t of the
war, and to make it a capital crime to advise, upon any account
whatsoever, the application of it to other uses: but, notwithstanding, the
abuse always subsisted. At first it seemed tolerable, whilst the citizen,
who was supported at the public expense, endeavoured to deserve it by
doing his duty in the field for nine months together. Every one was to
serve in his turn, and whoever failed was treated as a deserter without
distinction: but at length the number of the transgressors carried it
against the law; and impunity, as it commonly happens, multiplied their
number. People accustomed to the delightful abode of a city, where feasts
and games were perpetually taking place, conceived an invincible
repugnance for labour and fatigue, which they looked upon as unworthy of
free-born men.

It was therefore necessary to find amusement for this indolent people, to
fill up the great void of an unactive, useless life. Hence arose
principally their fondness, or rather frenzy, for public shows. The death
of Epaminondas, which seemed to promise them the greatest advantage, gave
the final stroke to their ruin and destruction. "Their courage," says
Justin,(217) "did not survive that illustrious Theban. Freed from a rival,
who kept their emulation alive, they sunk into a lethargic sloth and
effeminacy. The funds for armaments by land and sea were soon lavished
upon games and feasts. The seaman's and soldier's pay was distributed to
the idle citizen. An indolent and luxurious mode of life enervated every
breast. The representations of the theatre were preferred to the exercises
of the camp. Valour and military knowledge were entirely disregarded.
Great captains were in no estimation; whilst good poets and excellent
comedians engrossed the universal applause."

Extravagance of this kind makes it easy to comprehend in what multitudes
the people thronged to the dramatic performances. As no expense was spared
in embellishing them, exorbitant sums were sunk in the service of the
theatre. "If," says Plutarch,(218) "an accurate calculation were to be
made what each representation of the dramatic pieces cost the Athenians,
it would appear, that their expenses in playing the _Bacchanalians_, the
_Phoenicians_, _OEdipus_, _Antigone_, _Medea_, and _Electra_, (tragedies
written either by Sophocles or Euripides,) were greater than those which
had been employed against the Barbarians, in defence of the liberty and
for the preservation of G