54 HISTORICAL TALES.

thought were given to keeping the Helots in slavery
and to warlike activity. That they might make the
better soldiers, Lycurgus formed laws to do away
with all luxury and inequality of conditions, and to
train up the young under a rigid system of discipline
to the use of weapons and the arts of war. The
Helots, also, were often employed as light-armed
soldiers, and there was always danger that they
might revolt against their oppressors, a fact which
made constant discipline and vigilance necessary to
the Spartan citizens.

Lycurgus found great inequality in the state. A
few owned all the land, and the remainder were
poor. The rich lived in luxury; the poor were
reduced to misery and want. He divided the whole
territory of Sparta into nine thousand equal lots,
one of which was given to each citizen. The terri-
tory of the remainder of Laconia was divided into’
thirty thousand equal lots, one of which was given
to each Pericecus. (The Periceci were the freemen
of the country outside of the Spartan city and dis-
trict, and did not possess the full rights of citizen-
ship.)

This measure served to equalize wealth. But
further to prevent luxury, Lycurgus banished all
gold and silver from the country, and forced the
people to use iron money,—each piece so heavy that
none would care to carry it. He also forbade the
citizens to have anything to do with commerce or
industry. They were to be soldiers only, and the
Helots were to supply them with food. As for com-
merce, since no other state would accept their iron