fhore, and was flain by Hector, Ovid. Met. xii. 67. His wife, T GENERAL HISTORY of GREECE. IIE original inhabitants of Greece, as of most other countries, lived long in a favage ftate. Difperfed over the country, they had neither cities nor laws. In process of time, they formed themfelves into a number of ftates, governed by kings or tyranni. The most ancient kingdom is faid to be SICYON, founded by Egialeus, b. C. 2089. The kingdom of ARGOS began under Inachus, 1856; that of Mycena under Perfeus, 1344. Cecrops from Egypt firft civilized the rude inhabitants of Attica, b C. 1556. He divided the country into twelve districts or boroughs, and inftituted a court of juftice called the Arcopagus. Amphictyon, the third king of Athens, procured a confederacy among the ftates of Greece, called from him the council of the Amphictyons; which met twice a-year, first at Therm pla, and afterwards at Delphi, to offer up common facrifices, and to confult for the common intereft. THESEUS, one of the fucceeding kings, united the twelve boroughs of Cecrops into one city, ATHENS, and admitted the people into a large fhare of authority in the adminiftration of government, 1234 CODRUS was the laft king of this line, who devoted himself to death for his country, 1091. After him the titie of king was abolished; and a chief magi ftrate, called Archon, appointed for life. Afterwards, the continuance in this office was limited, firft to ten years, and then to to one year. At last nine Archons were chofen, and the chief of the nine was called the Archon, and gave his name to the current year. The kingdom of Thebes was founded by CADMUS from Phoenicia, who built that city, and firft introduced letters into Greece, b. C. 1493. The adventures of his pofterity, Laius, Focafta, OEdipus, Eteocles, and Polynices, afforded ́ample matter for the fictions of the poets. The first enterprise in which the Greeks exerted their united force, was the war against Troy, which they took after a tenyears fiege. For the expedition of Jafon to Colchis is fo involved in fable, as indeed all the early tranfactions of the Greeks are, that nothing certain can be affirmed concerning it. The ftates of Greece were united together, not only by one common language and religion, but also by various games, to which they all reforted, and during which all hoftilities were suspended. These were the Olympic, the Ifthmian, the Pythian, and Nemaan games. But the chief bond of union was the council of the Amphictyons, by which they were afterwards enabled to fuftain the formidable attacks made upon them. This council, however, did not poffefs any abfolute power of internal controul. Hence, among the different states, inteftine contentions were carried on with the greatest animofity. The firft ftate which obtained an afcendency over the reft, was SPARTA or LACEDÆMON. This was owing to the laws of LYCURGUS, an inftitution the moft fingular that occurs in hiftory. Sparta had been long governed by the defcendants of Hercules, under whom, instead of one king, two ruled with equal authority. Lycurgus, being invested with regal authority in right of his nephew Charilaus, a minor, after travelling through various countries, established a body of laws, copied chiefly from the laws of Minos in Crete, Strabo, x. 482. The two kings were continued; but their authority was reftricted by a fenate of twenty-eight, nominated for life by the people, and by five Ephori created annually. He inftituted an equal divifion of land, abolished the use of gold and filver, and ordained that all fhould eat in public. His chief attention was directed to the education of youth. At feven years of age they were taken from their parents, and intrufted to the charge of elderly men of the first rank in the city, who, by a rigid dif cipline, might train them to obedience, to love their country, to relpect the aged, to bear hardship, and to fcorn danger, The Spartans were a nation of foldiers. Their chief employ ment ment was hunting and bodily exercise. The ground was cule tivated by the Helota, a kind of flaves, whom they treated with the greatest cruelty; which is the more furprising, as in other refpects they were generous and humane *. The inftitutions of Lycurgus are faid to have continued in force above five hundred years. The courage of the Lacedæ The Helute or Helots, were different from domeftic flaves, of whom there is faid to have been a greater number at Lacedæmon than in any other city of Greece, Thucydid. viii. 40. The Helots occupied a middle state between flaves and free citizens. Being the property of the public, they could not be fold nor made free but by public authority, Strab. viii. 365. ; Paufen. iii. 20. They not only cultivated the ground, but ferved in the fleet and in the army. In the army every Opiites or heavy armed foldier was accompanied by one or more of them, lb. iv. 8. Sometimes by feven. Thus at the battle of Plata there were 5000 Spartans, and 35,000 Helots, Herodot. ix. 10. and 28. The Helots, from their number and courage, were a continual source of apprehenfion to the citizens, especially in times of public danger. In the Peloponnefian war 2000 of the bravest of them were, by the basest