The Spartans were forbid to make frequent war upon the same people, lest they should teach their discipline to others. When they had broken and routed their enemies, they never pursued them farther than was necessary to make themselves sure of the victory. This had an excellent effect; for the enemy, knowing that all who resisted were put to the sword, often fled, as they were convinced that this was the most effectual means of ensuring their safety. With the Spartans themselves the case was directly the reverse: for their first and most inviolable maxim was, never to turn their backs on the enemy, however unequal to them in numbers, nor ever to deliver up their arms till they resigned them with their life. Nay, they would not suffer the contrary notion to be propagated, or even mentioned among them. For when the poet Archilochus came to Sparta, he was obliged to quit the city, for having asserted in one of his poems, that it was better for a man to lose his arms than his life. Thus depending upon their valour alone, their legislator would not allow them to wall the city. It was his opinion, that a wall of men was preferable to a wall of brick, and that valour, which is obliged to take shelter within a fortification, is little better than cowardice.

Such was the general purport of the institutions of Lycurgus, which from their tendency gained the esteem and admiration of all the surrounding states. In order to render them as lasting as they were excellent, Lycurgus pretended that something was still wanting to the completion of his plan, and that it was necessary for him to go and consult the Oracle of Delphos. In the mean time, he persuaded his countrymen to take an oath for the strict observance of all his laws till his return, and then left Sparta with a firm resolution of never seeing it more. When he arrived at Delphos, he inquired of the Oracle, whether the laws he had made were sufficient to render the Lacedemo

nians happy; and being told that they were, he sent this answer to Sparta, and then voluntarily starved himself to death. Others say, that he died in Crete, ordering his body to be burnt, and his ashes to be thrown into the sea. Whichever of these was the case, he equally obliged his countrymen, by the oath they had taken, to observe his laws for ever; which, indeed, they were sufficiently inclined to do, from a conviction of their real and intrinsic merit.

The first opportunity which the Spartans had, to display the superiority of their power among the neighbouring states, was in the war between them and the Messenians. This war lasted twenty years, and is remarkable for two incidents that are well worthy of notice. The Spartans having drained their city of all its male inhabitants, in order to carry on the war, and having bound themselves by an oath not to return home till they had conquered the enemy; their women, in the mean time, remonstrated, that from their long absence all posterity would be at an end. To remedy this inconvenience, they detached fifty of their most promising young men from the army to go to Sparta, and to lie promiscuously with all the young women they pleased. The offspring of these virgins were from them called Parthenia, who finding themselves despised by the Spartans, on their return, as a spurious race, joined some years after in an insurrection with the Helots, but were soon suppressed. Being expelled the state, they went under the conduct of their captain, Phalantus, and settled at Tarentum in Italy.

The other incident is this. The Messenians having sent to consult the Oracle of Delphos, received for answer, that they must offer a virgin of the family of Æpytus as a sacrifice. The lot fell upon the daughter of Lyciscus; but she being thought to be supposititious, Aristodemus offered his daughter, whom all allowed to be his own. Her lover,

however, attempted to avert the blow, by asserting that she was with child by him; but her father was so enraged at the imputation, that he ripped up her belly with his own hands publicly, in order to vindicate her innocence. The enthusiasm produced by this sacrifice, served for a while to give the Messenians the advantage; but being at last overthrown and besieged in the city of Ithoë, they were obliged to submit to the Spartans, and Aristodemus slew himself on his daughter's grave.

After a rigorous subjection of thirty-nine years, the Messenians made one effort more for the recovery of their liberty under the conduct of Aristomenes, who thrice defeated the Spartan army, and as often merited the Hecatomphonia, a sacrifice due to those who had killed one hundred of the enemy hand to hand in battle. But the Spartans, being headed by the famous Athenian poet and schoolmaster, Tyrtæus, who inflamed their courage by his songs and orations, the Messenians were at last obliged to abandon A. M. their country, which was added to the territory of} Sparta; and thus rendered that kingdom one of the most powerful states in all Greece.,

3340.

CHAPTER III.

OF THE GOVERNMENT OF ATHENS, THE LAWS OF SOLON, AND THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC, FROM THE TIME OF SOLON TO THE

COMMENCEMENT

OF THE

PERSIAN WAR.

THE happy effects produced at Sparta, by the institutions of Lycurgus, at last inspired the Athenians with a desire of being governed by written laws; and the first A. M. person they pitched upon for a legislator was Draco, 3380. a man of equal integrity and wisdom, but rigid and severe in the highest degree. Draco inflicted death on all crimes without exception, and being asked why he did so, replied, "Small crimes deserve death, and I have no higher punishment even for the greatest." His laws, indeed, were so severe, that they were said to be written not with ink, but with blood. Their severity, however, defeated their intention. It was impossible to carry them into execution. They therefore fell into disuse; and the people, from the neglect and contempt of laws, soon grew more licentious than ever they had been before any written laws existed. It was in this distressful state of the republic, that Solon was applied to for his advice and assistance in regulating the government.

To mention all the proofs he had given of his wisdom, before he was advanced to the office of legislator, would be foreign to our purpose. Suffice it to say, that he was one of the seven wise men of Greece. The others were, Thales the Milesian, Chilo of Lacedæmon, Pittacus of Mitylene, Periander of Corinth, and Bias and Cleobulus, whose birthplaces are uncertain. One day at the court of Periander, a

question was proposed, Which was the most perfect popular government? That, said Bias, where the laws have no superior. That, said Thales, where the people are neither too rich nor too poor. That, said Anacharsis the Scythian, where virtue is honoured and vice detested. That, said Pittacus, where dignities are always conferred upon the virtuous, and never upon the base. That, said Cleobulus, where the citizens fear blame more than punishment. That, said Chilo, where the laws are more regarded than the orators. But Solon's opinion seems to be best founded, who said, where an injury done to the meanest subject is an insult upon the whole community.

Nor must we omit his celebrated interview with Crœsus, king of Lydia. That monarch, who was reputed the richest prince of his time, having displayed before him his immense wealth and treasures, asked, whether he did not think him the happiest of mankind? No, replied Solon; I know one man more happy, a poor peasant of Greece, who neither in affluence nor poverty, has but few wants, and has learned to supply them by his own labour. But at least, said the vain monarch, do you not think me happy? Alas, cried Solon, what man can be pronounced happy before he dies? The sagacity of Solon's replies appeared in the sequel. The kingdom of Lydia was invaded by Cyrus, the empire destroyed, and Croesus himself taken prisoner. When he was led out to execution, according to the barbarous manners of the times, he then recollected the maxims of Solon, and could not help crying out, when on the scaffold, upon Solon's name. Cyrus hearing him repeat the name with great earnestness, was desirous of knowing the reason; and being informed by Croesus of that philosopher's remarkable observation, he began to fear for himself, pardoned Crœsus, and took him for the future into confidence and friendship. Thus Solon had the merit of saving one king's life, and of reforming another.