ruled over by Menelaus and Helen, had fallen, as we have seen, into the
hands of the Heraclidae when they came back to the Peloponnesus after
their exile of a hundred years. It was first governed by
A-ris-to-de'mus, one of their three leaders; and, as records soon began
to be kept, we know a great deal about the early history of this famous
place.
As the town had formerly belonged to the Heraclidae, and had been ruled
by one of their ancestors, called Lac-e-dae'mon, they called it by his
name, and the country around it they named La-co'ni-a. Having won back
the town by fighting, the Heraclidae said that they would attend to war
and politics, and make the conquered people till the ground.
The old inhabitants of Laconia, therefore, went on living in the
country, where they sowed and harvested for the benefit of the Spartans.
All the prisoners of war, however, became real slaves. They were obliged
to serve the Spartans in every way, and were called He'lots.
When Aristodemus died, his twin sons were both made kings; and, as each
of them left his throne to his descendants, Sparta had two kings,
instead of one, from this time on. One member of the royal family,
although he never bore the name of king, is the most noted man in
Spartan history. This is Ly-cur'gus, the son of one ruler, the brother
of another, and the guardian of an infant king named Char-i-la'us.
Lycurgus was a thoroughly good and upright man. We are told that the
mother of the baby king once offered to put her child to death that
Lycurgus might reign. Fearing for the babe's safety, Lycurgus made
believe that he agreed to this plan, and asked that the child should be
given to him to kill as he saw fit.
Lycurgus, having thus obtained possession of the babe, carried him to
the council hall. There the child was named king; and Lycurgus promised
that he would watch carefully over him, educate him well, and rule for
him until he should be old and wise enough to reign alone.
While he was thus acting as ruler, Lycurgus made use of his power to
bring many new customs into Sparta, and to change the laws. As he was
one of the wisest men who ever lived, he knew very well that men must be
good if they would be happy. He also knew that health is far better than
riches; and, hoping to make the Spartans both good and healthy, he won
them over little by little to obey a new set of laws, which he had made
after visiting many of the neighboring countries, and learning all he
could.
XXII. THE SPARTAN TRAINING.
The laws which Lycurgus drew up for the Spartans were very strict. For
instance, as soon as a babe came into the world, the law ordered that
the father should wrap it up in a cloak, and carry it before a council
made up of some of the oldest and wisest men.
They looked at the child carefully, and if it seemed strong and healthy,
and was neither crippled nor in any way deformed, they said that it
might live. Then they gave it back to the father, and bade him bring up
the child for the honor of his country.
If the babe was sickly or deformed, it was carried off to a mountain
near by, and left alone; so that it soon died of hunger or thirst, or
was eaten up by the wild beasts.
The Spartan children staid under their father's roof and in their
mother's care until they were seven years old. While in the nursery,
they were taught all the beautiful old Greek legends, and listened with
delight to the stories of the ancient heroes, and especially to the
poems of Homer telling about the war of Troy and the adventures of
Ulysses.
As soon as the children had reached seven years of age, they were given
over to the care of the state, and allowed to visit their parents but
seldom. The boys were put in charge of chosen men, who trained them to
become strong and brave; while the girls were placed under some good and
wise woman, who not only taught them all they needed to know to keep
house well, but also trained them to be as strong and fearless as their
brothers. All Spartan boys were allowed but one rough woolen garment,
which served as their sole covering by night and by day, and was of the
same material in summer as in winter.
They were taught very little reading, writing, and arithmetic, but were
carefully trained to recite the poems of Homer, the patriotic songs, and
to accompany themselves skillfully on the lyre. They were also obliged
to sing in the public chorus, and to dance gracefully at all the
religious feasts.
As the Spartans were very anxious that their boys should be strong and
fearless, they were taught to stand pain and fatigue without a murmur;
and, to make sure that they could do so, their teachers made them go
through a very severe training.
Led by one of the older boys, the little lads were often sent out for
long tramps over rough and stony roads, under the hot sun; and the best
boy was the one who kept up longest, in spite of bleeding feet, burning
thirst, and great fatigue.
