whose aim was to secure to all the
citizens a considerable share in one another's goods without mutual
injury, enacted that each one should have an equal power of his
neighbour's children as over his own. (2) The principle is this. When a
man knows that this, that, and the other person are fathers of children
subject to his authority, he must perforce deal by them even as he
desires his own child to be dealt by. And, if a boy chance to have
received a whipping, not from his own father but some other, and goes
and complains to his own father, it would be thought wrong on the part
of that father if he did not inflict a second whipping on his son. A
striking proof, in its way, how completely they trust each other not to
impose dishonourable commands upon their children. (3)

(1) Or rather, "members of his household."

(2) See Plut. "Lycurg." 15 (Clough, i. 104).

(3) See Plut. "Moral." 237 D.

In the same way he empowered them to use their neighbour's (4) domestics
in case of need. This communism he applied also to dogs used for the
chase; in so far that a party in need of dogs will invite the owner to
the chase, and if he is not at leisure to attend himself, at any rate he
is happy to let his dogs go. The same applies to the use of horses.
Some one has fallen sick perhaps, or is in want of a carriage, (5) or
is anxious to reach some point or other quickly--in any case he has a
right, if he sees a horse anywhere, to take and use it, and restores it
safe and sound when he has done with it.

(4) See Aristot. "Pol." ii. 5 (Jowett, i. pp. xxxi. and 34; ii. p.
53); Plat. "Laws," viii. 845 A; Newman, "Pol. Aristot." ii. 249
foll.

(5) "Has not a carriage of his own."

And here is another institution attributed to Lycurgus which scarcely
coincides with the customs elsewhere in vogue. A hunting party returns
from the chase, belated. They want provisions--they have nothing
prepared themselves. To meet this contingency he made it a rule that
owners (6) are to leave behind the food that has been dressed; and the
party in need will open the seals, take out what they want, seal up the
remainder, and leave it. Accordingly, by his system of give-and-take
even those with next to nothing (7) have a share in all that the country
can supply, if ever they stand in need of anything.

(6) Reading {pepamenous}, or if {pepasmenous}, "who have already
finished their repasts."

(7) See Aristot. "Pol." ii. 9 (Jowett, i