5. They showed them the disgusting effects of this pernicious vice, by causing their slaves to drink intoxicating liquors. When the children had witnessed the ridiculous conduct of the drunken slaves, they were careful never to reduce themselves to so degraded a condition. 6. When Lycurgus had completed his code of laws, he left Sparta, and previously to his departure, he made the people swear that they would violate none of the laws till he should return. But he had resolved never to return. 7. He committed suicide by starving himself to death; and his ashes were thrown into the sea by his command, so that the Spartans might not bring back his dead body. Thus, as Lycurgus never could return, the Spartans were bound by their oath to keep his laws for ever. 8. They did keep them during five hundred years; and, all that time, the Spartans were a brave, patriotic, and powerful people. Many of their customs, however, belonged rather to a savage than a civilized nation. 9. Athens had two celebrated lawgivers, Draco and Solon. The laws of Draco were so extremely severe that they were said to be written with blood, instead of ink, for he punished even the smallest offences with death. His code was soon abolished. 10. Solon's laws were much milder. Almost all of them were wise and good laws, and would have been advantageous to the people. But the Athenians had so much fickleness and levity, that they were continually proposing alterations in them. 11. Athens was at this time a republic; which is, you know, a government of the people; but soon after Solon had made his laws, the supreme power was usurped by Pisistratus, an ambitious citizen. He and his sons ruled Athens fifty years. QUESTIONS. Where was Sparta? Direction of Sparta from Athens? From Thebes ?- -1. What of Sparta? Laws? Lycurgus? -2. Did Lycurgus wish the Spartans to eat in public? Why were the children encouraged to steal ?- -3. What laws were made respecting money? What of the Spartan coinage ?-4. How were children brought up?- -5. How were they taught to abhor drunkenness?—6. What did Lycurgus make the Spartans swear before he went away? -7. What was the fate of the Spartan lawgiver ? 8. How long did the Spartans keep his laws?— -9. What of Draco and Solon? The laws of Draco ?- -10. What of Solon's laws? The Athenians?. -11. What was the government of Athens? Who usurped the supreme power? What of the government of Athens for fifty years? CHAPTER XLIX. EUROPE continued. Persia. War with 1. ABOUT five centuries before the Christian era, Darius, king of Persia, made war against Greece. His generals invaded the country with a fleet of six hundred vessels, and half a million of men, and there were scarcely any troops to oppose them, except ten thousand Athenians. 2. Darius felt so certain of conquering Greece, that he sent great quantities of marble with his army, which he intended should be carved into pillars and triumphal arches, and other trophies of victory. He also commanded his generals to send all the Athenians to Persia, in chains. 3. The Athenian general was named Miltiades. He led his little army against the immense host of the Persians, and encountered them at Marathon, a small town on the sea-shore, about fifteen miles north-east of Athens. 4. While their countrymen were fighting, the aged people, the women and children, remained at Athens in the utmost anxiety. If Miltiades were to lose the battle, they knew that the Persians would chase his routed army into the city, and burn it to ashes. 5. Suddenly a soldier, covered with blood, ran into the market-place of the city. He was sorely wounded; but he had come all the way from the army to bring the news. He was ghastly pale, and the people feared that the Persians had won the day, and that the soldier was a fugitive. 6. They gathered round him, eagerly asking about Miltiades and the army. The soldier leaned heavily upon his spear, and seemed too much exhausted to give utterance to the news he had brought. 7. But, exerting all his strength, he cried out, "Rejoice, my countrymen! the victory is ours!" And, with that exulting shout, he fell down dead. 8. The Athenians showed themselves ungrateful to the brave Miltiades. All that he demanded as a reward for rescuing his native land from slavery, was a crown of olive leaves, which was esteemed a mark of honour among the Greeks. But they refused to give him one; and he was afterwards condemned, on some frivolous pretence, to pay a fine of fifty talents. As Miltiades had not so much money in the world, he perished in prison. 9. After the battle of Marathon, the Persians were driven out of Greece, and Darius died while he was preparing to invade the country again. His son Xerxes renewed the war. In the history of Persia, I have already told of the invasion of Greece by Xerxes with two millions of men, and of the misfortunes which befell him there. QUESTIONS. In what direction is Persia from Greece ?1. Did Darius make war against Greece, and when? What of the Persian force? The Athenian ?- -2. Of marble? What did Darius command ?- -3. Name the Athenian general. Where was Marathon? 4. What of those who remained at Athens ?- -5. What messenger was sent from Marathon? Which way is Marathon from Athens? From Sparta ?-7. What news did the messenger bring? 8. How did the Athenians treat Miltiades? His fate? What of the Persians after the battle of Marathon? Of Darius? Xerxes? -9. 1. AFTER the Persian war, Cimon, Aristides and Pericles were the three principal men of Athens. Pericles at length became the chief person in the republic. Athens was never more flourishing than while he was at the head of the government. 2. He adorned the city with magnificent edifices, and rendered it famous for learning, poetry, and beautiful works of art, such as temples, statues, and paintings. But the Athenians were fickle, and generally ungrateful to their public benefactors; and they sometimes ill-treated Pericles. 3. In the latter part of his administration, a terrible plague broke out in Athens. Many of the citizens fell down and died, while passing through the streets, and dead bodies lay in heaps, one upon another. 4. The illustrious Pericles was one of the victims of this pestilence. When he lay at the point of death, his friends praised him for the glorious deeds which he had achieved. "It is my greatest glory," replied Pericles, "that none of my acts have caused a citizen of Athens to put on mourning." 5. Three years before the death of Pericles, a war had commenced between Athens and Sparta. These were |