Spartan boys were allowed no beds to sleep in, lest they should become
lazy and hard to please. Their only couch was a heap of rushes, which
they picked on the banks of the Eu-ro'tas, a river near Sparta; and in
winter they were allowed to cover these with a layer of cat-tail down to
make them softer and warmer.
XXIII. THE BRAVE SPARTAN BOY.
As greedy and disobedient children were viewed at Sparta with the
contempt they deserved, all the boys were trained to obey at a word,
whatever the order given, and were allowed only the plainest and
scantiest food.
Strange to relate, the Spartans also trained their boys to steal. They
praised them when they succeeded in doing so without being found out,
and punished them only when caught in the act. The reason for this queer
custom was this: the people were often engaged in war, and as they had
no baggage wagons following their army, and no special officer to
furnish food, they had to depend entirely upon the provisions they could
get on their way.
Whenever an army came in sight, the people hid not only their wealth,
but also their food; and, had not the Spartan soldiers been trained to
steal, they would often have suffered much from hunger when they were at
war.
To test the courage of the Spartan boys, their teachers never allowed
them to have a light, and often sent them out alone in the middle of the
night, on errands which they had to do as best they could.
Then, too, once a year all the boys were brought to the Temple of Diana,
where their courage was further tried by a severe flogging; and those
who stood this whipping without a tear or moan were duly praised. The
little Spartan boys were so eager to be thought brave, that it is said
that some let themselves be flogged to death rather than complain.
The bravery of one of these boys was so wonderful that you will find it
mentioned in nearly every Greek history you read. This little fellow had
stolen a live fox, and hidden it in the bosom of his dress, on his way
to school.
The imprisoned fox, hoping to escape, began to gnaw a hole in the boy's
chest, and to tear his flesh with his sharp claws; but, in spite of the
pain, the lad sat still, and let the fox bite him to death.
It was only when he fell lifeless to the floor that the teachers found
the fox, and saw how cruelly he had torn the brave little boy to pieces.
Ever since then, when boys stand pain bravely and without wincing, they
have been called little Spartans, in memory of this lad.
In order that the boys should be taught to behave well under all
circumstances, they were never allowed to speak except when spoken to,
and then their answers were expected to be as short and exact as
possible.
This style of speaking, where much was said in few words, was so usual
in the whole country of Laconia, that it is still known as the laconic
style.
To train them in this mode of speech, the elders daily made the boys
pass an oral examination, asking them any questions they could think of.
The boys had to answer promptly, briefly, and carefully; and if they
failed to do so, it was considered a great disgrace.
These daily questionings were meant to sharpen their wits, strengthen
their memories, and teach them how to think and decide quickly and
correctly.
The Spartan youths were further taught to treat all their elders with
the greatest respect; and it must have been a pretty sight to see all
these manly fellows respectfully saluting all the old people they met,
and even stopping their play to make way for them when they came on the
street.
To strengthen their muscles, the boys were also carefully trained in
gymnastics. They could handle weapons, throw heavy weights, wrestle, run
with great speed, swim, jump, and ride, and were experts in all
exercises which tended to make them strong, active, and well.
XXIV. PUBLIC TABLES IN SPARTA.
The Spartan men prided themselves upon living almost as plainly as the
boys, and, instead of eating their meals at home with the women and
children, they had a common table. Each man gave a certain amount of
flour, oil, wine, vegetables, and money, just enough to provide for his
share of food.
Instead of having varied and delicate dishes, they always ate about the
same things; and their favorite food was a thick dark stew or soup,
which they called black broth. Rich and poor were treated alike, sat
side by side, and ate the same food, which was intended to make them
equally strong and able to serve their country.
The girls and women never came to these public tables; but the boys were
given a seat there as soon as they had learned their first and most
important lesson, obedience.
When the boys came into the public dining hall for the first time, the
oldest man present called them to him, and, pointing to the door,
solemnly warned them that nothing said inside the walls was ever to be
repeated without.
