lycurgus-第4部分

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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　it　is；　that；　after　this　misadventure；　the　Lacedaemonians
made　it　a　rule　never　to　carry　so　much　as　a　staff　into　their　public
assemblies。
　　But　to　return　to　their　public　repast；…　these　had　several　names　in
Greek；　the　Cretans　called　them　andria；　because　the　men　only　came　to
them。　The　Lacedaemonians　called　them　phiditia；　that　is；　by　changing
l　into　d；　the　same　as　philitia；　love　feasts；　because　that；　by　eating
and　drinking　together；　they　had　opportunity　of　making　friends。　Or
perhaps　from　phido；　parsimony；　because　they　were　so　many　schools　of
sobriety；　or　perhaps　the　first　letter　is　an　addition；　and　the　word
at　first　was　editia；　from　edode；　eating。　They　met　by　companies　of
fifteen；　more　or　less；　and　each　of　them　stood　bound　to　bring　in
monthly　a　bushel　of　meal；　eight　gallons　of　wine；　five　pounds　of
cheese；　two　pounds　and　a　half　of　figs；　and　a　very　　small　sum　of
money　to　buy　flesh　or　fish　with。　Besides　this；　when　any　of　them　made
sacrifice　to　the　gods；　they　always　sent　a　dole　to　the　common　hal