newborn infants with wine, not with water, to
make trial of their constitution. It was thought that epileptic or
diseased children shrank from the wine and fell into convulsions, while
healthy ones were hardened and strengthened by it. A certain supervision
was exercised over the nurses, making them bring up the children without
swaddling clothes, so as to make their movements free and unconfined,
and also to make them easily satisfied, not nice as to food, not afraid
in the dark, not frightened at being alone, not peevish and fretful. For
this reason, many foreigners used to obtain Lacedaemonian nurses for
their children, and it is said that Amykla, the nurse of Alkibiades, was
a Lacedaemonian. But Plato tells us that Perikles put him under the care
of one Zopyrus, who was no better than the other slaves; whereas
Lykurgus would not intrust the Spartan boys to any bought or hired
servants, nor was each man allowed to bring up and educate his son as he
chose, but as soon as they were seven years of age he himself received
them from their parents, and enrolled them in companies. Here they lived
and messed in common, and were associated for play and for work.
However, a superintendent of the boys was appointed, one of the best
born and bravest men of the state, and they themselves in their troops
chose as leader him who was wisest, and fiercest in fight. They looked
to him for orders, obeyed his commands, and endured his punishments, so
that even in childhood they learned to obey. The elder men watched them
at their play, and by instituting fights and trials of strength,
carefully learned which was the bravest and most enduring. They learned
their letters, because they are necessary, but all the rest of their
education was meant to teach them to obey with cheerfulness, to endure
labours, and to win battles. As they grew older their training became
more severe; they were closely shorn, and taught to walk unshod and to
play naked. They wore no tunic after their twelfth year, but received
one garment for all the year round. They were necessarily dirty, as they
had no warm baths and ointments, except on certain days, as a luxury.
They slept all together in troops and companies, on beds of rushes which
they themselves had picked on the banks of the Eurotas with their hands,
for they were not allowed to use a knife. In winter they mixed the herb
called lycophon with the rushes, as it is thought to possess some
warmth.

XVI. At t