Again, the law which relates to the procreation of children is adverse
to the correction of this inequality. For the legislator, wanting to
have as many Spartans as he could, encouraged the citizens to have
large families; and there is a law at Sparta that the father of
three sons shall be exempt from military service, and he who has
four from all the burdens of the state. Yet it is obvious that, if
there were many children, the land being distributed as it is, many of
them must necessarily fall into poverty.
The Lacedaemonian constitution is defective in another point; I mean
the Ephoralty. This magistracy has authority in the highest matters,
but the Ephors are chosen from the whole people, and so the office
is apt to fall into the hands of very poor men, who, being badly
off, are open to bribes. There have been many examples at Sparta of
this evil in former times; and quite recently, in the matter of the
Andrians, certain of the Ephors who were bribed did their best to ruin
the state. And so great and tyrannical is their power, that even the
kings have been compelled to court them, so that, in this way as
well together with the royal office, the whole constitution has
deteriorated, and from being an aristocracy has turned into a
democracy. The Ephoralty certainly does keep the state together; for
the people are contented when they have a share in the highest office,
and the result, whether due to the legislator or to chance, has been
advantageous.
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