838 
G R E 
mimentS of delivered mariners, and which had con¬ 
tinued, from early times, the principal centre of Gre¬ 
cian navigation ? 
A tradition had long prevailed, that the fruitful and 
pifturelque banks of the Alpheus, in the province of 
Elis, or Eleia, had been confecrated to Jupiter. It is 
certain that athletic fports, fimilar to thofe defcribed 
by Homer at the funeral of Patroclus, had been on many 
occafions exhibited in Elis, by affembled chiefs, with 
more than ordinary folemnity. The Dorian conquerors 
are faid to have renewed the confecration of that de- 
lightful province. But the wars which early prevailed 
between thenr and the Athenians, and the jealoufies 
and hoftilities which afterwards broke out among them- 
felves, totally interrupted the religious ceremonies and 
exhibitions with which they had been accuftomed to 
honour their common gods and heroes. Amidft the 
calamities which afflifted or threatened the Peloponne- 
fus, Iphitus, a defeendant of Oxylus, to whom the pro¬ 
vince of Eleia had fallen in the general partition of 
the peninfula, applied to the Delphic oracle. The 
priefts of Apollo, ever difpofed to favour the views of 
kings and legiflators, anfwercd agreeably to his widi, 
that the feliivals anciently celebrated at Olympia, on 
the Alpheus, murt: be renewed, and an armilHce pro¬ 
claimed for fucli hates as were willing to partake of 
them, and deliroiis to avert the vengeance of heaven. 
Fortified by tills authority, and aflifted by the advice of 
Lycurgus, Iphitus' took mealures, not only for reitor- 
ing the Olympic folemnity, but for rendering it perpe¬ 
tual. The injunction of the oracle was fpeedily dif- 
fufed through the remotefi; parts of Greece, by the nu¬ 
merous votaries who frequented the facred Ihrinq. The 
armiftice was proclaimed in Peloponnefus, and prepara¬ 
tions were made in Eleia for exhibiting fliows and per¬ 
forming facrifices. In the heroic ages, feats of bodily 
ftrength and addrefs were dehined to the honour of de- 
ceafed warriors ; hymns and facrifices were referved for 
the gods. But the flexible texture of Grecian fuper- 
Itition, ealily confounding the expreflions of refpe^tful 
gratitude and pious veneration, enabled Iphitus to 
unite both in his new inftitution. 
The feflival, which lafted five days, began and ended 
with a facrifice to Olympian Jove. The intermediate 
time was chiefly filled up by the gymnaftic exercifes, 
in which all freemen of Grecian extradtion were invited 
to contend, provided they had been born in lawful wed¬ 
lock, and had lived untainted by any immoral ftain. 
The preparation for this part of the entertainment was 
made in the gymnafium of Elis, a fpacious edifice, fur- 
rounded by a double range of pillars, with an open 
area in the middle. Adjoining were the various apart¬ 
ments, containing baths, and other conveniences for the 
combatants. The neighbouring country was gradually 
adorned with porticoes, lhady walks and groves, inter- 
fperfed with feats and benches, the whole originally 
deftined to relieve the fatigues and anxiety of the can¬ 
didates for Olympic fame ; and frequented, in later 
times, by fophifls- and philofophers, who were fond to 
contemplate wifdom, and communicate knowledge, in 
thofe delightful retreats. The order of the athletic 
exercifes was ellabliflied by Lithurgus ; Iphitus, we are 
told, appointed the other ceremonies and entertain¬ 
ments j fettled the regular return of the feflival at the 
end of every fourth year, in the month of July ; and 
gave to the whole folemnity that form and arrange¬ 
ment, which it preferved with little variation above a 
thoufand years ; a period exceeding.the duration of the 
moft famous kingdoms and republics of antiquity. 
From the LEGISLATION of LYCURGUS to 
THE TERMINATION of the MESSENIAN, 
AND FIRST SACRED WAR. 
