DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.13851#0613
of the miscellany customs of greece.
CHAP X.
of their marriages.
The first inhabitants of Greece lived without laws aud government;
no bounds were prescribed to their passions : their love (like the rest
of their desires) was unconfined ; and promiscuous mixtures, because for-
bidden by no human authority, were publicly allowed. The first that
restrained this liberty was Cecrops, who having raised himself to be
king over the people afterwards called Athenians, amongst many other
mseful institutions, introduced-that of marriage (i). Others refer the
honour of this institution, together with the invention of dancing, to Era-
to, one of the Muses ; but some rather understand that story of the mar-
riage solemnity, the regular conduct whereof, they say, was first ordered
by Erato. However that be, it was in some time received by all the
Grecians; for no sooner did they begin to reform their savage and bar-
barous course of life, and join themselves in towns and societies, but
they found it necessary to confine the unruly lusts of men, by establish-
ing lawful marriage, with other rules of good manners.
Marriage was very honourable in several of the Grecian common-
wealths, being very much encouraged by their laws, as the abstaining from
it was discountenanced, and in some place punished ; for the strength of
states consisting in their number of people, those that refused to contribute
to their increase, were thought very cold in their affections to their coun-
try. The Lacedaemonians are very remarkable for their severity against
those that deferred marrying, as well as those who wholly abstained From
it (2). No man among them could live without a wife beyond the time limit-
ed by their lawgiver, without incurring severe penalties ; as first,the ma-
gistrates commanded such, once every winter, to run round the public
forum naked : and to increase th^ir shame, they sung a certain song, the
words whereof aggravated their crime, and exposed them to ridicule,
Another of their punishments was, to be excluded from the exercises,
wherein (according to the Spartan custom) young virgins contended na-
ked (3). A third penalty was inflicted upon a certain solemnity, wherein
the women dragged them round an altar, oeating them all the time with
their fists (4). Lastly, they were deprived of that respect and observ-
ance which the younger sort were obliged to pay to their elders ; and
therefore, saith Plutarch (5), no man found fault with what was said to
Dercyllidas, a great captain, and one that had commanded armies, who,
coming into the place of assembly, a young man, instead of rising and
making room, told him. ' Sir, you must not expect that honour from me,
being young, which cannot be returned to me by a child of yours when I
am old.' To the*e we may add the Athenian law (6), whereby all that
were commanders, orators, or entrusted with any public affair, were to
be married, and have children, and estates in land ; for these werelook-
(1) Vide Arcbaeolog. hujus lib. i. cap. 2. (4) Athenaeus, lib. xiii.
'.2) Stobaeus, lxv de laude Nuptiarum. (5) Loc. citat.
f-3^ Plntarchus Lvcurgo <6) Dinafchos in Dfemosth"* e:st
74
CHAP X.
of their marriages.
The first inhabitants of Greece lived without laws aud government;
no bounds were prescribed to their passions : their love (like the rest
of their desires) was unconfined ; and promiscuous mixtures, because for-
bidden by no human authority, were publicly allowed. The first that
restrained this liberty was Cecrops, who having raised himself to be
king over the people afterwards called Athenians, amongst many other
mseful institutions, introduced-that of marriage (i). Others refer the
honour of this institution, together with the invention of dancing, to Era-
to, one of the Muses ; but some rather understand that story of the mar-
riage solemnity, the regular conduct whereof, they say, was first ordered
by Erato. However that be, it was in some time received by all the
Grecians; for no sooner did they begin to reform their savage and bar-
barous course of life, and join themselves in towns and societies, but
they found it necessary to confine the unruly lusts of men, by establish-
ing lawful marriage, with other rules of good manners.
Marriage was very honourable in several of the Grecian common-
wealths, being very much encouraged by their laws, as the abstaining from
it was discountenanced, and in some place punished ; for the strength of
states consisting in their number of people, those that refused to contribute
to their increase, were thought very cold in their affections to their coun-
try. The Lacedaemonians are very remarkable for their severity against
those that deferred marrying, as well as those who wholly abstained From
it (2). No man among them could live without a wife beyond the time limit-
ed by their lawgiver, without incurring severe penalties ; as first,the ma-
gistrates commanded such, once every winter, to run round the public
forum naked : and to increase th^ir shame, they sung a certain song, the
words whereof aggravated their crime, and exposed them to ridicule,
Another of their punishments was, to be excluded from the exercises,
wherein (according to the Spartan custom) young virgins contended na-
ked (3). A third penalty was inflicted upon a certain solemnity, wherein
the women dragged them round an altar, oeating them all the time with
their fists (4). Lastly, they were deprived of that respect and observ-
ance which the younger sort were obliged to pay to their elders ; and
therefore, saith Plutarch (5), no man found fault with what was said to
Dercyllidas, a great captain, and one that had commanded armies, who,
coming into the place of assembly, a young man, instead of rising and
making room, told him. ' Sir, you must not expect that honour from me,
being young, which cannot be returned to me by a child of yours when I
am old.' To the*e we may add the Athenian law (6), whereby all that
were commanders, orators, or entrusted with any public affair, were to
be married, and have children, and estates in land ; for these werelook-
(1) Vide Arcbaeolog. hujus lib. i. cap. 2. (4) Athenaeus, lib. xiii.
'.2) Stobaeus, lxv de laude Nuptiarum. (5) Loc. citat.
f-3^ Plntarchus Lvcurgo <6) Dinafchos in Dfemosth"* e:st
74