AGIS
  264…241　B。C。
  by　Plutarch
  translated　by　John　Dryden
  THE　fable　of　Ixion；　who；　embracing　a　cloud　instead　of　Juno；　begot
  the　Centaurs；　has　been　ingeniously　enough　supposed　to　have　been
  invented　to　represent　to　us　ambitious　men；　whose　minds；　doting　on
  glory；　which　is　a　mere　image　of　virtue；　produce　nothing　that　is
  genuine　or　uniform；　but　only；　as　might　be　expected　of　such　a
  conjunction；　misshapen　and　unnatural　actions。　Running　after　their
  emulations　and　passions；　and　carried　away　by　the　impulses　of　the
  moment；　they　may　say　with　the　herdsmen　in　the　tragedy　of　Sophocles…
  〃We　follow　these；　though　born　their　rightful　lords；
  And　they　command　us；　though　they　speak　no　words。〃
  For　this　is　indeed　the　true　condition　of　men　in　public　life；　who；　to
  gain　the　vain　title　of　being　the　people's　leaders　and　governors；　are
  content　to　make　themselves　the　slaves　and　followers　of　all　the
  people's　humours　and　caprices。　For　as　the　lookout　men　at　the　ship's
  prow；　though　they　see　what　is　ahead　before　the　men　at　the　helm；　yet
  constantly　look　back　to　the　pilots　there；　and　obey　the　orders　they
  give；　so　these　men；　steered；　as　I　may　say；　by　popular　applause；　though
  they　bear　the　name　of　governors；　are　in　reality　the　mere　underlings　of
  the　multitude。　The　man　who　is　completely　wise　and　virtuous　has　no　need
  at　all　of　glory；　except　so　far　as　it　disposes　and　eases　his　way　to
  action　by　the　greater　trust　that　it　procures　him。　A　young　man；　I
  grant；　may　be　permitted；　while　yet　eager　for　distinction；　to　pride
  himself　a　little　in　his　good　deeds；　for　（as　Theophrastus　says）　his
  virtues；　which　are　yet　tender　and；　as　it　were；　in　the　blade；　cherished
  and　supported　by　praises；　grow　stronger；　and　take　the　deeper　root。　But
  when　this　passion　is　exorbitant；　it　is　dangerous　in　all　men；　and　in
  those　who　govern　a　commonwealth；　utterly　destructive。　For　in　the
  possession　of　large　power　and　authority；　it　transports　men　to　a　degree
  of　madness；　so　that　now　they　no　more　think　what　is　good；　glorious；　but
  will　have　those　actions　only　esteemed　good　that　are　glorious。　As
  Phocion；　therefore；　answered　King　Antipater；　who　sought　his
  approbation　of　some　unworthy　action；　〃I　cannot　be　your　flatterer；
  and　your　friend；〃　so　these　men　should　answer　the　people；　〃I　cannot
  govern　and　obey　you。〃　For　it　may　happen　to　the　commonwealth；　as　to　the
  serpent　in　the　fable；　whose　tail；　rising　in　rebellion　against　the
  head；　complained；　as　of　a　great　grievance；　that　it　was　always　forced
  to　follow；　and　required　that　it　should　be　permitted　by　turns　to　lead
  the　way。　And　taking　the　command　accordingly；　it　soon　inflicted；　by　its
  senseless　courses；　mischiefs　in　abundance　upon　itself；　while　the
  head　was　torn　and　lacerated　with　following；　contrary　to　nature；　a
  guide　that　was　deaf　and　blind。　And　such　we　see　to　have　been　the　lot　of
  many；　who；　submitting　to　be　guided　by　the　inclinations　of　an
  uninformed　and　unreasoning　multitude；　could　neither　stop；　nor
  recover　themselves　out　of　the　confusion。
  This　is　what　has　occurred　to　us　to　say　of　that　glory　which　depends
