World history in persons.From Homer to Einstein

Homer-Greek poet. 1200 BC

A poet who could not read and write


Homer is the greatest and most famous poet of all times and peoples. He lived when the Greeks did not yet have a written language, and it turns out that the greatest of the poets could neither write nor read. And the poems created by him have survived all epochs, they have been printed in the largest editions, they have been read by a huge number of people for several millennia.

Lycurgus of Lacedaemon - Spartan legislator. 9th-8th centuries BC

Reliable walls

Lycurgus was advised to strengthen Sparta with powerful walls.
-It is more reliable when the city is surrounded not by bricks, but by people, - he replied, meaning that a strong army is able to protect its native city better than fortress walls.

Last edited by lisandr on July 25th 2021, 1:07 pm; edited 1 time in total

Democracy

Someone suggested that Lycurgus introduce democracy in Sparta.
- First, introduce democracy in your home, - he replied, meaning that there are relations between citizens in the city that can not always be resolved by voting, just as voting is unsuitable for resolving issues in the family between husband and wife, parents and children.

Why didn't Lycurgus return to his homeland?

When Lycurgus grew old, he announced that he was going to Delphi to ask the oracle's opinion about the Spartan laws. He gathered his fellow citizens and made them swear that they would not change one single law until his return. The Spartans took such an oath.
The Delphic oracle replied to Lycurgus that as long as his laws remained inviolable, Sparta would be happy and powerful. Then Lycurgus starved himself and died, and ordered his body to be burned, so that he would never return to Sparta and that the Spartans, on pain of breaking their oath, would never change his laws.

What can't you take away?

The Spartans said about themselves that they were not afraid of anything, because no one could deprive them of the most important and precious thing - the right to fight and die for the fatherland.

The reason for joy

One Spartan put up his candidacy for the Council of elders of Sparta, which consisted of three hundred people. When he was not elected, instead of being sad, he expressed great joy.
- What are you happy about? - asked him an Athenian who was present at the same time, who was used to seeing how in Athens applicants for public positions painfully experienced their defeat and were at enmity with each other.
- I am glad that there are three hundred citizens in our city who are better than me, - the Spartan replied.

Relief

The Spartan, according to the laws of Lycurgus, was sentenced to death. When he heard the verdict, he laughed. The outraged judges decided that he was laughing at the laws of Lycurgus.
- No,- the Spartan replied, - I'm just glad that I can pay off my debts without borrowing from anyone.

Short and clear

Verbosity was despised in Sparta as well as cowardice. The Spartans laughed at the oratorical contests in Athens. And they themselves tried to speak briefly, but weightily. So, in response to the remark that the Spartans have short swords, one of them replied:
- But we are good at getting the enemy with them.
And the mother, accompanying her son to the war and handing him a shield, said:
- With a shield or on a shield.
This meant: either come back victorious, or die in battle and they will bring you on a shield, and if you get scared and lose your weapon, then it's better not to return home.
The area in which Sparta was located was called Laconia. Therefore, the ability to speak briefly, like the Laconians-Spartans, began to be called laconism. The word laconic has entered all languages and means a short and clear speech.

Answer

One day, an ambassador from the city of Abdera made a long speech to the Spartan king.
- What answer should I give to my fellow citizens? - he asked.
-Tell I listened without interrupting,- the king replied.

Braggart

The Spartans often attacked the city of Argos. The Argosians never managed to penetrate the territory of Sparta.
A resident of Argos boasted:
- In our country, many Spartans have found their graves.
- That is true, - replied the Spartan, - but you will not see a single grave of an Argosan here.