offence 16-that of proposing a statute opposed to all the laws-and then the other points in succession,17 so far as you may be disposed to hear them. 10 6 LVI. Further, the laxity of the laws concerning women is prejudicial as regards both the scope of the constitution and social happiness. For as man and woman are constituents of a family," it is clear that we must regard the state as nearly equally divided between the community of men and that of women, and we must, therefore, consider half of the state ill-arranged in all commonwealths whose institutions respecting women are bad. This has been the case at Sparta; for, while the lawgiver wished to imbue the whole state with the virtue of hardihood, he has clearly succeeded as regards the men, but in the case of the women he has been extremely remiss; for they live in luxury and intemperance of every description. The sure consequence is the exaltation of wealth in such a commonwealth, especially if they happen to be governed by women,11 like most martial 1o and warlike tribes.13 Indeed, the earliest mythologist 14 seems not unreasonably to have associated together Ares and Aphrodite; for all nations of this character are apparently very susceptible 15 of feminine influence. Accordingly this has been the case among the Spartans: under 16 whose empire state affairs were often administered by female influence. For what difference does it make whether women are in office, or whether those in office are governed by women? The result is the same. And while audaciousness 17 is useful for none of the 18 ordinary purposes of life, but only for war, even in this respect the Lacedæmonian women have been extremely mischievous. That quality, indeed, they clearly displayed on 15 the Theban invasion: 19 for while, as in other cities, they were of no use whatever, they, at the same time, caused more confusion than the enemy. At the outset, however, the independence of the women at Sparta seems to have been the natural result of circumstances, 20 The Lacedæmonians had long been absent from their native land owing to their military expeditions, during their wars with the Argives, and afterwards with the Arcadians and Messenians; and, when at leisure, they presented themselves to the lawgiver with their characters already formed by their military lifewhich, indeed, includes many elements of excellence. when they say Lycurgus endeavoured to bring the women within the range of his laws, but, as they resisted, he renounced his attempt. 17 Θρασύτης. βεβηκέναι. 18 Τὰ ἐγκύκλια. 19 Εμβολή. LVII. 20 Εὐλόγως συμ Very Next to the points above mentioned, one may justly censure their unequal distribution1 of property. large fortunes have fallen to the lot of some, and very small to the lot of others: and, on this account, the owners of land are few. Indeed the matter has been badly arranged by the laws; for, while the lawgiver rightly declared it dishonourable to purchase or to sell an estate in possession, he nevertheless allowed all who desired the right of gift or of bequest; the result, of 1 Τὰ περὶ τὴν ἀνωμαλίαν. 2 Κτησις. 3 Ἡ ὑπάρχουσα, sc. οὐσία. 4 Καταλείπειν. U 4 10 6 course, is the same in either case. Nearly two-fifths of the whole acreage belong to women, as the heiresses are numerous, and the dowries given are large. Now it would have been better either that no dowry, or a small, or, perhaps, a moderate one, should have been fixed. As it is,1o however, the parent or guardian may give away the heiress to whomsoever he wishes; and, if he die without11 disposing of her, his heir, whoever he is, gives her away as he chooses. The consequence of all this is 12 that, though the country is capable 13 of rearing fifteen hundred horse and thirty thousand infantry, they do not amount even to a thousand. Their own experience has revealed the prejudicial character of these arrangements: 14 for the state could not endure a single blow, but was ruined through the thinness of its population.15 Yet they say that in the time of 16 the earlier kings they enrolled fresh citizens, so that they did not suffer from thinness of population in spite 18 of protracted wars; and it is asserted that the Spartans formerly numbered even ten thousand. However, whether this be true or not, it is better that the state should abound with men through 19 the equalisation of property. The law, too, concerning the procreation 20 of children is an obstacle to the 21 amendment of this error. For the lawgiver, anxious that the Spartans should be as numerous as possible, invites the citizens to beget as many children as they can; for they have a law 17 5 Τῶν πέντε, μερῶν τὰ δύο. 5 Καίτοι. versatively. 14 Τὰ περὶ τὴν τάξιν ταύτην. refers to Leuctra. 7 Επίκληρος. 10 Nûv, used ad13 Gen. abs. 15 'Oλıуav@ρwñía. The 'single blow' 17 "NOTE. JELF, § 863. 20 Τεκνοποιΐα. 16 'Eπì, with gen. 18 Partic. gen. abs. 19 Διὰ τῆς κτήσεως ὡμαλισμένης. 21 Πρὸς ταύτην τὴν διόρθωσιν. * I read TaÚTÓ. that the father of three sons should be exempted 22 from garrison duty, and the father of four from every burden. Yet it is clear that if many sons are born, and the land is divided as I have described, many must of necessity be reduced to poverty. 22 "Appovpos. Sparta itself was regarded as a camp. LVIII. Moreover, the Ephoralty is badly constituted; for this office has a very extensive jurisdiction in Sparta, and all the Ephors are elected from the commons, so that very poor men, whom destitution renders venal, frequently tumble into the magistracy.5 This quality they have betrayed on many former occasions, and have done so recently in the case of Andros; for some of them, having been corrupted by bribery, ruined the whole state, so far as was in their power. Owing, too, to the very extensive and despotic powers of the magistracy, even the kings were compelled to curry favour with them, and thus the constitution sustained another wound 10 in this quarter; for democracy instead of aristocracy ensued. The office undeniably holds the commonwealth together; for the commonalty keeps quiet because it has access to11 the highest magistracy: so that, whether this has resulted from the lawgiver's wisdom, or from chance, still it has a salutary influence 12 on affairs. For that constitution which intends to last ought to endeavour that all the constituent elements of the state may be and may remain the same; such is the case with the kings by virtue of their 17 very office, with the men of high desert 13 by virtue of the senate 14 - for a seat therein is the reward of excellencewith the Commons by virtue of the Ephoralty, for it is drawn from the whole body of the people. This magistracy ought certainly to be filled by election from the whole people, but not after the fashion now in vogue: for it is excessively childish.15 Moreover, they are absolute judges in important trials, 16 though only ordinary men ; and on this account they ought not to give judgment by the light of nature,18 but according to statute 19 and common law.20 The style of life,21 too, among the Ephors is not in harmony with the character 22 of the state: it is extremely lax,23 while among the other citizens it rather exceeds on the side of austerity, 24 so that they are unable to endure it, and secretly run away from the law and indulge themselves 25 in sensual pleasures. The Carthaginians also appear to enjoy a good constitution, and one in many respects very superior to other states, and in some points very similar to the Lacedæmonian. For these three constitutions are allied to one another, and differ widely from others—the Cretan, the Spartan, and, in the third place, that of the Carthaginians, many of whose institutions are sound. It is a sign of a well-adjusted commonwealth, that though it includes a commonalty it has always maintained the balance of the constitution, and that no sedition worthy of record, and no despot has ever appeared. The common feasts of its Διαμένειν ἐν τῇ τάξει τῆς πολιτείας. 1 Συντεταγμένος. 2 |