Page:History of Greece Vol X.djvu/209

SPARTA AND ATHENS. was actually being celebrated, on its last day ; and the chorus of grown men was going through its usual solemnity in the theatre. In spite ot all the poignancy of the intelligence, the ephors Avould not permit the solemnity to be either interrupted or abridged. " Of necessity, 1 suppose, they were grieved, but they went through the whole as if nothing had happened, only communicating the names of the slain to their relations, and issuing a general order to the women, to make no noise or wailing, but to bear the misfor tune in silence." That such an order should be issued, is sufficiently remarkable ; that it should be issued and obeyed, is what could not be expected; that it should not only be issued and obeyed, but overpassed, is what no man could believe, if it were not expressly attested by the contemporary historian. " On the morrow (says he) you might see those whose relations had been slain, walking about in public with bright and cheerful countenances ; but of those whose relatives survived, scarce one showed himself; and the few who were abroad, looked mournful and humbled." * In comparing this extraordinaiy self-constraint and obedience to orders, at Sparta, under the most trying circumstances, with the sensitive and demonstrative temper, and spontaneous outburst of feeling at Athens, so much more nearly approaching to the Homeric type of Greeks, we must at the same time remark, that in reference to active and heroic efforts for the purpose of repair- ing past calamities and making head against preponderant odds, the Athenians were decidedly the better of the two. I have al- 1 Xen. Hellen. vi, 4, 16. TEVO/J.EVUV (5e TOVTUV, 6 fiev elf TT/V Aaicedai/jiova (iyye/luv TO 7rd$of (KJitKvelTai, Tv/tvoTraidt.uv re oiiauv TTJ^ re/levrcuaf, Kal TOV uvdpiKov %6pov Evdov OVTO<;- Oi 6e e^opoi, end f/Kovaav TO Triitfof, ehu- ITOVVTO HEV, uoKsp olfj,ai, uvuyKy TOV JJLKVTOL %dpov OVK i^r/yayov, uA/la 8ia- yuvlaaadaL eluv. Ka TU psv ovo/iara vrpof Toi>f oiKEiovf enacTov ruv TE-&VT)- KOTUV aTTE^oaav irposiTTOV (5e TalQ yvvait;i, pj KOielv Kpavyyv, uTJiU. aiyiy Td jru'&og (bepsiv. Ty 6s vaTepaia rjv 6py.v, uv fikv eTE$vaaav ol Trpoar/Kovref, hnrapovf leal <f>aidpov EV T> tyavapti uvaaTps(j>ofj,EVOVf uv Je <JVTf jjyyeX USVOL rfcav, ohiyovg uv eldsf, TOVTOV<; 6s aKV&puiroi> Kai raTreivoiif Trepuovraj and Plutarch, Agesil. c. 29. Sec a similar statement of Xenophon, after he has recounted the cutting in pieces ol' the Lacedaemonian mora near Lechamm, about the satisfaction and even tiiumph of those of the Lacedaemonians who had lost relations in tlie battle; while every one else was mournful (Xen. Hellen. iv, 5, 10), Compare also Justin, xxviii, 4 the behavior after the defeat of Sellasia,