Are We a Declining Race ? 



Mitford tells us that Lycurgus made it criminal 

 for young men to be seen in the company of 

 women, even after they were married. 



When first married, the Spartan would have to 

 continue his exercises with the young men by day, 

 and sleep in the common dormitory by night. 

 While these rules were observed both Spartan 

 and Cretan flourished, and their abandonment 

 resulted in the downfall of each. 



Physical decline must have been well advanced 

 with the Athenians at the time of Plato, for he 

 seems to have recognised that there was some- 

 thing wanting in their system of intercourse. 

 The old matrimonial system may have been 

 abandoned, for in his " Republic " he thus repre- 

 sents Socrates as conversing on the subject : 



Soc.: "And how can marriages be made 

 beneficial? That is a question I put to you, 

 because I see in your house dogs for hunting, and 

 of the nobler sort of birds not a few. Now I 

 beseech you to tell me, have you ever attended 

 to their pairing and breeding? " 



D. : "Exactly." 



Soc. : " Why, in the first place, although they 

 are all of a good sort, are not some better than 

 others ?" 

 D. : '-True." 



Soc. : " And do you breed from them all in- 

 differently, or do you care to breed from the best 

 only ? " 



D. : " From the best." 



Soc. : " And do you take the oldest or the 

 youngest, or only those of ripe age ? " 



D. : "I choose only those of ripe age." 



42 



