The effects of the democratic government quickly appeared, and accufations and condemnations became very frequent. A decree was also published, that no philofophers fhould teach, unlefs licenced by the fenate and people; in confequence of which, many philofophers, particularly Theophraftus, the fucceffor of Ariftotle, broke up their schools. Soon after, however, this decree was refcinded, and the philofophers were recalled. Demetrius in the mean time being engaged in the fiege of A hens beRhodes, Caffander entered Greece with a powerful army, and fieged by many cities revolting to him, he entered Attica, and befieged Calander, Athens. Demetrius fpeedily returned to the relief of the Athe- but elievnians, and obliging Caffander to raise the fiege, he ftript him in ed by Dea very fhort time of all his conquefts. He then put various ci- metrius. ties under the power of the Athenians, and multiplied his good offices, as if he meant to overwhelm them with benefits. They, on the other hand, degraded themselves by the bafeft and moft fervile flattery. They affigned Demetrius lodgings behind the temple of Minerva, in the apartments of the virgins, devoted to her fervice, which was a fcandalous infult on religion, as Demetrius was remarkably intemperate with refpect to women. Their fervility feems to have had no bounds; for when De- The Athemetrius defired, in the month of March, to be admitted into the nians flatmyfteries of Ceres, they decreed that month to be November, ter him in which was the time when novices were admitted to the leffer a most base myfteries. When the initiating ceremonies were over, they manner. again decreed the fame month to be Auguft, which was the time of admiffion into the greater myfteries. Demetrius was accordingly gratified by fuch bafe compliances, which Philippides, the comedian, could not help ftigmatizing in the following diftich: What miracles, by flattery wrought, are here, Which, in one month, have crowded all the year! Demetrius was foon after obliged to quit Greece, and proceed to Afia, to affift his father against the other fucceffors of Alexander, who had formed a confederacy against him. Antigonus hazarding a battle, was defeated and flain; and Demetrius was conftrained to fail from Ephefus with a fmall fquadron of fhips for Athens, where he had left his queen and great part of his navy. The Athenians, who had heard of the bad ftate of his affairs, Their inmade a decree that no crowned head fhould enter their city, and gratitude refused him admittance into their harbour; but, at his requeft, to him in fent him his queen and his fhips. Demetrius, before his de- his adver parture, had indeed given them juft caufe of offence by feveral fity. tyrannical acts, they therefore, by a decree, made it capital for any perfon even to mention an accommodation with him. They were, however, far from enjoying tranquility, and one Lacharis, an obfcure perfon, encouraged by their feditions, feized the fovereignty. Bb 4 Deme Demetrius Demetrius having foon after re-established his affairs, refolved befieges to punish the Athenians, and invefted the city by fea and land. and takes The Athenians being in great diftrefs, Lacharis applied to Pto Athens. my, who fent a fleet of 150 fail to their relief, with a great quantity of corn. This fleet arrived at Egina, but finding that of Demetrius greatly fuperior, they immediately returned back to Egypt. Lacharis now defpairing of holding out, privately quitted the city, and the Athenians, who were perithing with hunger, furrendered at difcretion to Demetrius. He He par- entered the city with all his forces, and having ordered the Athedons the nians to affemble in the public theatre, he furrounded it with Athenians, armed men, placing alfo many of his forces round the stage. The people were filled with the greatest terror, and expected every moment to be put to death, when Demetrius came upon the ftage, and in a fhort oration, gently reprimanded them for their ingratitude, and told them that he received them again. into his wonted grace and favour; as an inftance of which he presented them with 100,000 bushels of wheat, and named fuch magiftrates as were agreeable to them. The Athenians in return relapfed into their old ftrain of flattery, and their orators exerted themselves in extolling the clemency of Demetrius. The people, on the motion of one of the orators, paffed a decree, by which they gave the Pyreum and the caftle of Munichia to the king, who, fully convinced of their fickleness, accepted of the prefent, and left garrifons in both places. Their in- Not long after, when Demetrius was expelled from Macedon, gratitude and reduced fo low that he did not prefume to wear the habit of to him a king, they renounced their acknowledgments to him, degraded the priest of the two deities, and put all things into their old form. He was again in a condition to inveft their city, and actually came before it, but was perfuaded by Craterus, the philofohis kind- pher, to leave them in the full enjoyment of their liberties, and to nefs to pafs over into Afia*. afterwards, and