§7.1#1Λυκοῦργος πατρὸς μὲν ἦν Λυκόφρονος τοῦ Λυκοῦργος, ὃν οἱ τριάκοντα τύραννοι ἀπέκτειναν, αἰτίου αὐτῷ τῆς ἀναιρέσεως γενομένου Ἀριστοδήμου Βατῆθεν, ὃς καὶ ἑλληνοταμίας γενόμενος ἔφυγεν ἐν τῇ δημοκρατίᾳ·
Lycurgus was the son of Lycophron, who was the son of Lycurgus—whom the Thirty tyrants put to death, Aristodemus of the deme Bate having been the cause of his execution, who, after having also been hellenotamias, fled under the democracy.
τῶν δήμων δὲ Βουτάδης, γένους τοῦ τῶν Ἐτεοβουταδῶν.
By deme, Lycurgus was a Boutades, of the family of the Eteoboutadae.
ἀκροατὴς δὲ γενόμενος Πλάτωνος; τοῦ φιλοσόφου, τὰ πρῶτα ἐφιλοσόφησεν εἶτα καὶ Ἰσοκράτους· τοῦ ῥήτορος γνώριμος γενόμενος ἐπολιτεύσατο ἐπιφανῶς, καὶ λέγων καὶ πράττων καὶ δὴ πιστευσάμενος τὴν διοίκησιν τῶν χρημάτων·
Having become a pupil of Plato the philosopher, he first studied philosophy, and then of Isocrates the orator; and having become known to him, he took an active part in politics with distinction, both in speech and action, and indeed was entrusted with the administration of the public money.
ταμίας γὰρ ἐγένετο ἐπὶ τρεῖς πενταετηρίδας ταλάντων μυρίων τετρακισχιλίων, ἢ ὥς τινες μυρίων ὀκτακισχιλίων ἑξακοσίων πεντήκοντα, καὶ ὁ τὰς·
For he was treasurer for three periods of five years of fourteen thousand talents, or, as some say, of eighteen thousand six hundred and fifty talents.
τιμὰς αὐτῷ ψηφιζόμενος Στρατοκλῆς ὁ ῥήτωρ, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον αἱρεθεὶς αὐτός, ἔπειτα τῶν φίλων ἐπιγραψάμενός τινα, αὐτὸς ἐποιεῖτο τὴν διοίκησιν διὰ τὸ φθάσαι νόμον εἰσενεγκεῖν, μὴ πλείω πέντε ἐτῶν διέπειν τὸν χειροτονηθέντα ἐπὶ τὰ δημόσια χρήματα, ἀεὶ τʼ ἐφεστὼς τοῖς ἔργοις διετέλεσε, καὶ θέρους καὶ χειμῶνος.
Stratocles the orator, who proposed the honors for him, says that at first Lycurgus himself was elected, and afterwards having registered one of his friends, he himself carried on the administration, in order to anticipate a law being introduced that the person elected over the public funds should not manage them for more than five years; and he continued always superintending the works, both summer and winter.
καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ πολέμου παρασκευὴν χειροτονηθεὶς; πολλὰ τῆς πόλεως ἐπηνώρθωσε, καὶ τριήρεις παρεσκεύασε τῷ δήμῳ τετρακοσίας, καὶ τὸ ἐν Λυκείῳ γυμνάσιον ἐποίησε καὶ ἐφύτευσε καὶ τὴν παλαίστραν ᾠκοδόμησε καὶ τὸ ἐν Διονύσου θέατρον ἐπιστατῶν ἐπετέλεσε.
Being also elected for the preparation of war, he restored many things in the city, and provided four hundred triremes for the people, and made and planted the gymnasium in Lyceum, built the palaestra, and completed the theater of Dionysus, acting as superintendent.
πιστευσάμενος δʼ ἐν παρακαταθήκῃ παρὰ τῶν ἰδιωτῶν διακόσια πεντήκοντα τάλαντα ἐφύλαξε, πομπεῖά τε χρυσᾶ καὶ ἀργυρᾶ τῇ πόλει κατεσκεύασε καὶ Νίκας χρυσᾶς.
Having been entrusted with two hundred and fifty talents in deposit from private individuals, he kept them safe, and provided golden and silver vessel-processions for the city and golden Nikes.
πολλὰ δʼ ἡμίεργα παραλαβὼν ἐξετέλεσε καὶ νεωσοίκους καὶ τὴν σκευοθήκην· καὶ τῷ σταδίῳ τῷ Παναθηναϊκῷ τὴν κρηπῖδα περιέθηκεν, ἐξεργασάμενος τοῦτό τε καὶ τὴν χαράδραν ὁμαλὴν ποιήσας, Δεινίου τινός, ὃς ἐκέκτητο τοῦτο τὸ χωρίον, ἀνέντος τῇ πόλει, προείπαντος αὐτῷ χαρίσασθαι Λυκούργου.
