unacquainted with the pains of penurious living. His belief was that by
such training in boyhood they would be better able when occasion demanded
to continue toiling on an empty stomach. They would be all the fitter,
if the word of command were given, to remain on the stretch for a long
time without extra dieting. The craving for luxuries (12) would be
less, the readiness to take any victual set before them greater, and,
in general, the regime would be found more healthy. (13) Under it he
thought the lads would increase in stature and shape into finer men,
since, as he maintained, a dietary which gave suppleness to the limbs
must be more conducive to both ends than one which added thickness to
the bodily parts by feeding. (14)

(9) For the Eiren, see Plut. "Lycurg." (Clough, i. 107).

(10) Reading {sumboleuein} (for the vulg. {sumbouleuein}). The
emendation is now commonly adopted. For the word itself, see L.
Dindorf, n. ad loc., and Schneider. {sumbolon} = {eranos} or club
meal. Perhaps we ought to read {ekhontas} instead of {ekhonta}.

(11) See Plut. "Lycurg." 17 (Clough, i. 108).

(12) Lit. "condiments," such as "meat," "fish," etc. See "Cyrop." I.
ii. 8.

(13) Or, "and in general they would live more healthily and increase
in stature."

(14) See L. Dindorf's emendation of this corrupt passage, n. ad loc.
(based upon Plut. "Lycurg." 17 and Ps. Plut. "Moral." 237), {kai
eis mekos d' an auxanesthai oeto kai eueidesterous} vel {kallious
gignesthai, pros amphotera ton radina ta somata poiousan trophen
mallon sullambanein egesamenos e ten diaplatunousan}. Otherwise I
would suggest to read {kai eis mekos an auxanesthai ten (gar)
radina... egesato k.t.l.}, which is closer to the vulgate, and
gives nearly the same sense.

On the other hand, in order to guard against a too great pinch of
starvation, though he did not actually allow the boys to help themselves
without further trouble to what they needed more, he did give them
permission to steal (15) this thing or that in the effort to alleviate
their hunger. It was not of course from any real difficulty how else to
supply them with nutriment that he left it to them to provide themselves
by this crafty method. Nor can I conceive that any one will so
misinterpret the custom. Clearly its explanation lies in the fact that
he who would live the life of a robber must forgo sleep by night, and in
the daytime he must em