494 



LACED^EMON. 



enmity of 

 Argos. 



One of the most important of their early struggles 

 was carried on against the Messenians, which origi- 

 nated in a tumult at Linnse, where the Messenian 

 and Lacedirmonians, (being both of the Dorian tribe, ) 

 were engaged in celebrating the worship of Diana ; 

 and where Teleclus king of Sparta, son of Archelaus, 

 the contemporary of Lyctirgus, was skin. The La- 

 cedemonians complained, that the Messenians, hav- 

 attcmpted to carry off some Spartan virgins, Te- 

 U'clus received his death in their defence ; while 

 the Messenians averred that the pretended virgins 

 were armed youths in disguise, for the purpose of 

 assassinating the Messenian chiefs who attended the so- 

 lemnity. New causes of dispute arose ; and the Lace- 

 daemonians, resolved against all measure of reconcilia- 

 tiation, solemnly bound themselves to persevere in the 

 contest, and, according to some writers, to remain absent 

 from their homes till Messenia should be subdued. 

 But the Messenians maintained "the conflict with equal 

 advantage for many years, under their kings Euphaes 

 and Aristodemus ; and it was not till after the death of 

 the latter, that Spartan discipline and perseverance at 

 length prevailed. The Messenians were completely 

 subdued, and half the produce of their lands was ex- 

 acted as tribute to the conquerors. Among the events 

 of this war, an instance occurred of the singular spirit 

 which prevailed in Sparta, and which is so generally ac- 

 credited by ancient writers, as to authorise the belief 

 that their accounts, though not altogether so consistent 

 with each other, must have rested on some foundation. 

 The absence of the Lacedaemonians from their homes 

 was at length felt in the city, as not only a domestic 

 grievance, but also a public evil ; and in order to re- 

 move the check thus imposed upon the population of 

 the state, all the young men, who had joined the army 

 without having taken the oath of absence, were sent 

 home to supply the place of temporary husbands to the 

 women. After the termination of the war, the inno- 

 cent offspring of this irregular connection, being slight- 

 ed by the other citizens, and not submitting very pa- 

 tiently to the disgrace attached to their class, were per- 

 suaded to emigrate to Italy, where they founded the 

 city of Tarentum. After a period of nearly forty years, 

 the new generation of Messenians made a resolute at- 

 tempt to regain their independence; and, under the 

 auspices of Aristomenes, a descendant of Hercules, 

 through a long race of Messenian princes, sustained a 

 desperate struggle with the power of Lacedasmon ; but 

 were again compelled to receive the yoke of the vic- 

 torious Spartans, who repeopled the desolated tract, 

 which they had thus acquired, by colonies of Asinidans 

 and Nauplians, who had been expelled from their na- 

 tural seats by the Argians. With these last mentioned 

 people the Lacedaemonians had previously been engaged 

 in a severe struggle for the district of Thyrea, which 

 was situated within their mutual limits ; and which was 

 finally annexed to the Laconian territory, a circum- 

 stance which gave rise to a long and deadly animosity 

 between the two contending parties. A similar con- 

 tention took place between the Arcadians, who enabled 

 the city of Tegea to resist, with more than usual va- 

 lour and success, the Spartan encroachments; till at 

 length the politic citizens of Lycurgus succeeded in 

 forming a close alliance with these brave mountaineers 

 whom they were unable to subdue, who afterwards 

 proved the most serviceable auxiliaries in the ambi- 

 tious schemes of Lacedsemon. 



As the Lacedaemonian institutions were so unfavour- 

 able to literature, adverse to all foreign intercourse, and 

 productive of strict secrecy in their own politics, there 



is little accurate information to be found in ancient 

 writers with regard to the piore early internal trans, 

 actions of their state. There appears, however, to have w 

 been a constant and violent struggle among the nicely historical 

 balanced powers of the government ; and, in order to mformatio 

 restrain the overbearing spirit of the senate, king respecting 

 Theopompus, who completed the first conquest of Sparta. 

 Messenia, seems to have either originally instituted the 

 order, or at least to have greatly enlarged the authority, 

 of the popular magistrates, named Ephori. These were r.photi. 

 five in number, elected annually by the people from 

 their own body ; and bearing a near resemblance to the 

 tribunes of Rome. The primitive design of their of- 

 fice was merely to serve as vindicators of >the constitu. 

 tional rights of the people against any encroachments 

 of the kings or the senate; but, by "degrees, they ac- 

 quired a more extensive authority, deciding on mea- 

 sures of peace or war, determining the number offerees 

 to be raised, and providing funds for their maintenance; 

 holding courts of inquiry into the conduct of all ma- 

 gistrates, supreme and subordinate ; engrossing, in 

 short, the whole administration of civil affairs ; and re- 

 ducing the kings always to the situation of mere here- 

 ditary generals of the army. 



The Lacedaemonians were by this time by far the p ower O f 

 most powerful people of Greece. Masters of Messenia, Lacode- 

 and ancient allies of Corinth, they in a great measure mon. 

 commanded in Peloponnesus. Their ambition was un- 

 bounded ; and they watched every opportunity of ex- 

 tending their power. Whenever the Grecian states were 

 involved in mutual wars, or agitated by internal sedi- 

 tions, they were ready to interfere as mediators ; and 

 while, in this capacity, they usually conducted matters 

 with much apparent moderation, they seldom failed to 

 strengthen the influence of their own state. They uni- 

 formly favoured the aristocratical or oligarchical parties 

 in the different Grecian cities ; and having always, by 

 this plan, a few chiefs in every place indebted to their 

 support, they easily rendered these dependent leaders 

 effectual instruments of securing to them the aid, and 

 almost the submission of their respective countries. 

 This policy they began about this time to pursue among 

 the Athenians, whom they had assisted to liberate from 

 the yoke of the tyrant Hippias. But, for an account 

 of their proceedings in this affair, and also of their trans- 

 actions in the Persian, Peloponnesian, and Theban wars, 

 we must refer our readers to the articles ATHENS, EPA- 

 MINONDAS, and GREECE. 



A few of the more important of the intermediate and 

 insulated events, however, which belong to the histo- 

 ry of Lacedaemon, and which affected its internal inte- 

 rests more directly and permanently, require to be no- 

 ticed, as far as our limits will permit. A short time af- Jmurree- 

 ter the conclusion of the Persian war, the Spartan com- tion of the 

 monwealth was thrown into the utmost .confusion, and I Jtlot - 

 reduced to the brink of ruin, by a destructive earth- 

 quake in its capital, and a formidable insurrectidn of 

 the Helots. By the former of these calamities, 20,000 

 lives were lost, and only five houses left standing in the 

 city. The wretched slaves throughout the country, 

 profiting by the disorder and distress which ensued, 

 rose in a body to avenge their sufferings, and secure 

 their freedom ; but, by the exertion of king Archida- 

 mus, a sufficient number of Spartans was assembled, to 

 protect the metropolis; and the insurgents, many of 

 whom were descendants of the Messenians, betook 

 themselves in a body to the strong hold of Ithome. 

 The Lacedaemonians, though singularly expert in the 

 use of arms, were utterly helpless in almost every other 

 occupation ; and b ' the simple desertion of their slaves. 



