lycurgus-第6部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


young　men　stood　around；　seeing　and　hearing　them。　On　these　occasions
they　now　and　then　made；　by　jests；　a　befitting　reflection　upon　those
who　had　misbehaved　themselves　in　the　wars；　and　again　sang　encomiums
upon　those　who　had　done　any　gallant　action；　and　by　these　means
inspired　the　younger　sort　with　an　emulation　of　their　glory。　Those　that
were　thus　commended　went　away　proud；　elated；　and　gratified　with
their　honour　among　the　maidens；　and　those　who　were　rallied　were　as
sensibly　touched　with　it　as　if　they　had　been　formally　reprimanded；　and
so　much　the　more；　because　the　kings　and　the　elders；　as　well　as　the
rest　of　the　city；　saw　and　heard　all　that　passed。　Nor　was　there
anything　shameful　in　this　nakedness　of　the　young　women；　modesty
attended　them；　and　all　wantonness　was　excluded。　It　taught　them
simplicity　and　a　care　for　good　health；　and　gave　them　some　taste　of
higher　feelings；　admitted　as　they　thus　were　to　the　field　of　noble
action　and　glory。　Hence　it　was　natural　for　them　to　think　and　speak
as　Gorgo；　for　example；　the　wife　of　Leonidas；　is　said　to　have　done；
when　some　foreign　lady；　as　it　would　seem；　told　her　that　the　women　of
Lacedaemon　were　the　only　women　in　the　world　who　could　rule　men；
〃With　good　reason；〃　she　said；　〃for　we　are　the　only　women　who　bring
forth　men。〃
　　These　public　processions　of　the　maidens；　and　their　appearing　naked
in　their　exercises　and　dancings；　were　incitements　to　marriage；
operating　upon　the　young　with　the　rigour　and　certainty；　as　Plato　says；
of　love；　if　not　of　mathematics。　But　besides　all　this；　to　promote　it
yet　more　effectually；　those　who　continued　bachelors　were　in　a　degree
disfranchised　by　law；　for　they　were　excluded　from　the　sight　those
public　processions　in　which　the　young　men　and　maidens　danced　naked；
and；　in　winter…time；　the　officers　compelled　them　to　march　naked
themselves　round　the　marketplace；　singing　as　they　went　a　certain
song　to　their　own　disgrace；　that　they　justly　suffered　this
punishment　for　disobeying　the　laws。　Moreover；　they　were　denied　that
respect　and　observance　which　the　younger　men　paid　their　elders；　and　no
man；　for　example；　found　fault　with　what　was　said　to　Dercyllidas；
though　so　eminent　a　commander；　upon　whose　approach　one　day；　a　young
man；　instead　of　rising；　retained　his　seat；　remarking；　〃No　child　of
yours　will　make　room　for　me。〃
　　In　their　marriages；　the　husband　carried　off　his　bride　by　a　sort　of
force；　nor　were　their　brides　ever　small　and　of　tender　years；　but　in
their　full　bloom　and　ripeness。　After　this；　she　who　superintended　the
wedding　comes　and　clips　the　hair　of　the　bride　close　round　her　head；
dresses　her　up　in　man's　clothes；　and　leaves　her　upon　a　mattress　in　the
dark；　afterwards　comes　the　bridegroom；　in　his　everyday　clothes；
sober　and　composed；　as　having　supped　at　the　common　table；　and；
entering　privately　into　the　room　where　the　bride　lies；　unties　her
virgin　zone；　and　takes　her　to　himself；　and；　after　staying　some　time
together；　he　returns　composedly　to　his　own　apartment；　to　sleep　as
usual　with　the　other　young　men。　And　so　he　continues　to　do；　spending
his　days；　and；　indeed；　his　nights；　with　them；　visiting　his　bride　in
fear　and　shame；　and　with　circumspection；　when　he　thought　he　should　not
be　observed　she；　also；　on　her　part；　using　her　wit　to　help　and　find
favourable　opportunities　for　their　meeting；　when　company　was　out　of
the　way。　In　this　manner　they　lived　a　long　time；　insomuch　that　they
sometimes　had　children　by　their　wives　before　ever　they　saw　their　faces
by　daylight。　Their　interviews；　being　thus　difficult　and　rare；　served
