　same　bread　and　same　meat；　and　of　kinds　that　were
specified；　and　should　not　spend　their　lives　at　home；　laid　on　costly
couches　at　splendid　tables；　delivering　themselves　up　into　the　hands　of
their　tradesmen　and　cooks；　to　fatten　them　in　corners；　like　greedy
brutes；　and　to　ruin　not　their　minds　only　but　their　very　bodies
which；　enfeebled　by　indulgence　and　excess；　would　stand　in　need　of　long
sleep；　warm　bathing；　freedom　from　work；　and；　in　a　word；　of　as　much
care　and　attendance　as　if　they　were　continually　sick。　It　was　certainly
an　extraordinary　thing　to　have　brought　about　such　a　result　as　this；
but　a　greater　yet　to　have　taken　away　from　wealth；　as　Theophrastus
observes；　not　merely　the　property　of　being　coveted；　but　its　very
nature　of　being　wealth。　For　the　rich；　being　obliged　to　go　to　the
same　table　with　the　poor；　could　not　make　use　of　or　enjoy　their
abundance；　nor　so　much　as　please　their　vanity　by　looking　at　or
displaying　it。　So　that　the　common　proverb；　that　Plutus；　the　god　of
riches；　is　blind；　was　nowhere　in　all　the　world　literally　verified
but　in　Sparta。　There；　indeed；　he　was　not　only　blind；　but　like　a
picture；　without　either　life　or　motion。　Nor　were　they　allowed　to
take　food　at　home　first；　and　then　attend　the　public　tables；　for
every　one　had　an　eye　upon　those　who　did　not　eat　and　drink　like　the
rest；　and　reproached　them　with　being　dainty　and　effeminate。
　　This　last　ordinance　in　particular　exasperated　the　wealthier　men。
They　collected　in　a　body　against　Lycurgus；　and　from　ill　words　came
to　throwing　stones；　so　that　at　length　he　was　forced　to　run　out　of
the　market…place；　and　make　to　sanctuary　to　save　his　life；　by
good…hap　he　outran　all；　excepting　one　Alcander；　a　young　man
otherwise　not　ill　accomplished；　but　hasty　and　violent；　who　came　up
so　close　to　him；　that　when　he　turned　to　see　who　was　so　near　him；　he
struck　him　upon　the　face　with　his　stick；　and　put　out　one　of　his
eyes。　Lycurgus；　so　far　from　being　daunted　and　discouraged　by　this
accident；　stopped　short　and　showed　his　disfigured　face　and　eye　beat
out　to　his　countrymen；　they；　dismayed　and　ashamed　at　the　sight；
delivered　Alcander　into　his　hands　to　be　punished；　and　escorted　him
home；　with　expressions　of　great　concern　for　his　ill…usage。　Lycurgus；
having　thanked　them　for　their　care　of　his　person；　dismissed　them
all；　excepting　only　Alcander；　and；　taking　him　with　him　into　his　house；
neither　did　nor　said　anything　severely　to　him；　but；　dismissing　those
whose　place　it　was；　bade　Alcander　to　wait　upon　him　at　table。　The　young
man；　who　was　of　an　ingenuous　temper；　without　murmuring　did　as　he　was
commanded；　and　being　thus　admitted　to　live　with　Lycurgus；　he　had　an
opportunity　to　observe　in　him；　besides　his　gentleness　and　calmness
of　temper；　an　extraordinary　sobriety　and　an　indefatigable　industry；
and　so；　from　an　enemy；　became　one　of　his　most　zealous　admirers；　and
told　his　friends　and　relations　that　Lycurgus　was　not　that　morose　and
ill…natured　man　they　had　formerly　taken　him　for；　but　the　one　mild
and　gentle　character　of　the　world。　And　thus　did　Lycurgus；　for
chastisement　of　his　fault；　make　of　a　wild　and　passionate　young　man　one
of　the　discreetest　citizens　of　Sparta。
　　In　memory　of　this　accident；　Lycurgus　built　a　temple　to　Minerva；
surnamed　Optiletis；　optilus　being　the　Doric　of　these　parts　for
ophthalmus；　the　eye。　Some　authors；　however；　of　whom　Dioscorides　is　one
（who　wrote　a　treatise　on　the　commonwealth　of　Sparta）；　say　that　he
was　wounded；　indeed；　but　did　not　lose　his　eye　with　the　blow；　but
that　he　built　the　temple　in　gratitude　for　the　cure。　Be　this　as　it
will；　certain