treachery, deftroyed at once. Freedom having been publicly promifed to fuch as had diftinguished themselves moft by their valour, thefe 2000 claimed the proffered reward; and the juftice of their pretenfions being admitted, they were led in folemn proceffion round the temples, with chaplets of flowers on their heads, which was the ceremony ufually obferved when they were made free. They foon after difappeared, nor was it known in what manner they perished, Thucydid. iv. 80. Plutarch. in Lycurg. Diodorus fays, that their matters were charged to put them to death privately at their houtes, xii. 67. The Spartans affixed no criminality to fuch cunning. To train their youth to the stratagems of war, they were encouraged to commit petty thefts, provided they did it without being discovered; but if they allowed themselves to be detected, they were feverely punished. Hence, to prevent detection, a boy who had ftolen a young fox, and hid him under his garment, fuffered the animal to tear out his very bowels, fo that he died on the fpot. Plutarch, who relates this fact, fays, that he himself had feen boys fcourged to death at the altar of Diana, without uttering a grean; in vita Lycurgi. This fcourging, boys were obliged to fubmit to, at a facred folemnity, in prefence of their friends and relations, not by way of punishment, but to enure them to bear pain; and it was fometimes applied fo feverely as to prove fatal, Cic. Tufc. ii. 13. and 14.; Senec. de provid. 4.; Lactant. in Stat. Theb. viii. 437. Cicero mentions his having feen fimilar inftances of their hardiness, while they were engaged in their exercises, Tufc. J. V. 27. To accuftom young men to the arts of war, fome of the ftouteft among them were fent to the country, armed only with daggers, and carrying with them a little neceffary provifion. During the day-time they lay in ambufcade, concealed among the bufhes; whence that custom was called CRYPTIA; and in the night-time they fallied forth, and flew fuch of the Helots as they found in their way. Plutarch thinks this practice was not inftituted by Lycurgus, but took place afterwards; as well as other inftances of cruelty exercifed towards the Helots. They were fometimes forced to drink to excels, and in that state introduced into the public halls, that by feeing the baseness of drunkennefs, young men might be deterred from it, Ib. The Helots were made to fing low and vulgar fongs, and forbidden to repeat any of a liberal kind; as thofe of Aleman and Terpander. This harsh treatment of the Helots gave occafion to the faying, "That at Sparta a free man was the freest of all men, and a flave the greatest of flaves," Ib. Hence it is not to be wondered at, that the Helots were always difpofed to take part against their oppreffors, Thucydid. i. 101. iv. 80. monians monians was foon put to the teft by a long war, in which they were engaged with the Meffenians, who, after a desperate ftruggle, were in the end completely fubdued, b. C. 664 *. There were three different wars, each of considerable length, betwixt the Lacedæmonians and Meffenians. The first took place foon after the time of Lycurgus. It was occafioned by an injury offered to fome Spartan virgins by a body of Meffenian young men, at the temple of Diana, which stood on the confines of both countries. Teleclus, one of the Spartan kings, who happened to be prefent, attempting to prevent this outrage, was flain. The Meffenians alledged that thefe fuppofed virgins were young men in difguife, with daggers under their clothes, placed there with an intention to furprise them. Other caufe of hoftility concurring, a bloody war commenced, which was carried on for above twenty years with the greatest animofity. The Spartans bound themfeives by an oath not to return till they reduced Mefscnè; but after an abfence of ten years, fearing the confequences of a want of progeny, they fent home fuch young men as had joined the army after the oath had been taken. Their offspring were called PARTHENIÆ, v. ii. Mcffene, was at last taken by ftratagem, and the hardest conditions impofed on the inhabitants. The Par thenians finding themselves treated with contempt by the Spartans after their return from the Meffenian war, formed a confpiracy with the Helots, for their deftruction. But the plot being discovered, they were expelled from Lacedæmon; and having failed into Italy under PHALANTHUS, fettled at Tarentum, Paufan. iv. 14. See p. 166. After a rigorous fubjection of thirty-nine years, Paufan. iv. 15. (Justin says eighty years, iv. 5.) the Meffenians refumed the war under ARISTOMENES; a man of furprising courage and abilities. The Spartans being defeated after an obftinate engagement, lent to confult the oracle of Delphi about the event of the war. They were directed to feek a general from the Athenians. That ftate, as Juftiu fays, through contempt, fent them TYRTÆUS, a poet and a fchoolmaster, who was lame of a foot, Paulan. iv. 15.; Strab. viii. 292. The Spartans, although by no means pleafed with their new general, yet, from vencration for the oracle, obeyed his commands. Their fuccefs did not answer their expectations. Being routed in three different actions, they were now reduced almoft to defpair, and