  on　the　voice　of　large　numbers；　considering　the　sad　effects　of　it　in
  the　misfortunes　of　Caius　and　Tiberius　Gracchus；　men　of　noble　nature；
  and　whose　generous　natural　dispositions　were　improved　by　the　best　of
  educations；　and　who　came　to　the　administration　of　affairs　with　the
  most　laudable　intentions；　yet　they　were　ruined；　I　cannot　say　by　an
  immoderate　desire　of　glory；　but　by　a　more　excusable　fear　of
  disgrace。　For　being　excessively　beloved　and　favoured　by　the　people；
  they　thought　it　a　discredit　to　them　not　to　make　full　repayment；
  endeavouring　by　new　public　acts　to　outdo　the　honours　they　had
  received；　and　again；　because　of　these　new　kindnesses；　incurring　yet
  further　distinctions；　till　the　people　and　they；　mutually　inflamed；　and
  vying　thus　with　each　other　in　honours　and　benefits；　brought　things
  at　last　to　such　a　pass　that　they　might　say　that　to　engage　so　far　was
  indeed　a　folly；　but　to　retreat　would　now　be　a　shame。
  This　the　reader　will　easily　gather　from　the　story。　I　will　now
  compare　with　them　two　Lacedaemonian　popular　leaders；　the　kings　Agis
  and　Cleomenes。　For　they；　being　desirous　also　to　raise　the　people；
  and　to　restore　the　noble　and　just　form　of　government；　now　long
  fallen　into　disuse；　incurred　the　hatred　of　the　rich　and　powerful；
  who　could　not　endure　to　be　deprived　of　the　selfish　enjoyment　to
  which　they　were　accustomed。　These　were　not　indeed　brothers　by
  nature；　as　the　two　Romans；　but　they　had　a　kind　of　brotherly
  resemblance　in　their　actions　and　designs；　which　took　a　rise　from
  such　beginnings　and　occasions　as　I　am　now　about　to　relate。
  When　the　love　of　gold　and　silver　had　once　gained　admittance　into　the
  Lacedaemonian　commonwealth；　it　was　quickly　followed　by　avarice　and
  baseness　of　spirit　in　the　pursuit　of　it；　and　by　luxury；　effeminacy；
  and　prodigality　in　the　use。　Then　Sparta　fell　from　almost　all　her
  former　virtue　and　repute；　and　so　continued　till　the　days　of　Agis　and
  Leonidas；　who　both　together　were　kings　of　the　Lacedaemonians。
  Agis　was　of　the　royal　family　of　Eurypon；　son　of　Eudamidas；　and　the
  sixth　in　descent　from　Agesilaus；　who　made　the　expedition　into　Asia；
  and　was　the　greatest　man　of　his　time　in　Greece。　Agesilaus　left
  behind　him　a　son　called　Archidamus；　the　same　who　was　slain　at
  Mandonium；　in　Italy；　by　the　Messapians；　and　who　was　then　succeeded
  by　his　eldest　son　Agis。　He　being　killed　by　Antipater　near　Megalopolis；
  and　leaving　no　issue；　was　succeeded　by　his　brother　Eudamidas；　he　by
  a　son　called　Archidamus；　and　Archidamus　by　another　Eudamidas；　the
  father　of　this　Agis　of　whom　we　now　treat。
  Leonidas；　son　of　Cleonymus；　was　of　the　other　royal　house　of　the
  Agiadae；　and　the　eighth　in　descent　from　Pausanias；　who　defeated
  Mardonius　in　the　battle　of　Plataea。　Pausanias　was　succeeded　by　a　son
  called　Plistoanax；　and　he　by　another　Pausanias　who　was　banished；　and
  lived　as　a　private　man　at　Tegea；　while　his　eldest　son；　Agesipolis；
  reigned　in　his　place。　He；　dying　without　issue；　was　succeeded　by　a
  younger　brother；　called　Cleombrotus；　who　left　two　sons；　the　elder
