A SHORT STORY.
PLUTARCH, IN A .LETTER, TO HIS'. BROTH,ERy L.A,MPRIAS.
BY NAOMI MITCHISON.
. . Now.about this time it happened that two thousand of the Helots who had fought in those battles were chosen out by the Spartans, enfranchised and led round the temples, garlanded and in the dress of freemen. But after a time it seemed to the.Spartans that this way they must needs encourage revolt and free-speaking among the rest of the Helots. Sp they. gave a. great feast to all these newly enfranchised in a certain. eityof Sparta; the tables were set in ten great halls of wood with thatched roofs, and when the feasting was at its height the Spartans slipt out one by one, and, barred the doors and set fire to the houses and stood around .with spears, lest any of the Helots might escape from out of the liaMes. And among them there was a young man," by name Evalcus, who was an-Ira and had fought-in this war beside the lielats, but yet was glad that they should be burnt alive, since he believed ip. all the ways of his fathers. Now the Helots in that house were roused 1:-.)y the smell of burning, and burst open the doors and rushed out, but they came on the spears, and either-were 'pierced by them and so died; or else Were driven back into the flames. And one of the Helots layon the ground wiltha spear-thrust.tbrough his shoulder, but yet not-dead.; oaiad this ,valeus,would have dispatched, him with his dagger, but that he saw his face, and, staying his hand, cried out loudly to the young men about him, saying that the man had saved his life ,m the battle and now he would, be the saviour. But yet the rest of the Spartans would have hiin slain-witlithefotheis; and there--were high words,spoken ; but the Relit said nothing.
Then, since .Evalons was ,not to he _persuaded to let the man, be slain-, he was t4alpen and:boy:Ad. and led before the Elders, who at first would,have nothing to say but that he must die, yet, at laSt, Evalcus leading with them all the time, they said he should indeed live, but by no means as a freeman. One of the Elders, then, going-up to him, tote off his.. head the- wreath, and, off his body the Spartan dress, which, he yet more; and-struck hinl in the We, at which the Helot, weeping, said " It would be better to die."
Atonce Evalcus took, him by the hand and spoke to the assembly : " With all respect and honour to you, oh Elders, I must yet, question whether a just sentence has been given. For indeed the Helot has done no wrong, except that he was fathered by one sort of man rather than another, but surely- right in: that he has redeiVed danger and wounds with us. And yew have punished him with the hardest thing that lies in your power, for I ask you what worse can come to a man than, once having been free, to be made bond ? " Then, seeing that the Elders were a little moved, he went on; " My Friend is dead of his wounds ; and it -seems tome just that I should take as my new Friend this man ;who savedruy life in the battle." . At -that the Elders; thinking' it-- too great a shame that a free-laora Spartan should have a Belot for Friend, gave out that the man should be again made free ; which was done. And lie went joyfully with Evalcus to his house, who later gave him, his sister to wife,. But yet no good came of it ; since not only could the Helot never get admission to one of those little companies of Spartans who ate together, but also his wife was rnotked by the other women for living. with a slave. And she, being then with child, cast herself down from a high rock of Taygetus and so died. Nor-did her.husband live long after her.
And indeed, my dear Lamprias, I can well credit this story, since I myself have seen of what a. proud and un-forgetting nature the men of Lacedaemon are to this day. Let us be glad, then, that we were not bred up. in the harsh schools of §parta,"but under thegood Atnnadrinis. to whom, r pray you, bear greeting from me- .
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