had thoughts of concluding a peace upon any terms. But Tyrtæus fo animated them by his verfes in praife of military glory, Horat. art. p. 402.; Juftin. iv. 5. that they determined to try another battle, in which they gained a complete victory; chiefly by the treachery of ARISTOCRATES, king of the Arcadians, who were joined in confederacy with the Messenians. Ariftomenes, after performing prodigies of valour, was fome time after made prisoner, with fifty of his companions. Being thrown into a deep cavern, the usual punishment of the meaneft malefactors at Sparta, they were all killed by the fall, except Ariftomenes; who, after remaining three days among the dead carcafes, made his escape in the moft wonderful manner; and afterwards getting poffeffion of the town of Era, defended it against the Lacedæmonians near eleven years. At lait, however, by a strange accident it fell into their hands, and the Mesfenians who defended it retired into Sicily, where they fettled at Mefsana, Paufan iv. 23.; See p. 257. Ariftomenes remained in Greece, where he married all his daughters to perfons of the first rank, except the youngest, who married a prince of Rhodes. Ariftomenes accompanied her to that island, where he died. He had formed a plan, in conjunction with the Arcadians, of furprising Sparta, but was again betrayed by Ariftocrates, the Arcadian king, on which account that prince was ftoned to death by his fubjects, Paufan. iv. 23.- -The Mellenians were reduced nearly to the fame state of fervitude with the Helots; whence they were all called MESSENII, Thucydid. i. 101. and Sparta having gained fo great an acceffion of territory, foon began to affume the pre-eminence among the other ftates of Greece. The The Athenians, agitated by difcord under their Archons, and feeing the good effects of the inftitutions of Lycurgus, pitched upon DRACO, a man of wifdom and integrity, to draw up a body of laws for them, b. C. 623. The laws of Draco punished all crimes equally with death; hence they were faid to be written with blood. Their excessive severity made them foon be abolished. SOLON was next chofen as legiflator, 594.; and his laws remained in force while Athens continued a free ftate. The chief power was lodged in the hands of the people, which, as it was not properly balanced, they often abused. The most illuftrious citizens, upon mere fufpicion, were banished for ten years, by what was called the Oftracifm*; a form of punishment not intended as a disgrace, but by way of precaution, to dispel the jealousy of the people. The laws of Solon were as remarkable for their lenity, as thofe of Lycurgus were for their rigour. There was an afylum even for flaves; and when animals were exhaufted with labour, they were fometimes fupported in a public inclosure, Plutarch. in vita Catonis Cenforis. Solon was one of the feven wife men of Greece. The other fix were, Thales of Miletus, Bias of Priëne, Chilo of Sparta, Pittacus of Mitylene, Cleobulus of Rhodes, and Periander of Some time after the expulfion of Xerxes and his army from Greece, a great part of Lacedæmon was overwhelmed by an earthquake, in which above twenty thousand of the inhabitants are faid to have perished, Diodor. xi. 63. lian fays, there were only five houfes left, vi. 7. The Meffenians and Helots thinking this a favourable opportunity for regaining their liberty, took up arms, and marched to Sparta to crufh their oppreffors. But Archidămus, the Spartan king, apprehending what happened, having colleЯed and arned thofe citizens who remained, repulfed the aggreffors. They having feized on thōme, a ftrong fort in Meffenia, made frequent inroads from thence into Laconia. The Lacedæmonians in their diftrefs fought affiftance from the Athenians, which, after fome oppofition, was by the advice of Cimon granted them. Cimon marched with a large body of men into Laconia. Some other Grecian ftates, prompted by the example of the Athenians, alfo fent auxiliaries. But the Spartans fufpecting the Athenians of being too much inclined to the intereft of the Meffenians, fent back their forces; which greatly exafperated the Athenians, Ib. 64.; Fußlin. iv. 6.; Plutarch. in Cimone. This, joined with other caufes, gave occafion to the long and bloody war which afterwards took place between these two states, and finally terminated in their mutual deftruc tion. The Meifenians and Helots defended themselves in Ithōme for about ten years. At laft they were obliged to furrender, on condition of leaving Peloponnefus altogether. The Athenians received them with their wives and chil dren, rather, as Thucydides fays, from enmity against the Lacedæmonians, than from motives of compaffion; and granted them a fettlement at Naupacus, which city, the Athenians had lately taken from the Locri Ozola, Thucydid. i. 103. In the Peloponnefiat war the Athenians having poffeffed themselves of Pylos, tranfplanted the Meffenians to that place, as being in their native coun try; from whence they greatly infefted the Lacedæmonian territory by their depredations, Ib. iv. 41. It was fo called, because the people gave their votes by writing the name of the perfon on fhells or fmall pieces of brick, (orpana, teflæ vel testulæ.). Corinth. |