  was　Agesipolis；　who　reigned　but　a　short　time；　and　died　without
  issue；　the　younger；　who　then　became　king；　was　called　Cleomenes；　and
  had　also　two　sons；　Acrotatus　and　Cleonymus。　The　first　died　before
  his　father；　but　left　a　son　called　Areus；　who　succeeded；　and　being
  slain　at　Corinth；　left　the　kingdom　to　his　son　Acrotatus。　This
  Acrotatus　was　defeated；　and　slain　near　Megalopolis；　in　a　battle
  against　the　tyrant　Aristodemus；　he　left　his　wife　big　with　child；　and
  on　her　being　delivered　of　a　son；　Leonidas；　son　of　the　above…named
  Cleonymus；　was　made　his　guardian；　and　as　the　young　king　died　before
  becoming　a　man；　he　succeeded　in　the　kingdom。
  Leonidas　was　a　king　not　particularly　suitable　to　his　people。　For
  though　there　were　at　that　time　at　Sparta　a　general　decline　in　manners；
  yet　a　greater　revolt　from　the　old　habits　appeared　in　him　than　in
  others。　For　having　lived　a　long　time　among　the　great　lords　of
  Persia；　and　been　a　follower　of　King　Seleucus；　he　unadvisedly　thought
  to　imitate；　among　Greek　institutions　and　in　a　lawful　government；　the
  pride　and　assumption　usual　in　those　courts。　Agis；　on　the　contrary；
  in　fineness　of　nature　and　elevation　of　mind；　not　only　far　excelled
  Leonidas；　but　in　a　manner　all　the　kings　that　had　reigned　since　the
  great　Agesilaus。　For　though　he　had　been　bred　very　tenderly；　in
  abundance　and　even　in　luxury；　by　his　mother　Agesistrata　and　his
  grandmother　Archidamia；　who　were　the　wealthiest　of　the　Lacedaemonians；
  yet；　before　the　age　of　twenty；　he　renounced　all　indulgence　in
  pleasures。　Withdrawing　himself　as　far　as　possible　from　the　gaiety
  and　ornament　which　seemed　becoming　to　the　grace　of　his　person；　he　made
  it　his　pride　to　appear　in　the　coarse　Spartan　coat。　In　his　meals；　his
  bathings；　and　in　all　his　exercises；　he　followed　the　old　Laconian
  usage；　and　was　often　heard　to　say；　he　had　no　desire　for　the　place　of
  king；　if　he　did　not　hope　by　means　of　that　authority　to　restore　their
  ancient　laws　and　discipline。
  The　Lacedaemonians　might　date　the　beginning　of　their　corruption　from
  their　conquest　of　Athens；　and　the　influx　of　gold　and　silver　among　them
  that　thence　ensued。　Yet；　nevertheless；　the　number　of　houses　which
  Lycurgus　appointed　being　still　maintained；　and　the　law　remaining　in
  force　by　which　every　one　was　obliged　to　leave　his　lot　or　portion　of
  land　entirely　to　his　son；　a　kind　of　order　and　equality　was　thereby
  preserved；　which　still　in　some　degree　sustained　the　state　amidst　its
  errors　in　other　respects。　But　one　Epitadeus　happening　to　be　ephor；　a
  man　of　great　influence；　and　of　a　willful；　violent　spirit；　on　some
  occasion　of　a　quarrel　with　his　son；　proposed　a　decree；　that　all　men
  should　have　liberty　to　dispose　of　their　land　by　gift　in　their
  lifetime；　or　by　their　last　will　and　testament。　This　being　promoted
  by　him　to　satisfy　a　passion　of　revenge；　and　through　covetousness
  consented　to　by　others；　and　thus　enacted　for　a　law；　was　the　ruin　of
  the　best　state　of　the　commonwealth。　For　the　rich　men　without　scruple
  drew　the　estate　into　their　own