Page:The Ancient City- A Study on the Religion, Laws, and Institutions of Greece and Rome.djvu/472

 46G THE REVOLUTIONS. BOOK IV. taken his measures to have them accepted. But the laws, once voted, remained to be put in execution ; and these reforms are always so difficult to carry through that the boldest fail. Agis, stopped short by the ojipo- sition of the cphors, was constrained to go outside the law ; he deposed those magistrates, and named others by his sole authority. He then armed his partisans, and established, for a year, a reign of terror. During: that time he was enabled to apply the law concerning debts, and to burn in the public square all evidences of debt; but ho had not time to divide up the l:md. "We do not know whether Agis hesitated at this point, frightened at his own work, or whether the oligarchy circulated Avell-deviscd accusations against him. At any rate the people left him, and allowed him to fall. The ephors put him to death, and the aristocratic gov ernment was re-established. CIcomencs took up the projects of Agis, but with more skill and fewer scruples. He began by massa- cring the cphors; he boldly suppressed this magistracy, "which was odious to the kings and to the popular par- ty, and proscribed the rich. After these measures he carried through the revolution ; he distributed the lands, and gave the rights of citizens to four thousand Laconians. It is worthy of remark that neither Agis nor Cleomencs avowed that he was carrying through a revolution, and that both, claiming to act in the name of the old legislator, Lycurgus, pretended that they were bringing Sparta back to her ancient usages. As- suredly the constitution of Cleomencs was very far from them. The king was really an absolute master; there was no other aiithority as a counterpoise. He reigned after the manner of the tyrants who then held Bway in most of the Greek cities, and the Spartac