Greece -- Biography -- Early works to 1800; Rome -- Biography -- Early works to 1800
The boundary alludes to the country near Delium, which is on the
borders of Attica and Bœotia, and the Orchalian hill, which is now
called Fox-hill, lies in the territory of Haliartus, on the side
nearest Mount Helikon.
XXX. The death of Lysander, as related above, grieved the Spartans so
much that they impeached their king on a capital charge, and he,
fearing the result of the trial, fled to Tegea, where he spent the
remainder of his life in the sanctuary of Athena as a suppliant of the
goddess. Moreover the poverty of Lysandor, which was discovered after
his death, made his virtue more splendid, for although he had handled
great sums of money, and possessed immense power; though his favour
had been courted by wealthy cities, and even by the great king of
Persia himself, yet Theopompus tells us that he did not in the least
degree improve his family estate: an account which we may the more
readily believe, as it is told us by a historian who is more prone to
censure than to admiration. In later times we learn from the historian
Ephorus that some dispute arose between the allied cities which
rendered it necessary to examine Lysander's papers, and that Agesilaus
went to his house for this purpose. Here he found the scroll upon
which was written the speech about altering the constitution; advising
the Spartans to abolish the hereditary right to the throne enjoyed by
the old royal families of Eurypon and Agis, and to throw it open to
the best of the citizens without restriction. Agesilaus was eager to
publish this speech abroad, and show his fellow-countrymen what sort
of a man Lysander had really been; but Lakratides, a wise man, who was
at that time chief of the board of Ephors, restrained him, pointing
out that it would be wrong to disturb Lysander in his grave, and that
it would be better that so clever and insidious a composition should
be buried with him. Among other honours which were paid to Lysander
after death, the Spartans fined the suitors of his daughters, because
when after his death his poverty was discovered, they refused to marry
them, thus showing that they had paid their court to him when they
believed him to be rich, and neglected him when his poverty proved him
to have been just and honourable. It appears that in Sparta there were
actions at law against men who did not marry, or who married too late
in life or unbecomingly: under which last head came those who tried to
marry into rich families, instead of marrying persons of good birth
and their own friends. This is what we have found to tell about the
life of Lysander.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 146: A Persian gold coin, first coined by Darius the son of
Hystaspes, worth £1 1s. 10d. English money.]
[Footnote 147: All ancient ships were managed with two rudders.]
[Footnote 148: Alluding to the cruelties practised by Philokles on the
Andrians and Corinthians, and the decree for the mutilation of the
captives, of which Philokles was the author.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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