10. Thus much concerning the character of lyric poetry among the Dorians. But if we proceed to inquire what gave to this species of poetry the characteristic mark of the people, the circumstances which first strike the attention will rather surprise than enlighten us. For, in the first place, it is plain that no Greek city was wholly without choral poetry; and that prosodia, pæans, and dithyrambs, as soon as they obtained a separate existence, spread in a short time over the whole of Greece. Secondly, among the chief founders and masters of the Dorian lyric poetry, the smaller number only were Dorians, the others being either of Æolian or Ionian descent. Thus Terpander, the ancient pæan-singer, Arion, the inventor of the dithyramb, and Pindar, were Æolians; Ibycus of Rhegium, Bacchylides, and Simonides of Ceos, were Ionians; and of the more celebrated poets the only Dorians were Stesichorus of Himera, and Alcman, by birth a Laconian, though descended from a Lydian family. This last fact however may be reconciled with the view taken above, by the supposition that a certain _national style_ had from an early period been established in the native country of this choral poetry, to which the poets of the several cities generally conformed; while in other places, being more thrown on their own resources, they were led to cultivate their talent with greater freedom. Thus the choral poetry flourished in no part of Greece so much as at Sparta,(1716) as is proved by the best authorities, viz. Terpander(1717) and Pindar.(1718) But besides the foreign, though almost naturalized poets, such as Terpander, Thaletas, Nymphæeus of Cydonia,(1719) and Simonides,(1720) there were also more native lyric poets at Sparta than in any other place;(1721) of whom we know by name, Spendon,(1722) Dionysodotus,(1723) Xenodamus,(1724) and Gitiadas, who sung the praises of the same deity to whom he built the brazen house.(1725) Notwithstanding which, there has not been preserved a single fragment of Spartan lyric poetry, with the exception of Alcman’s; because, as we showed above, there was a certain uniformity and monotony in their productions, such as is perceivable in the early works of art, which prevented any single part from being prominent or distinguished. Something must also be attributed to the effects of a censorship, either of manners or of literary works; as the Spartans are said to have banished Archilochus from their city either on account of his cowardice, or of the licentiousness of his poems;(1726) while, on the other hand, Tyrtæus was held in the greatest honour, as animating and encouraging their youth.(1727) The generality of the use of the lyre at Sparta is proved by the fondness of the female sex for it.(1728) And besides several instances of lyric poetesses at Sparta,(1729) we know the names of some at Argos(1730) and Phlius.(1731) At the Isthmus of Corinth women were even allowed to strive in the musical contests.(1732) Of the number of lyric