country they pleased, and any Spartan who opposed EUROPE. them fell under a curse. They were always the CHAP. III. first in an advance, and the last in a retreat. A hundred chosen men formed their body-guard in the field of battle. During the expeditions they sacrificed as many cattle as they pleased, and took as their own share the skins and chines of all the victims.1 sacrifices, appointing In times of peace the Spartan kings enjoyed the In peace. following honours. At public sacrifices they were At public the first to sit down to the feasts; they were served feasts, and first; and they each received a double portion. games. They had the right of offering the first libations, and were entitled to the skins of the cattle that were sacrificed. At every new moon, and on the seventh day of the month, the state presented each of them with a perfect animal fit for sacrifice, in the temple of Apollo; together with a medimnus of barley flour and a Laconian quart of wine. At all public games, they had particular seats appointed. They Right of also had the right of selecting the proxeni, or officers the proxeni, to receive and entertain foreign ambassadors; and and pythii. of appointing the pythii, or persons sent to consult the oracle at Delphi, who dined publicly with the kings. If the kings were absent from the daily pub- Daily allowlic meal, two choenices of flour, and one cotyle of flour were sent to each of their houses. When they were present, a double portion of everything was given to them; and they received the same honour at every private banquet amongst the citizens. They Keepers of also preserved the oracles with the privity of the pythii, and were the sole judges in deciding upon of heiresses. the husband for a virgin heiress, who had not been betrothed by her father; and in determining re- Commisspecting the public high-ways. If any one desired the highto adopt a son, it was also necessary to do it in the ways, etc. presence of the kings. Finally, the kings sat in the Entitled to council of twenty-eight, where they each had two council of votes; and if prevented from attending the sittings, eight." 1 vi. 56. ance of food. the oracles. Guardians sioners of a seat in the twenty EUROPE. they were represented by their nearest relations CHAP. III. amongst the senators.' Manners ple. Burial of kings. Our author mentions the following particulars reand customs specting the manners and customs of the Laconians. of the peo- After the death of a king, horsemen announced the event throughout the whole country; in the town however it was made known by an old woman, who paraded through the streets, beating a kettle. As soon as this had taken place, two freed persons, a man and a woman from each house, were forced, under the penalty of heavy fines, to disfigure themselves as mourners. The Laconians also had the same custom as the Asiatic barbarians, for besides the citizens of Sparta, a certain number of their subjects throughout the country were obliged to join in the lament. Accordingly many thousand helots, perioeci, and Spartans, men and women, all assembled together in one place, and struck their foreheads, and gave themselves up to unbounded lamentations, affirming that the last king had been the best. If however one of the kings fell in war, they made his effigy, and exposed it on a richly ornamented couch. After the interment, all public business was supended for ten days; no assembly was held, and no elections for public officials, but the whole interval was spent in mourning. The people had a custom similar to the Persians, for a new king remits all debts due from any Spartan to the deceased king, or to the state.3 Hereditary They also resembled the Aegyptians, inasmuch as the sons of heralds, flute-players, and cooks followed the same profession which their father had exercised.* At the same time, handicraftsmen were the least respected, and those were esteemed the most noble Miscellane who devoted themselves to war. Executions were never carried into effect in the day-time, but only at night. The Laconians dressed their heads, when about to hazard their lives in combat." To the man dishonoured by cowardice, a Spartan would neither speak nor give any fire. When they wished to per professions. ous customs. 2 1 vi. 57. 8 2 vi. 58. suade a man to take a good draught, they said, EUROPE. "Pour out like a Scythian;" an expression which CHAP. III. they had adopted from the time of Cleomenes, who contracted from the Scythians a habit of drinking unmixed wine, and at last died insane.' 3 Herodotus mentions a few towns and other locali- Topography ties in Laconica. The most celebrated of all was Sparta. Sparta, the noblest city and kingdom in Greece,2 and contained 8000 men. Near the palace gates was a shrine to the hero Astrabacus.