CHAP. 35, 36. A COUNCIL HELD. 237 see, of their succeeding in this. Miletus was, he knew, a weak state-but if the treasures in the temple at Branchidæ,5 which Croesus the Lydian gave to it, were seized, he had strong hopes that the mastery of the sea might be thereby gained; at least it would give them money to begin the war, and would save the treasures from falling into the hands of the enemy."7 5 A general description of the Temple of Apollo at Branchida has been given in the foot-notes to Book i. (ch. 157, note). In addition to what was there stated, it may be observed that the building was probably of great antiquity, some of its accessories having a peculiarly archaic character. A straight road led from the sea to the temple, "bordered on either side with statues on chairs, of a single block of stone, with the feet close together and the hands on the knees -an exact imitation of the avenues of the temples in Egypt." (Leake's Asia Minor, p. 239, note. Compare the representation of an Egyptian temple, supra, vol. ii. p. 236.) On one of these statues (some of which are now in the British Museum) an inscription was found by Sir W. Gell, also very archaic in type. It was written boustrophedon, and the forms of the letters marked an extremely early period. It is read, a little doubtfally, thus [Ερ]μησιάναξ ἡμέας ἀνέθηκεν [Β]ρανκ ίδεω τῷ Ἀπόλλωνι. On another of the statues-now in the British Museum-are two inscriptions, both evidently very ancient, which seem to show that the practice of scribbling one's name in a conspicuous place can boast a respectable antiquity. One of these inscriptions, written from right to left, may be read thus - Χάρης εἰμὶ ὁ Κλέσιος, Τειχιώσης ἄρχος. The archaic form ἄρχος is interesting. Τειχιώσης is for Τειχιούσσης-Teichiussa being a wellknown place in the Milesian territory. (Thucyd. viii. 26, 28; Athen. Deipn. viii. p. 391; Steph. Byz. ad voc.) Another curious inscription may be seen on a lion brought from the same temple. (See vol. iv. Appendix to Book ix. Note A.). The earliest historical notice which attaches to the building is that contained in Herod. ii. 159, which shows the celebrity of the shrine at the close of the 7th century. The original temple appears to have been burnt by the Persians on putting down this revolt (infra, vi. 19). A second temple was then built, which was plundered and destroyed by Xerxes (Strab. xiv. p. 910). Finally, a third temple (that of which the plan is given, vol. i. p. 236) was erected by the Milesians; but the avenue of statues undoubtedly belongs to the first temple. Strabo speaks of the third temple as still very magnificent in his own day (1. s. c.). 6 The name Branchidæ, as the name of a place, is curious. The term properly applied to the priestly family to which was committed the superintendence of the oracle, and may be compared with such names as Eumolpidæ, Iamidæ, &c. Hence even Herodotus bas in one place of Βραγχίδαι (supra, i. 158; cf. Strab. xiv. p. 910). According to the local tradition they were descended from Branchus, a Thessalian, or according to others a Delphian, the original founder and priest of the temple, of whom a legend was told similar to that of Hyacinthus (Strab, ix. p. 611; xiv. p. 910; Metrodor. Fr 7a; Aristag. Miles. Fr. 11). 7 Bishop Thirlwall regards this advice as the best that could be given, and reproaches the Ionians with their folly in neglecting it. Mr. Grote sees, that "the seizure of the treasures would have been insupportable to the pious feelings of the people, and would thus have proved more injurious than beneficial." (Vol. iv. p. 382.) May we not say, without taking too high a 238 SEIZURE OF THE TYRANTS. BOOK V. Now these treasures were of very great value, as I showed in the first part of my History. The assembly, however, rejected the counsel of Hecatæus, while, nevertheless, they resolved upon a revolt. One of their number, it was agreed, should sail to Myus, where the fleet had been lying since its return from Naxos, and endeavour to seize the captains who had gone there with the vessels. 37. Iatragoras accordingly was despatched on this errand, and he took with guile Oliatus the son of Ibanôlis the Mylassian,1 and Histiæus the son of Tymnes the Termerean,s-Coës likewise, the son of Erxander, to whom Darius gave Mytilêné,* and Aristagoras the son of Heraclides the Cymæan, and also many others. Thus Aristagoras revolted openly from Darius; and now he set to work to scheme against him in every possible way. First of all, in order to induce the Milesians to join. heartily in the revolt, he gave out, that he laid down his own view of the Greek religion, that it would have been a real act of sacrilege, unless done in the last resort, and then with the intention of restoration? (Compare the unexceptionable advice of Pericles, Thucyd. ii. 13.) 