the history-第115章

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as　the　elder；　whereupon　she　declared　that　〃she　herself　did　not　know　the　children　apart〃；　although　in　good　truth　she　knew　them　very　well；　and　only　feigned　ignorance　in　order　that；　if　it　were　possible；　both　of　them　might　be　made　kings　of　Sparta。　The　Lacedaemonians　were　now　in　a　great　strait；　so　they　sent　to　Delphi　and　inquired　of　the　oracle　how　they　should　deal　with　the　matter。　The　Pythoness　made　answer；　〃Let　both　be　taken　to　be　kings；　but　let　the　elder　have　the　greater　honour。〃　So　the　Lacedaemonians　were　in　as　great　a　strait　as　before；　and　could　not　conceive　how　they　were　to　discover　which　was　the　first…born；　till　at　length　a　certain　Messenian；　by　name　Panites；　suggested　to　them　to　watch　and　see　which　of　the　two　the　mother　washed　and　fed　first；　if　they　found　she　always　gave　one　the　preference；　that　fact　would　tell　them　all　they　wanted　to　know；　if；　on　the　contrary；　she　herself　varied；　and　sometimes　took　the　one　first；　sometimes　the　other；　it　would　be　plain　that　she　knew　as　little　as　they；　in　which　case　they　must　try　some　other　plan。　The　Lacedaemonians　did　according　to　the　advice　of　the　Messenian；　and；　without　letting　her　know　why；　kept　a　watch　upon　the　mother；　by　which　means　they　discovered　that；　whenever　she　either　washed　or　fed　her　children；　she　always　gave　the　same　child　the　preference。　So　they　took　the　boy　whom　the　mother　honoured　the　most；　and　regarding　him　as　the　first…born；　brought　him　up　in　the　palace；　and　the　name　which　they　gave　to　the　elder　boy　was　Eurysthenes；　while　his　brother　they　called　Procles。　When　the　brothers　grew　up；　there　was　always；　so　long　as　they　lived；　enmity　between　them；　and　the　houses　sprung　from　their　loins　have　continued　the　feud　to　this　day。　　　　　Thus　much　is　related　by　the　Lacedaemonians；　but　not　by　any　of　the　other　Greeks；　in　what　follows　I　give　the　tradition　of　the　Greeks　generally。　The　kings　of　the　Dorians　（they　say）…　counting　up　to　Perseus；　son　of　Danae；　and　so　omitting　the　god…　are　rightly　given　in　the　common　Greek　lists；　and　rightly　considered　to　have　been　Greeks　themselves；　for　even　at　this　early　time　they　ranked　among　that　people。　I　say　〃up　to　Perseus；〃　and　not　further；　because　Perseus　has　no　mortal　father　by　whose　name　he　is　called；　as　Hercules　has　in　Amphitryon；　whereby　it　appears　that　I　have　reason　on　my　side；　and　am　right　in　saying；　〃up　to　Perseus。〃　If　we　follow　the　line　of　Danad；　daughter　of　Acrisius；　and　trace　her　progenitors；　we　shall　find　that　the　chiefs　of　the　Dorians　are　really　genuine　Egyptians。　In　the　genealogies　here　given　I　have　followed　the　common　Greek　accounts。　　　　　According　to　the　Persian　story；　Perseus　was　an　Assyrian　who　became　a　Greek；　his　ancestors；　therefore；　according　to　them；　were　not　Greeks。　They　do　not　admit　that　the　forefathers　of　Acrisius　were　in　any　way　related　to　Perseus；　but　say　they　were　Egyptians；　as　the　Greeks　likewise　testify。　　　　　Enough　however　of　this　subject。　How　it　came　to　pass　that　Egyptians　obtained　the　kingdoms　of　the　Dorians；　and　what　they　did　to　raise　themselves　to　such　a　position；　these　are　questions　concerning　which；　as　they　have　been　treated　by　others；　I　shall　say　nothing。　I　proceed　to　speak　of　points　on　which　no　other　writer　has　touched。　　　　　The　prerogatives　which　the　Spartans　have　allowed　their　kings　are　the　following。　In　the　first　place；　two　priesthoods；　those　（namely）　of　Lacedaemonian　and　of　Celestial　Jupiter；　also　the　right　of　making　war　on　what　country　soever　they　please；　without　hindrance　from　any　of　the　other　Spartans；　under　pain　of　outlawry；　on　service　the　privilege　of　marching　first　in　the　advance　and　last　in　the　retreat；　and　of　having　a　hundred　picked　men　for　their　body　guard　while　with　the　army；　likewise　the　liberty　of　sacrificing　as　many　cattle　in　their　expeditions　as　it　seems　them　good；　and　the　right　of　having　the　skins　and　the　chines　of　the　slaughtered　animals　for　their　own　use。　　　　　Such　are　their　privileges　in　war；　in　peace　their　rights　are　as　follows。　When　a　citizen　makes　a　public　sacrifice　the　kings　are　given　the　first　seats　at　the　banquet；　they　are　served　before　any　of　the　other　guests；　and　have　a　double　portion　of　everything；　they　take　the　lead　in　the　libations；　and　the　hides　of　the　sacrificed　beasts　belong　to　them。　