Having received many works half-finished, he completed them, including the ship-sheds and the armory; and he put the foundation around the Panathenaic stadium, having finished this and made the ravine smooth, since a certain Deinias, who owned this land, gave it up to the city, Lycurgus having beforehand proposed to him to grant it.
ἔσχε δὲ καὶ τοῦ ἄστεος τὴν φυλακὴν καὶ τῶν κακούργων τὴν σύλληψιν; οὓς ἐξήλασεν· ἅπαντας, ὡς καὶ τῶν σοφιστῶν ἐνίους λέγειν Λυκοῦργον οὐ μέλανι ἀλλὰ θανάτῳ χρίοντα τὸν κάλαμον κατὰ τῶν πονηρῶν, οὕτω συγγράφειν.
He had also the guard of the city and the arrest of malefactors, all of whom he drove out; so that some of the sophists said that Lycurgus wrote his laws against the wicked not with ink but with death, dipping his pen in it.
ὅθεν ἐξαιτηθέντα αὐτὸν ὑπʼ Ἀλεξάνδρου τοῦ βασιλέως ὁ δῆμος οὐ προήκατο.
For which reason, when his surrender was demanded by King Alexander, the people did not give him up.
καθʼ ὃν δὲ χρόνον ἐπολέμει Φίλιππος πρὸς Ἀθηναίους τὸν δεύτερον πόλεμον, ἐπρέσβευε μετὰ Πολυεύκτου καὶ Δημοσθένους εἴς τε Πελοπόννησον καί τινας ἑτέρας πόλεις.
At the time when Philip was waging the second war against the Athenians, he went as ambassador with Polyeuctus and Demosthenes to Peloponnese and certain other cities.
διετέλεσέ τε τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον εὐδοκιμῶν παρὰ τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις καὶ δίκαιος εἶναι νομιζόμενος, ὥστε καὶ ἐν τοῖς δικαστηρίοις τὸ φῆσαι Λυκοῦργον ἐδόκει βοήθημα εἶναι τῷ συναγορευομένῳ.
And he continued during his whole time in high repute among the Athenians and regarded as just, so that even in the courts of justice, to say "Lycurgus said so" seemed to be a help to the person defended.
εἰσήνεγκε δὲ καὶ νόμους· , τὸν μὲν περὶ τῶν κωμῳδῶν, ἀγῶνα τοῖς Χύτροις ἐπιτελεῖν ἐφάμιλλον ἐν τῷ θεάτρῳ καὶ τὸν νικήσαντα εἰς ἄστυ καταλέγεσθαι πρότερον οὐκ ἐξόν, ἀναλαμβάνων τὸν ἀγῶνα ἐκλελοιπότα· τὸν δέ, ὡς χαλκᾶς εἰκόνας ἀναθεῖναι τῶν ποιητῶν, Αἰσχύλου Σοφοκλέους Εὐριπίδου, καὶ τὰς τραγῳδίας αὐτῶν ἐν κοινῷ γραψαμένους φυλάττειν καὶ τὸν τῆς πόλεως γραμματέα παραναγινώσκειν τοῖς ὑποκρινομένοις· οὐκ ἐξεῖναι γὰρ παρʼ αὐτὰς ὑποκρίνεσθαι. καὶ τρίτον, μηδενὶ ἐξεῖναι Ἀθηναίων μηδὲ τῶν οἰκούντων Ἀθήνησιν ἐλεύθερον σῶμα πρίασθαι ἐπὶ δουλείᾳ ἐκ τῶν ἁλισκομένων ἄνευ τῆς τοῦ προτέρου δεσπότου γνώμης.
He also introduced laws: one concerning the comic actors, that they should perform a contest at the Chytroi in the theater, and that the victor should be enrolled for the city, which was not allowed before, thus reviving the contest which had fallen into neglect; and another, that they should erect bronze statues of the poets, Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, and write out and preserve their tragedies in public custody, and that the secretary of the city should read them over to the actors, for it was not allowed to act beside them; and thirdly, that it should be allowed to no Athenian nor to any of those dwelling in Athens to buy a free person for slavery from those captured, without the consent of the former master.
ἔτι δέ, ὡς τοῦ Ποσειδῶνος ἀγῶνα ποιεῖν ἐν Πειραιεῖ, κυκλίων χορῶν οὐκ ἔλαττον τριῶν, καὶ δίδοσθαι μὲν τοῖς νικῶσιν οὐκ ἔλαττον δέκα μνᾶς, τοῖς δὲ δευτέροις ὀκτώ, ἓξ δὲ τοῖς τρίτοις κριθεῖσιν.