Then, while the boys took their places and ate without speaking a word,
the old men talked freely of all they pleased, sure that Spartan lads
would never be mean enough to repeat anything they said, and trusting to
their honor.
Although the Spartans had wine upon their table, they were a very
temperate people, and drank only a very little with each meal. To show
the boys what a horrible thing drunkenness is, and the sure result of
too much drinking, the old men sometimes gave them an object lesson.
They sent for one of the meanest Helots or slaves, and purposely gave
him plenty of wine. He was encouraged to go on drinking until he sank on
the floor in a drunken sleep. Then the old men would point him out to
the boys, and explain to them that a man who has drunk too much is
unworthy of the love or esteem of his fellow-creatures, and is in many
ways worse than a beast.
The Spartan boys, thus early warned of the evils of drinking, were
careful to take but very little wine, and to keep their heads quite
clear, so that they might always be considered men, and might never
disgrace themselves as they had seen the Helots do.
When the boys had passed through the first course of training, they in
turn became the teachers and leaders of the smaller lads, and thus
served their country until they were old enough to go to war. When they
left for their first campaign, all the people came out to see them off,
and each mother gave her son his shield, saying,--
"Come back with it or on it."
By this she meant "Come home honorably, bearing your shield, thus
showing that you have never thrown it away to save yourself by flight;
or die so bravely that your companions will bring back your body resting
on your shield, to give you a glorious burial."
XXV. LAWS OF LYCURGUS.
The Spartan girls, who were brought up by the women, were, like the
boys, taught to wrestle, run, and swim, and to take part in gymnastics
of all kinds, until they too became very strong and supple, and could
stand almost any fatigue.
[Illustration: A Dancing Girl.]
They were also taught to read, write, count, sing, play, and dance; to
spin, weave, and dye; and to do all kinds of woman's work. In short,
they were expected to be strong, intelligent, and capable, so that when
they married they might help their husbands, and bring up their children
sensibly. At some public festivals the girls strove with one another in
various games, which were witnessed only by their fathers and mothers
and the other married people of the city. The winners in these contests
were given beautiful prizes, which were much coveted.
Lycurgus hoped to make the Spartans a strong and good people. To hinder
the kings from doing anything wrong, he had the people choose five men,
called ephors, to watch over and to advise them.
Then, knowing that great wealth is not desirable, Lycurgus said that the
Spartans should use only iron money. All the Spartan coins were
therefore bars of iron, so heavy that a yoke of oxen and a strong cart
were needed to carry a sum equal to one hundred dollars from one spot to
another. Money was so bulky that it could neither be hidden nor stolen;
and no one cared to make a fortune, since it required a large space to
stow away even a small sum.
When Charilaus, the infant king, had grown up, Lycurgus prepared to go
away. Before he left the town, he called all the citizens together,
reminded them of all he had done to make them a great people, and ended
by asking every man present to swear to obey the laws until he came
back.
The Spartans were very grateful for all he had done for them, so they
gladly took this oath, and Lycurgus left the place. Some time after, he
came back to Greece; but, hearing that the Spartans were thriving under
the rules he had laid down, he made up his mind never to visit Sparta
again.
It was thus that the Spartans found themselves bound by solemn oath to
obey Lycurgus' laws forever; and as long as they remembered this
promise, they were a thriving and happy people.
XXVI. THE MESSENIAN WAR.
Not very far from Sparta, and next to Laconia, was a country called
Mes-se'ni-a, which was much more fertile, and had long been occupied by
a kindred race descended from Le'lex, brother of Lacedaemon.
When the Spartans found out that the Mes-se'ni-an fields were more
fruitful than their own, they longed to have them, and anxiously watched
for some excuse to make war against the Messenians and win their land.
It was not long before they found one.
There was a temple on the boundary of Messenia and Laconia, where the
people of both countries used to assemble on certain days to offer up
sacrifices to the gods. The Messenian lads, seeing the beauty of the
Spartan girls, and longing to have such strong, handsome, and
intelligent wives, once carried off a few of them into their own
country, and refused to give them up again. The Spartans, indignant at
this conduct, flew to arms, and one night, led by their king, attacked
the Messenian town of Am-phe'a.