Every　month；　on　the　first　day；　and　again　on　the　seventh　of　the　first　decade；　each　king　receives　a　beast　without　blemish　at　the　public　cost；　which　he　offers　up　to　Apollo；　likewise　a　medimnus　of　meal；　and　of　wine　a　Laconian　quart。　In　the　contests　of　the　Games　they　have　always　the　seat　of　honour；　they　appoint　the　citizens　who　have　to　entertain　foreigners；　they　also　nominate；　each　of　them；　two　of　the　Pythians；　officers　whose　business　it　is　to　consult　the　oracle　at　Delphi；　who　eat　with　the　kings；　and；　like　them；　live　at　the　public　charge。　If　the　kings　do　not　come　to　the　public　supper；　each　of　them　must　have　two　choenixes　of　meal　and　a　cotyle　of　wine　sent　home　to　him　at　his　house；　if　they　come；　they　are　given　a　double　quantity　of　each；　and　the　same　when　any　private　man　invites　them　to　his　table。　They　have　the　custody　of　all　the　oracles　which　are　pronounced；　but　the　Pythians　must　likewise　have　knowledge　of　them。　They　have　the　whole　decision　of　certain　causes；　which　are　these；　and　these　only：…　When　a　maiden　is　left　the　heiress　of　her　father's　estate；　and　has　not　been　betrothed　by　him　to　any　one；　they　decide　who　is　to　marry　her；　in　all　matters　concerning　the　public　highways　they　judge；　and　if　a　person　wants　to　adopt　a　child；　he　must　do　it　before　the　kings。　They　likewise　have　the　right　of　sitting　in　council　with　the　eight…and…twenty　senators；　and　if　they　are　not　present；　then　the　senators　nearest　of　kin　to　them　have　their　privileges；　and　give　two　votes　as　the　royal　proxies；　besides　a　third　vote；　which　is　their　own。　　　　　Such　are　the　honours　which　the　Spartan　people　have　allowed　their　kings　during　their　lifetime；　after　they　are　dead　other　honours　await　them。　Horsemen　carry　the　news　of　their　death　through　all　Laconia；　while　in　the　city　the　women　go　hither　and　thither　drumming　upon　a　kettle。　At　this　signal；　in　every　house　two　free　persons；　a　man　and　a　woman；　must　put　on　mourning；　or　else　be　subject　to　a　heavy　fine。　The　Lacedaemonians　have　likewise　a　custom　at　the　demise　of　their　kings　which　is　common　to　them　with　the　barbarians　of　Asia…　indeed　with　the　greater　number　of　the　barbarians　everywhere…　namely；　that　when　one　of　their　kings　dies；　not　only　the　Spartans；　but　a　certain　number　of　the　country　people　from　every　part　of　Laconia　are　forced；　whether　they　will　or　no；　to　attend　the　funeral。　So　these　persons　and　the　helots；　and　likewise　the　Spartans　themselves；　flock　together　to　the　number　of　several　thousands；　men　and　women　intermingled；　and　all　of　them　smite　their　foreheads　violently；　and　weep　and　wall　without　stint；　saying　always　that　their　last　king　was　the　best。　If　a　king　dies　in　battle；　then　they　make　a　statue　of　him；　and　placing　it　upon　a　couch　right　bravely　decked；　so　carry　it　to　the　grave。　After　the　burial；　by　the　space　of　ten　days　there　is　no　assembly；　nor　do　they　elect　magistrates；　but　continue　mourning　the　whole　time。　　　　　They　hold　with　the　Persians　also　in　another　custom。　When　a　king　dies；　and　another　comes　to　the　throne；　the　newly…made　monarch　forgives　all　the　Spartans　the　debts　which　they　owe　either　to　the　king　or　to　the　public　treasury。　And　in　like　manner　among　the　Persians　each　king　when　he　begins　to　reign　remits　the　tribute　due　from　the　provinces。　　　　　In　one　respect　the　Lacedaemonians　resemble　the　Egyptians。　Their　heralds　and　flute…players；　and　likewise　their　cooks；　take　their　trades　by　succession　from　their　fathers。　A　flute…player　must　be　the　son　of　a　flute…player；　a　cook　of　a　cook；　a　herald　of　a　herald；　and　other　people　cannot　take　advantage　of　the　loudness　of　their　voice　to　come　into　the　profession　and　shut　out　the　heralds'　sons；　but　each　follows　his　father's　business。　Such　are　the　customs　of　the　Lacedaemonians。　　　　　At　the　time　of　which　we　are　speaking；　while　Cleomenes　in　Egina　was　labouring　for　the　general　good　of　Greece；　Demaratus　at　Sparta　continued　to　bring　charges　against　him；　moved　not　so　much　by　love　of　the　Eginetans　as　by　jealousy　and　hatred　of　his　colleague。　Cleomenes　therefore　was　no　sooner　returned　from　Egina　than　he　considered　with　himself　how　he　might　deprive　Demaratus　of　his　kingly　office；　and　here　the