And further, that they should make a contest of Poseidon in Peiraeus, of circular choruses not fewer than three, and that there should be given to the victors not less than ten minas, and eight to the second, and six to those judged third.
ἔτι δʼ ἐπὶ ζεύγους μὴ ἀπιέναι γυναῖκα Ἐλευσῖνάδε, ὅπως μὴ ἐλαττῶνται αἱ δημοτικαὶ ὑπὸ τῶν πλουσιῶν εἰ δέ τις φωραθείη, ἀποτίνειν δραχμὰς ἑξακισχιλίας.
And further, that no woman should go on a carriage to Eleusis, so that the common women might not be looked down upon by the rich; and if anyone should be caught, she should pay six thousand drachmas.
τῆς δὲ γυναικὸς αὐτοῦ μὴ πεισθείσης, τῶν συκοφαντῶν φωρασάντων, τάλαντον αὐτοῖς ἔδωκε· κατηγορούμενος δʼ ἐν ὑστέρῳ ἐν τῷ δήμῳ, ἔφη
ἀλλʼ οὖν ἐγὼ μὲν διδοὺς οὐ λαμβάνων ἑώραμαι
τελώνου δὲ ποτʼ ἐπιβαλόντος Ξενοκράτει τῷ φιλοσόφῳ τὰς χεῖρας καὶ πρὸς τὸ μετοίκιον αὐτὸν ἀπάγοντος, ἀπαντήσας ῥάβδῳ τε κατὰ τῆς κεφαλῆς τοῦ τελώνου κατήνεγκε, καὶ τὸν μὲν Ξενοκράτην ἀπέλυσε, τὸν δʼ ὡς οὐ τὰ πρέποντα δράσαντα εἰς τὸ δεσμωτήριον κατέκλεισεν·
But his wife not obeying, and the sycophants having caught her, he gave them a talent; and being afterwards accused in the assembly, he said, "At least, then, I have been seen giving, not receiving." And when a tax-gatherer once laid hands on Xenocrates the philosopher and was leading him away for the resident-alien tax, Lycurgus met him and brought down his staff upon the head of the tax-gatherer, and released Xenocrates, and shut up the other in prison as having done what was not fitting.
ἐπαινουμένου δʼ ἐπὶ τῇ πράξει, μεθʼ ἡμέρας τινὰς συντυχὼν ὁ Ξενοκράτης τοῖς παισὶ τοῦ Λυκούργου, ἔφη
ταχέως γε τῷ πατρὶ ὑμῶν ἀπέδωκα, ὦ παῖδες, τὴν χάριν· ἐπαινεῖται γὰρ ὑπὸ πολλῶν ἐπὶ τῷ βοηθῆσαί μοι. εἰσήνεγκε δὲ καὶ ψηφίσματα Εὐκλείδῃ τινὶ Ὀλυνθίῳ χρώμενος ἱκανωτάτῳ περὶ τὰ ψηφίσματα.
When he was praised for this action, Xenocrates, meeting the children of Lycurgus some days after, said, "Children, I have quickly repaid the favor to your father; for he is praised by many for having helped me." He also introduced decrees, employing a certain Eucleides of Olynthus, who was very capable concerning decrees.
εὔπορος δʼ ὢν ἱμάτιον ἓν καὶ ταὐτὸ ἐφόρει τοῦ χειμῶνος καὶ τοῦ θέρους καὶ ὑπεδέδετο ταῖς ἀναγκαίαις ἡμέραις.
Being wealthy, he wore one and the same cloak winter and summer, and wore shoes only on necessary days.
ἐμελέτα δὲ καὶ νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας, οὐκ εὖ πρὸς τὰ αὐτοσχέδια πεφυκώς, κλινιδίου δʼ αὐτῷ ὑποκειμένου, ἐφʼ ᾧ μόνον ἦν κώδιον καὶ προσκεφάλαιον, ὅπως ἐγείροιτο ῥᾳδίως καὶ μελετῴη.
He studied both night and day, not being naturally gifted for extemporaneous speech; and a small bed lay under him, on which was only a sheepskin and a pillow, so that he might awake easily and study.
ἐγκαλοῦντος δʼ αὐτῷ τινος ὅτι μισθοὺς σοφισταῖς δίδωσι περὶ λόγους διατρίβων, ἀλλʼ εἴ τις γʼ ἐπαγγέλλοιτο, ἔφη, τοὺς υἱοὺς ἀμείνους αὐτῷ ποιήσειν, οὐ χιλίας ἀλλὰ τὰ ἡμίση τῆς οὐσίας προΐεσθαι.
When someone accused him because he gave fees to sophists, spending his time on speeches, "But indeed," he said, "if anyone should promise to make my sons better, I would give up not a thousand drachmas, but half my property."