The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1869-04-08
NQ.32..'Il

[Translated for the ncmoeratlc PrssssE,
L2CURGIJs AND sOLoN aks LAW E
- fi-3 4}sGIYEEs. 5l3 .yai iafG I'D
fros., 3ilS tisrlIlaI sef Schiller
In order duly Is estimate the plan
of Lycurgus, VIC must take a retro
spettive view of thepolitical situation
of Sparta in his time, and ascertain
the condition of Lacedemon as he1
found it, when he brought to light his
new scheme. Two kings, both pos
sessing like powers, stood at the head
of the state each Jealous of. the other;
each busily employed in making ad-
herents to his own faction, and striv
ing by these means to check the auS
thority of his competitor. This jeal-
ousy had been, i'll snch manner,
handed down by inheritance from the
first kings, Proeles and Eurysthenes,
in and through their two lives, to the
time of Lycurgus, that Sparta, during
this long space, was necessarily dis
turbed by factions. Every king en-
deavored to bribe- the people by grant
ing them the greatest possible free
dom,, and these grants led them to in
science, and finally to sedition. The /
state waYered to and fro between
monarchy and democracy, and moved
with rapid alienation from one ex-
treme to the other. Between the rights
of the people and the powers of the
kings no limits were marked out, and
wealth flowed into the hands of but
few families. The wealthy, citizens
tyrannized over the poor, and the de-
spair Of the latter manifested itself in
revolt. ..--.t.,...a...,, - ~.
Rent by internal discord the weak
state must have become prey to its
warlike neighbors, or have fallen into
several smaller de$potisms. Thus Ly-
curgus found Sparta; indeterminate.
limits of the kings and peoples pow
ers, unequal distribution Of wealth,
among the citizens, want of public
spirit aud concord, and total weak
ness of the body polite, were the
evils which exhibited themselves most
cogently to the 1aw-giver, which he
must especially take into considers
ton in his enactment of laws. -.
When the day dawned on which
Lycurgus had resolyedto proclaim his
laws, he indueetli thirty of the most
prominent citizens,i whom he had pre-
Yiously won over to his cause, to- pre-
sent themselves in arms in the market
place, in order to instil fear into any
persons that might oppose his projects.
King Charilanus, panic-struckb by these
preparations, fled into the temple of
Minerva, because he believed that this
whole affairiwas directed against him.
But he was soon relieved of hisiterror,
and was so far converted as to become
ans active supporter iof iI,geurgus'
scheme. 5o Oh. at Cl =. II buE lis oIq
The first regulation referred to the
administration of goyernmunt.i lin
order to prevent evermore in future
the republic being swayed to and fro
between royal tyranny and Demo
cratic anarchy, Lycurgus established 6
third power as a counterpoise between
the two; that is, he founded a Senate
4. 2.
| The Senators, twenty-eight in mum.
Der, Consequently making thirty witt
the Kings, must .espouse the cause O.
the people, when the kings abused
their power; and, on tile other hand
if the authority of the people shoulc
become too great, they must take thu
kings under their protection. An ex
cellent ordinance, by which Spart:
forever escaped the internal storms
which had hitherto disturbed it. b
this, it became impossible for eitlie
department to tread under foot th'
other sections. The kings could &c
complish nothing against the Senat,
and people and ieyen as little coult
the people maintain the preponder
: ance if the Senate should make com
mon cause with the people. o!4i.s. III,
: But Lycurgus had failed to proEid
against o, third contingency: namely
if the Senate itself should abuse it
own power. The Senate, as a singl
member, could, without endangerins
the public peace, unite with the king
with equal facility as with the people
but not without great peril to- tn
state could the kings join the peopl
against the Senate. II The last there
fore soon began to take advantage O
this favorable arrangement, and It
make an excessive use of their author
ity in which course they succeeded S
much the more easily since the smal
numbe, of the Senators made it NOR
: easy to agree with one another. o.
this account, the successor of Lycu
gus repaired this defect, and institute
: the EphoTafi, who applied a check t
the power of the Senate. il' ..''' =.
: Bolder and more dangerous was th
second ordinance which Lycurgu
| made. This was to distribute tn
: whole land in equal sections anon
t the citizens, and to remove forever tn
3 distinction between the rich and tn
poor. All Laconia was divided int
E thirty thousand sections, and the Ian
l around the city of Sparta was psasti
t toned into nine thousand farms; eac
l sufficiently large to sustain one fanil
in affiuence. Sparta now exhibited
beautiful and charming aspect; an
!, Lycmgus feasted himself on this spec
. tacle, as he in the sequel travele
, through the country. "All Laconia,
3 he exclaimed, "resembles field whic
f brothers, in fraternal affection, divid
: with one another" 5atqs- ,rr,...-.-
Iycurpus would, as gladly haV