8 Supra, i. 92. They were (accord. ing to our author) of the same weight and value as the offerings made by Croesus to Delphi (cf. i. 50, 51). We learn from Strabo, that the treasures at Branchidæ did in fact fall a prey to the Persians; not, however, according to him, till after the return of Xerxes to Asia from Greece, and even then with the connivance of the priests. Afraid of the indignation which their sacrilege would excite, they accom panied him to his court, and were settled by him in Bactria, where Alexander found and punished them. (Strab. xi. p. 753, 754, and xiv. p. 910. Cf. Quint. Curt. vii. 5.) The statue of Apollo was carried off at the same time with the treasures, and found at Agbatana, whence Seleucus sent it back to Miletus (Pausan. viii, 46, § 2). was 9 Myus was one of the twelve cities of Ionia (supra, i. 142). It lay on the Mæander, not far from Miletus. Originally on the coast, in Strabo's time it was three or four miles up the stream of the Mæander (Strab. xiv. p. 912), and is now still further inland. Its site appears to have been correct.y determined by Chandler. (Travels, i. p. 213.) Vide supra, i. 142, note 4. 1 Mylasa or Mylassa was an inland town of Caria (Strab. xiv. p. 912). It is still a large place, and is called Melasso (Chandler, vol. i. p. 234; Leake's Asia Minor, p. 230). Its famous temple to the Carian Jupiter has been mentioned already (i. 171). 2 This Histæus afterwards accompanied the expedition of Xerxes (infra, vii. 98). 3 Termera, like Mylasa, was a Carian city (infra, vii. 98; Pliny, H. N. v. 29, p. 292). It lay on the coast, a little west of Halicarnassus, opposite to the island of Cos (Strab. xiv. p. 940). Stephen of Byzantium has confused the name with the native appellation of the Lycians, Tramilæ, or Termila. 4 Supra, ch. 11. CHAP. 36-39. HISTORY OF SPARTA-ANAXANDRIDAS. 239 lordship over Miletus, and in lieu thereof established a commonwealth: after which, throughout all Ionia he did the like; for from some of the cities he drove out their tyrants, and to others, whose goodwill he hoped thereby to gain, he handed theirs over, thus giving up all the men whom he had seized at the Naxian fleet, each to the city whereto he belonged. 38. Now the Mytileneans had no sooner got Coës into their power, than they led him forth from the city and stoned him; the Cymæans, on the other hand, allowed their tyrant to go free; as likewise did most of the others. And so this form of government ceased throughout all the cities. Aristagoras the Milesian, after he had in this way put down the tyrants, and bidden the cities choose themselves captains 5 in their room, sailed away himself on board a trireme to Lacedæmon; for he had great need of obtaining the aid of some powerful ally. 8 39. At Sparta, Anaxandridas the son of Leo was no longer king: he had died, and his son Cleomenes had mounted the throne, not however by right of merit, but of birth. Anaxandridas took to wife his own sister's daughter,' and was tenderly attached to her; but no children came from the marriage. Hereupon the Ephors called him before them, and said-"If thou hast no care for thine own self, nevertheless we cannot allow this, nor suffer the race of Eurysthenes to die out from among us. Come then, as thy present wife bears thee no children, put her away, and wed another. So wilt thou do what is well-pleasing to the Spartans." Anaxandridas however refused to do as they required, and said it was no good advice the Ephors gave, to bid him put away his wife when This is the literal rendering of the Greek word; but, no doubt, as Larcher and Bähr observe, the persons so called were, like the στρατηγοί of Athens (infra, vi. 103), civil magistrates no less than military commanders. They had limited powers, and were elected, most probably, for a limited period. As he was when Spartan affairs were last treated of, at the time of the embassy sent by Croesus (i. 65-70). 7 Marriages of this kind were common at Sparta. Leonidas married his niece, Gorgo (infra, vii. 239); Archidamus his aunt, Lampito (infra, vi. 71). Concerning the Ephors at Sparta, vide supra, i. 65. This passage is very important, as marking their power over the kings. (Compare infra, ch. 40, vi. 82, ix. 9, 10, and Thucyd. i. 131-134.) 