Politics   

gives an air of indecorum to the constitution considered in itself,
but tends in a measure to foster avarice.
The mention of avarice naturally suggests a criticism on the
inequality of property. While some of the Spartan citizen have quite
small properties, others have very large ones; hence the land has
passed into the hands of a few. And this is due also to faulty laws;
for, although the legislator rightly holds up to shame the sale or
purchase of an inheritance, he allows anybody who likes to give or
bequeath it. Yet both practices lead to the same result. And nearly
two-fifths of the whole country are held by women; this is owing to
the number of heiresses and to the large dowries which are customary.
It would surely have been better to have given no dowries at all, or,
if any, but small or moderate ones. As the law now stands, a man may
bestow his heiress on any one whom he pleases, and, if he die
intestate, the privilege of giving her away descends to his heir.
Hence, although the country is able to maintain 1500 cavalry and
30,000 hoplites, the whole number of Spartan citizens fell below 1000.
The result proves the faulty nature of their laws respecting property;
for the city sank under a single defeat; the want of men was their
ruin. There is a tradition that, in the days of their ancient kings,
they were in the habit of giving the rights of citizenship to
strangers, and therefore, in spite of their long wars, no lack of
population was experienced by them; indeed, at one time Sparta is said
to have numbered not less than 10,000 citizens Whether this statement
is true or not, it would certainly have been better to have maintained
their numbers by the equalization of property. Again, the law which
relates to the procreation of children is adverse to the correction of
this inequality. For the legislator, wanting to have as many Spartans
as he could, encouraged the citizens to have large families; and there
is a law at Sparta that the father of three sons shall be exempt from
military service, and he who has four from all the burdens of the
state. Yet it is obvious that, if there were many children, the land
being distributed as it is, many of them must necessarily fall into
poverty.
The Lacedaemonian constitution is defective in another point; I mean
the Ephoralty. This magistracy has authority in the highest matters,
but the Ephors are chosen from the whole people, and so the office is
apt to fall into the hands of very poor men, who, being badly off, are
open to bribes. There have been many examples at Sparta of this evil
in former times; and quite recently, in the matter of the Andrians,
certain of the Ephors who were bribed did their best to ruin the
state. And so great and tyrannical is their power, that even the kings
have been compelled to court them, so that, in this way as well
together with the royal office, the whole constitution has
deteriorated, and from being an aristocracy has turned into a
democracy. The Ephoralty certainly does keep the state together; for
the people are contented when they have a share in the highest office,
and the result, whether due to the legislator or to chance, has been
advantageous. For if a constitution is to be permanent, all the parts
of the state must wish that it should exist and the same arrangements
be maintained. This is the case at Sparta, where the kings desire its
permanence because they have due honor in their own persons; the
nobles because they are represented in the council of elders (for the
office of elder is a reward of virtue); and the people, because all
are eligible to the Ephoralty. The election of Ephors out of the whole
people is perfectly right, but ought not to be carried on in the
present fashion, which is too childish. Again, they have the decision
of great causes, although they are quite ordinary men, and therefore
they should not determine them merely on their own judgment, but
according to written rules, and to the laws. Their way of life, too,
is not in accordance with the spirit of the constitution- they have a
deal too much license; whereas, in the case of the other citizens, the
excess of strictness is so intolerable that they run away from the law
into the secret indulgence of sensual pleasures.