As no one expected them, they soon became masters of the place, and in
their anger killed all the inhabitants. The other Messenians, hearing of
this cruel deed, quickly made ready to fight, and bravely began the
struggle which is known as the First Messenian War.
Although very brave, the Messenians had not been as well trained as the
Spartans, and could not drive them back. On the contrary, they were
themselves driven from place to place, until they were forced to take
refuge in the fortified city of I-tho'me. Here they were shut in with
their king, Aristodemus, who was a proud and brave man.
Ithome was built high up on a rock, so steep that the Spartan soldiers
could not climb it, and so high that they could not even shoot their
arrows into the town.
The Messenians, hoping to keep this place of refuge, kept a sharp
lookout, and, whenever the Spartans made any attempt to climb the rocks,
they rolled great blocks of stone down upon them.
All went well as long as the food lasted, but the time came when the
Messenians in Ithome had nothing to eat. Some of their bravest men tried
to go down into the valley in search of provisions; but, as they were
attacked by the Spartans, they could not bring the hungry people much to
eat.
When Aristodemus saw that the people would all die of hunger unless some
way were found to get food, he consulted an oracle, in order to find out
what it was best for him to do. The oracle answered that a battle should
be fought, and promised the victory to the king who offered his daughter
in sacrifice to the gods.
When Aristodemus heard this answer, he shuddered with fear; for,
although he knew that his ancestors had offered up human victims on
their altars, he loved his only daughter too well to give her up.
For some time longer, therefore, he resisted every attack, and tried to
think of some other way to save his people. At last, however, seeing
that they would all die unless something were done, he sacrificed the
child he loved so well.
The Messenians were touched by his generosity, and by his readiness to
do all in his power to save them. They felt sure that the gods would now
give them the victory, and rushed out of the town and into the Spartan
camp. Their attack was so sudden, and they fought with such fury, that
they soon killed three hundred Spartans and one of their kings.
This battle did not, as they had hoped, end the war, which went on for
several years. At last Aristodemus, despairing of victory, went to his
beloved daughter's tomb, and there killed himself.
When he was dead, the city of Ithome fell into the hands of the
Spartans. They treated the conquered Messenians with great cruelty, made
them all slaves, and were as unkind to them as they had been to the
Helots.
XXVII. THE MUSIC OF TYRTAEUS.
After suffering great tortures under the Spartan yoke for forty long
years, the Messenians began to plan a revolt.
One of their princes, Ar-is-tom'e-nes, a man of unusual bravery, made up
his mind to free the unhappy people, and to ruin the proud city of
Sparta, which had caused them so much suffering.
He therefore secretly assembled all the Messenians, and, when his plans
were ready, began to war openly against the Spartans, whom he defeated
in several battles.
With his small army, he even pressed forward toward the city of Sparta,
and camped within sight of its dwellings. The Spartan women could thus
see a very unusual sight,--the light of the enemies' fires.
To frighten the Spartans still more, Aristomenes went secretly into the
city one dark night, stole into the principal temple, and there hung up
the arms he had taken during the war.
These weapons were arranged so as to form what the Greeks called a
trophy, and right under them Aristomenes boldly wrote his name in
letters so large that all could see it.
When morning dawned, and the Spartans came as usual into the temple to
offer up their morning prayer and sacrifice, they were astonished and
dismayed at the sight of this trophy. Aristomenes' bravery was so great
that they despaired of conquering him without divine aid, and so they
sent to ask an oracle what they should do.
The oracle answered that the Spartans would be victorious if they
marched to war under the command of an Athenian general. Now, the
Spartans were a proud people, and did not like to ask aid of any one;
but they made up their minds to obey this command, and so sent a
messenger to Athens to ask for a good leader.
