Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 09.djvu/28

LEFT SPARTA, or LACED^MON 10 SPARTACUS dynasty of two kings in Sparta. Apart from this legend it is accepted as a his- torical fact that the Spartans were the descendants of the Dorians who invaded the Peloponnesus about that period, and that from an early period they followed a set of rigorous laws which they ascribed to Lycurgus. Shortly after their settle- ment in the Peloponnesus it is probable that the Spartans extended their sway over all the territory of Laconia, a por- tion of the inhabitants of which they re- duced to the condition of slaves. They also waged war with the Messenians, the Arcadians, and the Argives, against whom they were so successful that be- fore the close of the 6th century B. C. they were recognized as the leading peo- ple in all Greece. Early in the following century began the Persian wars, in which a rivalry grew up between Athens and Sparta. This rivalry led to the Peloponnesian war, in which Athens was humiliated and the old ascendency of Sparta re- gained. (See Greece.) Soon after this the Spartans became involved in a war with Persia, and Athens, Thebes, Corinth, and some of the Peloponnesian states took this opportunity to declare war against them. This war, known as the Boeotian or Corinthian war, lasted eight years and increased the reputation and power of Athens. To bnjak the alliance of Athens with Persia, Sparta, in 387 B. C, concluded vi^th the latter power the peace known by the name of Antalcidas; and the designs of Sparta became apparent when she occupied, without provocation, the city of Thebes, and introduced an aristocratical constitution there. Pelop- idas delivered Thebes, and the celebrated Theban war (378-363) followed, in which Sparta was much enfeebled. Dur- ing the following century Sparta steadily declined, though one or two isolated at- tempts were made to restore its former greatness. The principal of these was made by Cleomenes (236-222), but his endeavors failed, because there were then scarcely 700 of Spartan descent, and the majority of these were in a state of beggary. With the rest of Greece Sparta latterly passed under the domin- ion of the Romans in 146 B. C. The Spartans differed from the other Greeks in manners, customs, and con- stitution. Their kings (two of whom always reigned at once) ruled only through the popular will, acting as um- pires in disputes, and commanding the army. The Spartans proper, that is, the descendants of the Dorians, occupying themselves with war and the chase, left all ordinary labor to the Helots (slaves), while the class known as Perioeci (de- scendants of the ancient inhabitants of the country) engaged in commerce, navi- gation, and manufactures. The distin- guishing traits of the Spartans were severity, resolution, and perseverance, but they were also accounted faithless and crafty. When a child was born, if it proved vigorous and sound the state re- ceived it into the number of citizens, otherwise it was thrown into a cave on Mount Taygetus. They wore no outer garment except in bad weather, no shoes at any time, and they were obliged to make their beds of rushes from the Eurotas. The principal object of atten- tion during the periods of boyhood and youth was physical education, which con- sisted in running, leaping, throwing the discus, wrestling, boxing, the chase, etc. The Spartans were the only people of Greece who avowedly despised learning and excluded it from the education of youth. The education of the Spartan females was also different from that of the Greeks elsewhere. Instead of re- maining at home, as in Athens, spin- ning, they danced in public, wrestled with each other, ran on the course, threw the discus, etc. SPARTACUS, the leader of the Roman slaves in the great revolt which broke out about 73 B. c. ; a Thracian by birth, who from a shepherd became a leader of a band of robbers when he was captured and sold to a trainer of gladiators at Capua. On the murder of his father by the Romans he had made an oath to wage war against Rome; and he formed a conspiracy to escape, and, when it was discovered, broke out with some 70 fol- lowers, with whom he made for the crater of Vesuvius, where hordes of runaway slaves soon joined him. He first over- powered and seized the arms of a force sent against him from Capua, next routed an army of 3,000 men under C. Clodius, and so passed from victory to victory, overrunning southern Italy and sacking many of the cities of Campania, his numbers growing to 100,000 men. Spartacus, who failed to get support from the Italian communities, and from the first knew the real weakness of his position, strove to persuade his victorious bands to march N. to the Alps and dis- perse to their native regions; but they were intoxicated with victory, and saw glittering before their eyes all the plun- der of Italy Against his better judg- ment he continued the war, showing him- self a consummate captain in the strat- egy and valor with which he routed one Roman consular army after another, and the policy by which for long he assuaged the jealousies and dissensions among his followers. At length in 71 M. Licinius Crassus received the command, and after