At the period when Lycurgus propofed his cele¬ 
brated laws, which were univerfally admired, but ne- 
E C E. 
ver imitated, Greece prefented a gloomy pifture of dev 
meflic difeord. The elevated, though romantic, fenti- 
ments of antiquity had ceafed to prevail ; the charadler 
of the heroic age was effaced ; and the generous^pro- 
tedlion of the virtuous and the brave had given way 
to violence and ambition. Each petty prince was de- 
firous to exalt his prerogative, and to extend his do-- 
minions ; whilfl: the refiftance of his fubjedts counter¬ 
acted his ufurpations. Thus every city was torn by a 
double conflidl, and new dangers furrounded the peo¬ 
ple on every fide. During thefe tumultuary feenes, 
Lycurgus, of tlie line of Procles, and commonly reckon¬ 
ed the tenth in defeent from Hercules, received the 
Spartan feeptre upon the death of his elder brother Po. 
lydefiles : but the widow of Polydeftes declaring her- 
felf pregnant, he refigned the crown, and aflTumed the 
title of Protefitor. This delicate attention to juflice, 
rare in any age, excited jufl admiration for Lycurgus,. 
which was enhanced by contrafl. The ambitious 
princefs, more folicitous to preferve the magnificence 
of a queen, than defirous to know the tender cares of a 
mother, fecretly intimated to the Proteftor, that, if he 
confented to marry her, flie would engage tliat no pofl- 
humous fon of his brother fliould difappoint him of the 
fucceffion. Lycurgus feigned to enter into this unnatu¬ 
ral projeCl, but exhorted her not to endanger her 
health by procuring an abortion. When her delivery 
drew near, he fent trufty perfons to attend her, with or¬ 
ders tliat, if fhe brought forth a fon, the infant fliould 
be immediately carried to him. This command was 
obeyed, while he flipped with the principal magiftrates 
of the republic. He received the child in his arms, 
faying, “Spartans, a king is born to you!” Joyous 
congratulations followed, to commemorate which, the 
infant was named Chaerelaus, “ the people’s joy.” 
Notwithflanding the fame redounding to Lycurgus from 
this tranfadlion, the intrigues of the flighted queen 
raifed a powerful fadtion agair.fl him. He withdrew 
himfelf from the gathering ftorm ; and, being yet in 
early manhood, refolved to vilit foreign countries. 
1 he renowned ifland of Crete firft attradled his re¬ 
gard. The Cretans flill partially adhered to the laws 
of Minos; but their ifland never refumed its priftine 
luftre after the war of Troy. From Crete he failed to 
Egypt, and carefully examined the civil and religious 
polity of that ancient and learned kingdom. Defpifing 
the terrors of the fea, as well as the fatigues and dan. 
gers of unexplored journies through barbarous or de- 
fert countries, he is faid to have reached the populous 
and flourifliing kingdoms of the Eaft : nor, could we 
truft the partial evidence of his countryman Arifto- 
crates, did the remote provinces of India efcape his ob- 
fervation. He returned by the coaft of Afia Minor, and, 
obferved with aftonifliment and' fatisfadlioii, the innu¬ 
merable Greek colonies that had rifen with hidden 
fplendour on the weftern coaft of that luxuriant penin¬ 
fula. The numerous advantages derived from this ex- 
tenfive view of men and manners, moulded by fuch a 
wide variety of religious, political, and military, inftitu-, 
tions, were all eclipfed by one dilcovery—the immortal 
poems of Homer, unknown to the Dorian conquerors of 
Peloponneliis, but carefully preferved among the Eoli- 
ans and lonians, 'whofe anceflors tliey celebrated. Ly¬ 
curgus collefited thefe invaluable compofitions; ar¬ 
ranged the feveral parts; tranferibed and tranfported 
them to Sparta, where, after two centuries of wars and 
revolutions, the cufloms as well as the I'entiments de¬ 
fcribed by that divine poet, had been obliterated and 
forgotten. 
The fagacity of Lycurgus in thus contemplating the 
relations and interefts of his country, regarded martial 
fpirit and political liberty as the great ends of liis new 
legiflation. His immediate determinafion was, to ex- 
tinguifli the ambition of diftant or exteniive conqiiefl, 
to level the inequality of fortune, to crufli the baneful 
effeits 
