as garrisons in the conquered
cities, governed them in so arbitrary a manner, and plundered them so
recklessly, as to produce extreme irritation among the people. They
complained earnestly to Pyrrhus. Pyrrhus paid little attention to
their representations. To fight a battle with an open enemy on the
field was always a pleasure to him; but to meet and grapple with
difficulties of this kind--to hear complaints, and listen to evidence,
and discuss and consider remedies, was all weariness and toil to him.

What he would have done, and what would have been the end of his
administration in Macedon, had he been left to himself, can not now be
known; for, very fortunately, as he deemed it, he was suddenly
relieved of all the embarrassment in which he was gradually getting
involved, as he had often been relieved in similar circumstances
before, by an invitation which came to him just at this time to embark
in a new military enterprise, which would draw him away from the
country altogether. It is scarcely necessary to say that Pyrrhus
accepted the invitation with the most eager alacrity. The
circumstances of the case will be explained in the next chapter.

CHAPTER XI.

SPARTA.

B.C. 1000-272

Sparta.--Some account of the city.--The Spartan kings.--Origin of
the system.--Oracle at Delphi.--A difficulty.--The two lines of
kings.--A diarchy.--Dissensions.--Lycurgus.--His family.--Death of
his father.--Lycurgus assumes the crown.--Atrocious proposal.--Plan
arranged for disposing of the child.--Generous conduct of
Lycurgus.--Serious difficulties encountered.--Resentment
of the queen.--Lycurgus resolves on exiling himself from
Sparta.--Adventures of Lycurgus during his absence.--Account of
Charilaus.--His inefficiency.--Discontent of the people.--Lycurgus
is invited to return.--He finally complies.--He consults the oracle
at Delphi.--The response.--Charilaus is terrified.--He flies to a
sanctuary.--Nature and effects of the institutions of Lycurgus.--The
character and spirit of the Spartans.--Message sent to
Pyrrhus.--Account of Cleonymus.--Areus becomes king.--Affair of
Cleonymus and Chelidonis.--Appeal to Pyrrhus.--Pyrrhus determines to
march into Greece.

The war in which Pyrrhus was invited to engage, at the time referred
to at the close of the last chapter, arose out of a domestic quarrel
in one of the royal families of Sparta. Sparta was one of the
principal cities of the Peloponnesus, and the capital of a very