them. Though the Athenians remained free for feveral years after, yet they made no great figure. When the Gauls, under Brennus, invaded Greece, the Athenians for a time exerted fomewhat of their antient magnanimity, under their general Callippus. They are Thefe dangers being over, Antigonus Gonatus, the fon of Defubdued metrius, to punifh the Athenians for their behaviour to his father, by Anti- wafted their territories, and afterwards clofely befieged Athens, gonus Go- They were obliged to furrender, and admit a garrison of his troops, which held them in fubjection to him and his fon Demetrius. A fpirit of liberty again reviving in Greece, particularly among the Achæans, who were encouraged by Cratus, not only to defend their own freedom, but to free others, the Athenians, by the affiftance of Crarus, again recovered their liberty, as will afterwards be more particularly related. natus. *Plut. in vit. Demet. Athenæus. Diog. Laert. in vit. Theoph. Epic. & Crat. CHAP. CHA P. III. The history of SPARTA from Lycurgus, to its being joined by Philopamen to the Achæans. L YCURGUS, as we have already related, fucceeded to The genethe throne of Sparta, upon the death of his brother with- rous conout iffue. No fooner, however, was it known that his duct of brother's widow was with child, than he declared, that the Lycurgus. crown belonged to her fon, if the fhould have one, and from thenceforth he governed the kingdom only as his guardian. The queen privately offered to make ufe of means to cause herself mifcarry, if he would promise to marry her. Lycurgus detefted her horrid propofal; but fo amufed her with fine fpeeches, that fhe abftained from her purpose, and was delivered of a boy. Lycurgus, inftead of making away with it, as fhe hoped, laid the infant before the Spartan nobles and proclaimed him king, calling him Charilaus, that is, the joy of the people. The difappointed queen was filled with refentment against him, and all her family and faction endeavoured to calumniate him, alledging, that notwithstanding his profeffions of difinterestednefs, he intended to murder his nephew, to make way for his own fucceffion. Lycurgus, to ftop the mouths of his malicious enemies, about eight months after the birth of his nephew, went into a voluntary exile, nor did he return till Charilaus was banished. While he was abroad he carefully ftudied the art of government, and the manners of the different people among whom he travelled. He firft vifited Crete, an island famous in the most ancient He travels times for the prudent laws by which it was governed, and at into Cree. this time, as appears from Plutarch, governed by feveral princes, or cantoned into various independant ftates. Through all these Lycurgus travelled, procuring to himself the acquaintance of perfons of the first rank, and by their means a perfect knowledge of their laws. From Crete Lycurgus paffed over to the continent of Afia, that he might philofophize on the Ionian mode of life, which differed greatly from the Cretan. He went next into Egypt, a place never forgot by fuch as went in queft of wisdom. There he met with that method of diftinguishing military men from mechanics, which he afterwards introduced at Sparta. As to his voyages to Spain, Afric, and the Indies, Plutarch fays, the credit of them refts folely upon one author. During his abfence, the greateft corruption of manners and diforders prevailed in Sparta, owing to the weak authority of the kings, and the turbulent and factious spirit of the people. The Spartans feeing the ftate of affairs grow daily worfe, and Is recalled having a great regard for Lycurgus, at length fent an embaffy to by the him, entreating him to return home. The kings, Archelaus Spartans. and Charilaus, importuned him to the fame effect, hoping that his cle of his presence would ferve as a bulwark to defend them from the growing infolence of the people. Lycurgus, upon his arrival at Sparta, finding the state in the utmost confufion, was foon convinced that a few particular laws would produce no great effect, and refolved to change the whole form of government. To furmount the dangers and difficulties attending fo glorious an undertaking, he endeavoured first to gain the confidence of the moft eminent men of Sparta, by communicating to them his fcheme; and next he fought to fecure the obedience of the people, by pretending to the fanction of divinity, afcribing all he did to the councils of the Delphian Apollo. Having visited that The ora- temple, and confulted the priestefs, fhe in her answer ftiled him, Beloved of the gods, and rather a god than a man. She deDelphi ap-clared the laws he had framed were perfectly good, and that the proves his commonwealth, wherein they were obferved, would be the inftitu- moft famous in the world. This divine declaration having wonderfully awed the people, he, upon his return, refolved to publifh his laws; but to intimidate the refractory, he ordered 30 of his friends to appear by break of day in the market place. He began with establishing a fenate, confifting of 30 perfons, including the two kings, which ftep alone was of very great confequence, fince it gave a form and ftability to the conftitution, which had fluctuated hitherto between tyranny and democracy. He allowed the people ftill to hold a general affemBef. Chr. bly, but without any deliberative power, allowing them only the liberty of affenting to, or diffenting from, what the kings and fenate propofed. When Lycurgus, by conftituting a senate, His laws had fecured to himself an acceffion of power, he proceeded enranged tirely to new model the commonwealth. His laws may prounder 12 perly be divided into twelve tables, according to the fubjects of which they treated. tion. He new models the com mon wealth. 