* The city contained a temple of Talthybius, the herald of Agamemnon, whose descendants were called Talthybiadae, and as a privilege, were intrusted with all embassies from Sparta.5 There was likewise a temple of Apollo, together with temples of the celestial Zeus, and of the Lacedaemonian Zeus, of which the two kings of Sparta held the two priesthoods.' Mention is also made of the Aegidae as being a principal The Ac-: tribe in Sparta. They seem to have been a priest family of the Cadmeians, like the Gephyraeans at Athens." Herodotus likewise mentions the Carneian, Hyacinthian," and Gymnopaedian festivals. 12 At the town of Therapne stood a temple of Therapne. Helena, situated above stood a temple of Phoebus. 13 10 8 gidae. The town of Pitane sent a lochus of troops to Pitane. Plataca." Cardamyle is alluded to as being situ- Cardamyle. ated near Asine.15 Oresteum was on the borders of Oresteum. Arcadia.16 Thornax. Taygetus. On Mount Thornax stood a golden statue of Mount Apollo: the Laconians wished to buy this gold of Croesus, but he gave it them as a present." Mount Mount Taygetus was once the seat of the Minyans, who from thence migrated partly to Elis, and partly to the island of Thera.18 Cape Tacnarum is the place Cape Tae 5 vii. 134. 2 vii. 209. 6 vi. 57. 3 vii. 234. 7 vi. 56. 4 vi. 69. 8 iv. 149. The Aegidae probably became incorporated with the three general tribes, which are to be found in every Dorian community. There does not appear to have been much distinction between the tribes at Sparta, as by the constitution of Lycurgus, all the freemen were placed on a footing of equality. 10 vii. 206. 15 viii. 73. 11 ix. 7, 11. 12 vi. 67. 13 vi. 61. narum. CHAP. III. EUROPE. where Arion is said to have been carried by a dolphin, and where there was a small brazen statue representing the story.' To Cape Malea the Argolic territory had extended in ancient times.2 Cape The Laconians sent ten ships to Artemisium,' and sixteen to Salamis. The description of this people concludes the geography of the Peloponnesus. 1 1 i. 23, 24. 2 i. 82. 3 viii. 1. 4 viii. 43. CHAPTER IV. NORTHERN GREECE. CHAP. IV. Division into ten districts.-I. MEGARIS, general description.-Hero- EUROPE. dotus's account.-Erroneously supposed to be the most westerly point in Greece. Topography: Megara, Nisaea, Scironian Way.-II. ATTICA, general description.-Ancient history: kings, archons.-Herodotus's account: origin of the Athenians.-Ionians enter Attica.-Ionian migration.-Athenians regarded as Ionian Pelasgians.-Manners, customs, etc.-Herodotus's description of Attica and Athens.-Four ancient divisions of the Athenians.-Re-classification into ten tribes.-Each tribe formed ten demi.-Three factions.-Public buildings, etc.: temple of Aeacus, sepulchre of Cimon, grotto of Pan, temple of Boreas, Enneacrunos, Barathron, temple of Heracles, Areiopagus, harbours of Phalerum, Munychia, and Piraeus.-The Acropolis, general description.-Herodotus's account: sanctuary of Aglaurus, ancient wooden hedge, Pelasgic wall, temple of Erectheus, the Serpent, the salt Spring, the sacred Olive, trophies in the Propylaea.-Topography: Eleusis, Marathon, Lipsydrium, Alopecae, Oenoe, Hysiae, Brauron, Decelea, Thoricus, Anaphlystus, Oropus, Pallene, Anagyrus, Aphidnae, Sphendale, Thriasian plain, Cape Sunium, Mount Laurium, Cape Colias, Zoster, Paeonia, Mount Hymettus, Mount Aegaleos, Mount Cithaeron, river Ilissus.III. BOEOTIA, general description: History.-Herodotus's account: Cadmeans. Topography: Thebes, with the temple of Amphiaraus, the oracle, and the gifts of Croesus; Delium, Thespia, Eleon, Tanagra, river Thermodon, Coronaea, Lebadeia, Scolus, Acraephia, Orchomenus, Erythrae, Plataea.-General description of the Plataean territory.-View of the scene of the battle.-Plan of the battle: 1st position; 2nd position; 3rd position.-Sepulchres of the slain.-IV. PHOCIS, general description. -General description of Delphi: Castalian spring, temple of Athene Pronaea, temple of Apollo, the oracle.--Herodotus's account of the temple, and its treasures: throne of Midas; silver offerings and golden bowls of Gyges; silver bowl and iron saucer of Alyattes.-Gifts of Croesus: 117 golden demi-plinths, golden lion, gold and silver mixing vessels, and other offerings.-Miscellaneous gifts from the Lacedaemonians, Euelthon, Phocians, Pausanias, and from the Greeks after the battle of Salamis.-Herodotus's description of Mount Parnassus.-Topography: route of the army of Xerxes.-V. LOCRIS, general description.-Eastern or Opuntian Locrians.-Western, or Locri Ozolae.-Herodotus's account of the Ozolae: Amphissa.-The Opuntian Locrians.-Thermopylae as described by Herodotus and including Malis:-enclosed by the Trachinian rocks; Anticyra; river Spercheius; river Dyras; river Melas; Trachis the widest part; ravine of the river Asopus; river Phoenix; narrowest part; Thermopylae; Anthela; temple of Demeter; seats of Amphictyons; hot springs; Phocian wall and gates; stone lion to Leonidas; Alpenus; the encampments; pass of Anopaea; inscriptions |