agis-第2章

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！


king；　if　he　did　not　hope　by　means　of　that　authority　to　restore　their
ancient　laws　and　discipline。
　　The　Lacedaemonians　might　date　the　beginning　of　their　corruption　from
their　conquest　of　Athens；　and　the　influx　of　gold　and　silver　among　them
that　thence　ensued。　Yet；　nevertheless；　the　number　of　houses　which
Lycurgus　appointed　being　still　maintained；　and　the　law　remaining　in
force　by　which　every　one　was　obliged　to　leave　his　lot　or　portion　of
land　entirely　to　his　son；　a　kind　of　order　and　equality　was　thereby
preserved；　which　still　in　some　degree　sustained　the　state　amidst　its
errors　in　other　respects。　But　one　Epitadeus　happening　to　be　ephor；　a
man　of　great　influence；　and　of　a　willful；　violent　spirit；　on　some
occasion　of　a　quarrel　with　his　son；　proposed　a　decree；　that　all　men
should　have　liberty　to　dispose　of　their　land　by　gift　in　their
lifetime；　or　by　their　last　will　and　testament。　This　being　promoted
by　him　to　satisfy　a　passion　of　revenge；　and　through　covetousness
consented　to　by　others；　and　thus　enacted　for　a　law；　was　the　ruin　of
the　best　state　of　the　commonwealth。　For　the　rich　men　without　scruple
drew　the　estate　into　their　own　hands；　excluding　the　rightful　heirs
from　their　succession；　and　all　the　wealth　being　centered　upon　the　few；
the　generality　were　poor　and　miserable。　Honorable　pursuits；　for
which　there　was　no　longer　leisure；　were　neglected；　the　state　was
filled　with　sordid　business；　and　with　hatred　and　envy　of　the　rich。
There　did　not　remain　above　seven　hundred　of　the　old　Spartan
families；　of　which；　perhaps；　one　hundred　might　have　estate　in　land；
the　rest　were　destitute　alike　of　wealth　and　of　honour；　were　tardy
and　unperforming　in　the　defence　of　their　country　against　its　enemies
abroad；　and　eagerly　watched　the　opportunity　for　change　and
revolution　at　home。
　　Agis；　therefore；　believing　it　a　glorious　action；　as　in　truth　it　was；
to　equalize　and　repeople　the　state；　began　to　sound　the　inclinations　of
the　citizens。　He　found　the　young　men　disposed　beyond　his
expectation；　they　were　eager　to　enter　with　him　upon　the　contest　in　the
cause　of　virtue；　and　to　fling　aside；　for　freedom's　sake；　their　old
manner　of　life；　as　readily　as　the　wrestler　does　his　garment。　But　the
old　men；　habituated　and　more　confirmed　in　their　vices；　were　most　of
them　as　alarmed　at　the　very　name　of　Lycurgus；　as　a　fugitive　slave　to
be　brought　back　before　his　offended　master。　These　men　could　not　endure
to　hear　Agis　continually　deploring　the　present　state　of　Sparta；　and
wishing　she　might　be　restored　to　her　ancient　glory。　But　on　the　other
side；　Lysander；　the　son　of　Libys；　Mandroclidas；　the　son　of　Ecphanes；
together　with　Agesilaus；　not　only　approved　his　design；　but　assisted
and　confirmed　him　in　it。　Lysander　had　a　great　authority　and　credit
with　the　people；　Mandroclidas　was　esteemed　the　ablest　Greek　of　his
time　to　manage　an　affair　and　put　it　in　train；　and；　joined　with　skill
and　cunning；　had　a　great　degree　of　boldness。　Agesilaus　was　the
king's　uncle；　by　the　mother's　side；　an　eloquent　man；　but　covetous
and　voluptuous；　who　was　not　moved　by　considerations　of　public　good；
but　rather　seemed　to　be　persuaded　in　it　by　his　son　Hippomedon；　whose
courage　and　signal　actions　in　war　had　gained　him　a　high　esteem　and
great　influence　among　the　young　men　of　Sparta；　though　indeed　the
true　motive　was；　that　he　had　many　debts；　and　hoped　by　this　means　to　be
freed　from　them。
　　As　soon　as　Agis　had　prevailed　with　his　uncle；　he　endeavoured　by
his　mediation　to　gain　his　mother　also；　who　had　many　friends　and
followers；　and　a　number　of　persons　in　her　debt　in　the　city；　and　took　a
considerable　part　in　public　affairs。　At　the　first　proposal　she　was
very　averse；　and　strongly　advised　her　son　not　to　engage　in　so
difficult　and　so　unprofitable　an　enterprise。　But　Agesilaus　endeavoured
to　possess　her；　that　the　thing　was　not　so　difficult　as　she　imagined；
and　that　it　might；　in　all　likelihood；　redound　to　the　advantage　of
her　family；　while　the　king；　her　son；　besought　her　not　for　money's　sake
to　decline　assisting　his　hopes　of　glory。　He　told　her　he　could　not