705. heads. 1. Laws In the firft may be comprehended fuch laws as regarded reliregarding gion. The ftatues of all the gods and goddeffes worshiped by religion. the Spartans, were reprefented armed, even to Venus herself, that the people might conceive a military life the most noble and honourable. Their facrifices confifted of things of very small value, for which Lycurgus himfelf gave this reason, that want might never hinder them from worshiping the gods. They were forbidden to make long or rafh prayers to the heavenly powers, and were enjoined to afk no more than that they might live honeftly and difcharge their duty. That all degrees of people might be made familiar with death, graves were permitted to be made within their city, and even clofe by their temples. On the fame account, the touching of dead bodies, or affifting at funerals, made none unclean. Magnificent fepulchres were forbidden, neither was there fo much as an infcription, however plain or modeft, permitted. Mournings were ftinted to eleven days, and tears, fighs, and lamentations in public, were prohibited. There were fome exceptions from thefe rules, in favour of those who were flain in the wars; for fuch had a fhort and decent infcription on their tombs. Under Under the fecond table may be placed the laws relating to the 2. Laws lands, and to the city. Lycurgus divided all the country of La- relating conia into 30,000 equal fhares, and the territories of Sparta into to the 9000, which he diftributed among the inhabitants. Property lands. being thus equally divided among the citizens, a fpirit of industry was diffused among all; none was powerful enough to opprefs his fellows, nor any in fuch neceffity as to be in danger of corruption. He forbade the buying or felling of thofe poffeffions; but if a ftranger acquired a right to any of them, he might quietly enjoy it, provided he fubmitted to the laws of the republic. The city of Sparta was unwalled, Lycurgus trusting its defence to the valour of its citizens. As to the houses, they were very plain, for their cielings could only be wrought by the axe, and their gates and doors only by the faw. The laws regarding citizens may compofe the third table. 3. Laws The citizens were to be neither more nor lefs than the number regarding of city lots, which were 9000: the fupernumeraries were to be citizens. led out in colonies. Their laws concerning children, were equally cruel and unreasonable. A new-born infant was fubmitted to the infpection of the graveft men of his tribe, who, if they perceived its limbs ftraight, and thought it had a wholefome look, returned it to its parents to be educated, otherwise it was thrown into a deep cavern. One good effect seems to nave followed from this law; for their women, when they were with child, were very careful of either eating, drinking, or exercifing to excefs. That the conftitution might not be corrupted by the introduction of novelties, ftrangers were not allowed to refide long in the city, nor were the citizens permited to travel, unless the good of the ftate required it. Such as were not bred up in their youth, according to the law, were not allowed the liberty of the city. Under the fourth table may be included the laws relating to 4. Laws marriage. Celibacy in men was infamous, and punished in a concernmoft extraordinary manner. The old batchelor was conftrain- ing mared to walk naked in the depth of winter through the market- riage. place, and to fing a song in disparagement of himself; and never had any of the honours paid him which otherwife belonged to old age. If a man did not marry at the time of life fixed for marriage, he was liable to an action, as were fuch alfo as married above or below themselves. Virgins were married without portions. Hufbands went for a long time fecretly and by stealth to the beds of their wives. They were also allowed to lend their wives; but the kings were forbid to take this liberty. Some other inftitutions of Lycurgus on this head were far from being justifiable, for as they were evidently against modefty, the Spartan women were generally decried for their boldnefs and want of decency. Laws His laws relating to eating may make the fifth table. That 5. he might entirely fupprefs all the luxury of magnificent and ex- relating to penfive tables, he ordained, that all the citizens fhould eat to-eating. gether, of the fame common victuals which the law prescribed, and |