240 ACCESSION OF CLEOMENES. Book V. she had done no wrong, and take to himself another. He therefore declined to obey them. 40. Then the Ephors and Elders took counsel together, and laid this proposal before the king:-" Since thou art so fond, as we see thee to be, of thy present wife, do what we now advise, and gainsay us not, lest the Spartans make some unwonted decree concerning thee. We ask thee not now to put away thy wife to whom thou art married-give her still the same love and honour as ever,-but take thee another wife beside, who may bear thee children." When he heard this offer, Anaxandridas gave way-and henceforth he lived with two wives in two separate houses, quite against all Spartan custom.1 41. In a short time, the wife whom he had last married bore him a son, who received the name of Cleomenes; and so the heir to the throne was brought into the world by her. After this, the first wife also, who in time past had been barren, by some strange chance conceived, and came to be with child. Then the friends of the second wife, when they heard a rumour of the truth, made a great stir, and said it was a false boast, and she meant, they were sure, to bring forward as her own a supposititious child. So they raised an outery against her; and therefore, when her full time was come, the Ephors, who were themselves incredulous, sat round her bed, and kept a strict watch on the labour.2 9 The council of twenty-eight mentioned, with the Ephors, in Book i. ch. 65, and again spoken of in Book vi. ch. 57. It seems that when the Ephors and the Elders agreed together, the king had no power to with. stand them. 1 Pausanias says (iii. 3, § 7) that this was never allowed to any other Spartan. (Αναξανδρίδης Λακεδαιμονίων μόνος γυναικάς τε δύο ἅμα ἔσχε, καὶ οἰκίας δύο aμа knσe.) The account in Herod. vi. 61-63, does not conflict with these statements, as Col. Mure thinks (Lit. of Greece, vol. iv. p. 542), since Ariston is not said to have had two wives at one At this time then she bore and the same time. (See the Introductory Essay, vol. i. p. 103, note 13.) 2 Compare with this, the practice in our own country of summoning the great officers of state to the queen's apartments at the birth of a prince or princess. With the Spartans there was a religious motive at work, in addition to the political one which alone obtains with ourselves. It was necessary for them, in a religious point of view, to preserve the purity of the blood of Hercules. Mr. Grote justly observes of the Spartan kings: "Above all, their root was deep in the religious feelings of the people. CHAP. 39-42. BIRTH OF DORIEUS. 241 Dorieus, and after him, quickly, Leonidas, and after him, again quickly, Cleombrotus. Some even say that Leonidas and Cleombrotus were twins. On the other hand, the second wife, the mother of Cleomenes (who was a daughter of Prinetadas, the son of Demarmenus), never gave birth to a second child. 42. Now Cleomenes, it is said, was not right in his mind; indeed he verged upon madness; while Dorieus surpassed all his co-mates, and looked confidently to receiving the kingdom on the score of merit. When, therefore, after the death of Anaxandridas, the Spartans kept to the law, and made Cleomenes, his eldest son, king in his room, Dorieus, who had imagined that he should be chosen, and who could not bear the thought of having such a man as Cleomenes to rule over him, asked the Spartans to give him a body of men, and left Sparta with them in order to found a colony. However, he neither took counsel of the oracle at Delphi as to the place whereto he should go, nor observed any of the customary usages; but left Sparta in dudgeon, and sailed away to Libya, under the guidance of certain men who were Theræans. These men brought him to Cinyps, where he colonised a spot, which has not its equal in all Libya, on the banks of a river: but 4 8 Their pre-eminent lineage connected the state with a divine paternity. Nay, the chiefs of the Heracleids were the special grantees of the soil of Sparta from the gods-the occupation of the Dorians being only sanctified and blest by Zeus for the purpose of establishing the children of Hercules in the valley of the Eurotas." (Vol. ii. p. 476.) 3 Vide supra, iv. 159, note, and compare Müller's Dorians (iii. p. 282, E. T.), and Hermann's Political Antiquities of Greece (§ 75, note 4). The sanction of some oracle or other was required for every colony; the sanction of the oracle at Delphi, when the colony was Dorian. The passage in Cicero (De Div. II. i. § 3) is important: "Quam verò Græcia coloniam misit in Æoliam, Ioniam, Asiam, Siciliam, Italiam, sine VOL. III. 5 Pythio aut Dodonæo aut Hammonis oraculo?" 4 The taking of fire from the Prytaneum of the parent city was one of these. (Hermann, § 74, note 1.) Compare note on Book i. ch. 146. 6 5 Thera, as a Spartan colony (supra, iv. 147), would be likely to keep up a connection with the mother country. Again, the connection of Thera with Cyrene (iv. 150-159) would explain the choice of Cinyps as a settlement. 6 This place, which Herodotus regarded as the most fertile spot in Africa, has been already described (iv. 198; compare ch. 175). Scylax only calls it Xwpíov kaλóv (Peripl. p. 112). Perennial streams are so rare in this part of Africa, that the highest praise was contained in the words, "on the banks of a river." R |