pretend　to　equal　other　kings　in　riches；　the　very　followers　and　menials
of　the　satraps　and　stewards　of　Seleucus　or　Ptolemy　abounding　more　in
wealth　than　all　the　Spartan　kings　put　together；　but　if　by　contempt
of　wealth　and　pleasure；　by　simplicity　and　magnanimity；　he　could
surpass　their　luxury　and　abundance；　if　he　could　restore　their　former
equality　to　the　Spartans；　then　he　should　be　a　great　king　indeed。　In
conclusion；　the　mother　and　the　grandmother　also　were　so　taken；　so
carried　away　with　the　inspiration；　as　it　were；　of　the　young　man's
noble　and　generous　ambition；　that　they　not　only　consented；　but　were
ready　on　all　occasions　to　spur　him　on　to　a　perseverance；　and　not
only　sent　to　speak　on　his　behalf　with　the　men　with　whom　they　had　an
interest；　but　addressed　the　other　women　also；　knowing　well　that　the
Lacedaemonian　wives　had　always　a　great　power　with　their　husbands；
who　used　to　impart　to　them　their　state　affairs　with　greater　freedom
than　the　women　would　communicate　with　the　men　in　the　private
business　of　their　families。　Which　was　indeed　one　of　the　greatest
obstacles　to　this　design；　for　the　money　of　Sparta　being　most　of　it
in　the　women's　hands；　it　was　their　interest　to　oppose　it；　not　only
as　depriving　them　of　those　superfluous　trifles；　in　which；　through　want
of　better　knowledge　and　experience；　they　placed　their　chief
felicity；　but　also　because　they　knew　their　riches　were　the　main
support　of　their　power　and　credit。
　　Those；　therefore；　who　were　of　this　faction　had　recourse　to
Leonidas　representing　to　him　how　it　was　his　part；　as　the　elder　and
more　experienced；　to　put　a　stop　to　the　ill…advised　projects　of　a
rash　young　man。　Leonidas；　though　of　himself　sufficiently　inclined　to
oppose　Agis；　durst　not　openly；　for　fear　of　the　people；　who　were
manifestly　desirous　of　this　change；　but　underhand　he　did　all　he
could　to　discredit　and　thwart　the　project；　and　to　prejudice　the
chief　magistrates　against　him；　and　on　all　occasions　craftily
insinuated　that　it　was　at　the　price　of　letting　him　usurp　arbitrary
power　that　Agis　thus　proposed　to　divide　the　property　of　the　rich　among
the　poor；　and　that　the　object　of　these　measures　for　cancelling　debts
and　dividing　the　lands；　was　not　to　furnish　Sparta　with　citizens；　but
purchase　him　a　tyrant's　body　guard。
　　Agis；　nevertheless；　little　regarding　these　rumours；　procured
Lysander's　election　as　ephor；　and　then　took　the　first　occasion　of
proposing　through　him　his　Rhetra　to　the　council；　the　chief　articles　of
which　were　these：　That　every　one　should　be　free　from　their　debts：
all　the　lands　to　be　divided　into　equal　portions；　those　that　lay
betwixt　the　watercourse　near　Pellene　and　Mount　Taygetus；　and　as　far　as
the　cities　of　Malea　and　Sellasia；　into　four　thousand　five　hundred
lots；　the　remainder　into　fifteen　thousand；　these　last　to　be　shared　out
among　those　of　the　country　people　who　were　fit　for　service　as
heavy…armed　soldiers；　the　first　among　the　natural…born　Spartans；　and
their　number　also　should　be　supplied　from　any　among　the　country　people
or　strangers　who　had　received　the　proper　breeding　of　freemen；　and　were
of　vigorous　body　and　of　age　for　military　service。　All　these　were　to　be
divided　into　fifteen　companies；　some　of　four　hundred；　and　some　of　two；
with　a　diet　and　discipline　agreeable　to　the　laws　of　Lycurgus。
　　This　decree　being　proposed　in　the　council　of　Elders；　met　there
with　opposition；　so　that　Lysander　immediately　convoked　the　great
assembly　of　the　people；　to　whom　he；　Mandroclidas；　and　Agesilaus　made
orations　exhorting　them　that　they　would　not　suffer　the　majesty　of
Sparta　to　remain　abandoned　to　contempt；　to　gratify　a　few　rich　men；　who
lorded　it　over　them；　but　that　they　should　call　to　mind　the　oracles
in　old　times　which　had　forewarned　them　to　beware　of　the　love　of　money；
as　the　great　danger　and　probable　ruin　of　Sparta；　and；　moreover；
those　recently　brought　from　the　temple　of　Pasiphae。　This　was　a
famous　temple　and　oracle　at　Thalamae；　and　this　Pasiphae；　some　say；　was
one　of　the　daughters　of　Atlas；　who　had　by　Jupiter　a　son　called
Ammon；　others　are　of　opinion　it　was　Cassandra；　the　daughter　of　King
Priam；　who　dying　in　this　place；　was　called　Pasiphae；