Whether the Athenians, who were well known for their love of joking,
wished to make fun of the Spartans, or whether they wanted to show them
that the bodily beauty and strength which the Spartans prized so highly
was not everything, no one now knows. The fact is, however, that the
Athenians sent the Spartans a poor, lame schoolmaster, called Tyr-tae'us,
to lead them in battle. This man had never handled a weapon in his life,
and the Spartans were very angry when he placed himself at their head
with a lyre instead of a sword; but when he suddenly began to sing one
of those war songs which make one's blood tingle, it roused their
patriotism to such a point that all were ready to conquer or die, and
their scorn was soon changed to deep admiration.
Fired by these patriotic songs, and by the stirring music the lame
schoolmaster played, the Spartans fought better than ever before,
overcame the Messenians, and came home in triumph with their prisoners,
among whom was the brave Aristomenes.
As it was then usual to put all prisoners of war to death, the Spartans
threw all the Messenians down into a horrible pit called the Ce'a-das.
This was a dark hole of great depth, and its sides were all covered with
jagged rocks, against which the prisoners were dashed to pieces long
before they reached the bottom.
The Messenians were cast into this place one after another, Aristomenes
being thrown in last of all, so that he might have the sorrow of seeing
his companions die. Of course, this was very cruel, but the Spartans had
been brought up to think this mode of getting rid of their enemies quite
right; and when they had thus killed them, they cheerfully went back to
the city and celebrated their victory.
[Illustration]
XXVIII. ARISTOMENES' ESCAPE.
Although the Spartans thought that Aristomenes was dead, they were
greatly mistaken. By some miracle he had not struck against any of the
sharp, jagged rocks, but, falling upon the heap of his dead companions,
had reached the bottom of the Ceadas unhurt.
There was apparently no way out of this pit except by the opening at the
top, through which a bit of sky could be seen; and Aristomenes soon
found that the sides were so steep that it was impossible to reach the
opening. He therefore went off to one side, away from the heap of dead,
and sat down on a stone in that cold, damp, and dark place. There he
drew his cloak over his head to wait patiently until he should starve to
death. Three days had thus been spent in this place, and his strength
was already fast failing, when he suddenly felt a warm breath on his
hand.
He softly drew aside his cloak, and, now that his eyes were used to the
darkness, he dimly saw a fox prowling around him, and sniffing his
clothes suspiciously.
Gently wrapping his cloak around his hand to protect it from the fox's
sharp teeth, Aristomenes caught the animal firmly by the tail. Then, in
spite of all its efforts to get away, he held it tight; and when it
started off, he followed its lead.
As he had shrewdly suspected, the fox knew a way out of the horrible
place. All at once it slipped into a hole; and Aristomenes, seeing a
little light at the end of this, let the fox go. With the help of a
sharp stone, he soon made the fox's hole big enough to crawl through,
and quickly made his way back to the Messenians.
You can imagine how happy they were to see the beloved chief whom they
thought dead, and how tenderly they cared for him until he was well and
strong again. They never tired of hearing the story of his fall,
imprisonment, and escape; and when he proposed to lead them once more
against the Spartans, they gladly promised to help him.
In spite of all Aristomenes' courage, however, Messenia finally fell
into the hands of the Spartans, and the Second Messenian War came to an
end. All the people who wished to escape slavery or death left their
native country, and went to Italy or Sicily, where they founded Greek
colonies.
The cities that they built soon became very powerful, and one of them
they named Mes-si'na in honor of their native land. This city still
stands, as you will see by looking at your maps; and near it is the
strait of the same name, which separates Sicily from Italy.
XXIX. THE OLYMPIC GAMES.
Northwest of Sparta, in the country called E'lis and in the city of
O-lym'pi-a, rose a beautiful temple for the worship of Ju'pi-ter (or
Zeus), the principal god of the Greeks. This temple was said to have
been built by Hercules, the great hero from whom, as you remember, all
the Heraclidae claimed to be descended.
According to the legends, Hercules was a son of the god Jupiter, and had
ordered that a great festival should be held here every four years in
honor of his divine father.
[Illustration: The Temple at Olympia.]
For the purpose of attracting all the neighboring people to the temple
at Olympia, Hercules founded many athletic games, such as wrestling,
stone and spear throwing, foot, horse, and chariot races, boxing,
swimming, and the like.