At Sparta the party loving was called εἰσπνήλας,(1385) and his affection was termed a _breathing in_, or _inspiring_ (εἰσπνεῖν(1386)); which expresses the pure and mental connexion between the two persons, and corresponds with the name of the other, viz., ἀΐτας,(1387) _i.e._, _listener_ or _hearer_. Now it appears to have been the practice for every youth of good character to have his lover;(1388) and, on the other hand, every well-educated man was bound by custom to be the lover of some youth.(1389) Instances of this connexion are furnished by several of the royal family of Sparta; thus Agesilaus, while he still belonged to the herd of youths, was the _hearer_ of Lysander,(1390) and himself had in his turn also a _hearer_;(1391) his son Archidamus was the lover of the son of Sphodrias, the noble Cleonymus;(1392) Cleomenes the Third was, when a young man, the hearer of Xenares,(1393) and later in life the lover of the brave Panteus.(1394) The connexion usually originated from the proposal of the lover; yet it was necessary that the listener should accept him from real affection, as a regard to the riches of the proposer was considered very disgraceful:(1395) sometimes however it happened that the proposal originated from the other party.(1396) The connexion appears to have been very intimate and faithful, and was recognised by the state. If his kinsmen were absent, the youth might be represented in the public assembly by his lover:(1397) in battle too they stood near one another, where their fidelity and affection were often shown till death;(1398) while at home the youth was constantly under the eyes of his lover, who was to him as it were a model and pattern of life;(1399) which explains why, for many faults, particularly for want of ambition, the lover could be punished instead of the listener.(1400)