not　only　for　continual　exercise　of　their　self…control；　but　brought
them　together　with　their　bodies　healthy　and　vigorous；　and　their
affections　fresh　and　lively；　unsated　and　undulled　by　easy　access　and
long　continuance　with　each　other；　while　their　partings　were　always
early　enough　to　leave　behind　unextinguished　in　each　of　them　some
remaining　fire　of　longing　and　mutual　delight。　After　guarding
marriage　with　this　modesty　and　reserve；　he　was　equally　careful　to
banish　empty　and　womanish　jealousy。　For　this　object；　excluding　all
licentious　disorders；　he　made　it；　nevertheless；　honourable　for　men
to　give　the　use　of　their　wives　to　those　whom　they　should　think　fit；
that　so　they　might　have　children　by　them；　ridiculing　those　in　whose
opinion　such　favours　are　so　unfit　for　participation　as　to　fight　and
shed　blood　and　go　to　war　about　it。　Lycurgus　allowed　a　man　who　was
advanced　in　years　and　had　a　young　wife　to　recommend　some　virtuous
and　approved　young　man；　that　she　might　have　a　child　by　him；　who
might　inherit　the　good　qualities　of　the　father；　and　be　a　son　to
himself。　On　the　other　side；　an　honest　man　who　had　love　for　a　married
woman　upon　account　of　her　modesty　and　the　well…favouredness　of　her
children；　might；　without　formality；　beg　her　company　of　her　husband；
that　he　might　raise；　as　it　were；　from　this　plot　of　good　ground；　worthy
and　well…allied　children　for　himself。　And　indeed；　Lycurgus　was　of　a
persuasion　that　children　were　not　so　much　the　property　of　their
parents　as　of　the　whole　commonwealth；　and；　therefore；　would　not　have
his　citizens　begot　by　the　first…comers；　but　by　the　best　men　that　could
be　found；　the　laws　of　other　nations　seemed　to　him　very　absurd　and
inconsistent；　where　people　would　be　so　solicitous　for　their　dogs　and
horses　as　to　exert　interest　and　to　pay　money　to　procure　fine　breeding；
and　yet　kept　their　wives　shut　up；　to　be　made　mothers　only　by
themselves；　who　might　be　foolish；　infirm；　or　diseased；　as　if　it　were
not　apparent　that　children　of　a　bad　breed　would　prove　their　bad
qualities　first　upon　those　who　kept　and　were　rearing　them；　and
well…born　children；　in　like　manner；　their　good　qualities。　These
regulations；　founded　on　natural　and　social　grounds；　were　certainly
so　far　from　that　scandalous　liberty　which　was　afterwards　charged
upon　their　women；　that　they　knew　not　what　adultery　meant。　It　is
told；　for　instance；　of　Geradas；　a　very　ancient　Spartan；　that；　being
asked　by　a　stranger　what　punishment　their　law　had　appointed　for
adulterers；　he　answered；　〃There　are　no　adulterers　in　our　country。〃
〃But；〃　replied　the　stranger；　〃suppose　there　were？〃　〃Then；〃　answered
he；　〃the　offender　would　have　to　give　the　plaintiff　a　bull　with　a
neck　so　long　as　that　he　might　drink　from　the　top　of　Taygetus　of　the
Eurotas　river　below　it。〃　The　man；　surprised　at　this；　said；　〃Why；
'tis　impossible　to　find　such　a　bull。〃　Geradas　smilingly　replied；　〃'Tis
as　possible　as　to　find　an　adulterer　in　Sparta。〃　So　much　I　had　to　say
of　their　marriages。
　　Nor　was　it　in　the　power　of　the　father　to　dispose　of　the　child　as
he　thought　fit；　he　was　obliged　to　carry　it　before　certain　triers　at
a　place　called　Lesche；　these　were　some　of　the　elders　of　the　tribe　to
which　the　child　belonged；　their　business　it　was　carefully　to　view
the　infant；　and；　if　they　found　it　stout　and　well　made；　they　gave　order
for　its　rearing；　and　allotted　to　it　one　of　the　nine　thousand　shares　of
land　above　mentioned　for　its　maintenance；　but；　if　they　found　it　puny
and　ill…shaped；　ordered　it　to　be　taken　to　what　was　called　the
Apothetae；　a　sort　of　chasm　under　Taygetus；　as　thinking　it　neither
for　the　good　of　the　child　itself；　nor　for　the　public　interest；　that　it