Plutarch, Instituta Laconia, ed. Frank Cole Babbitt, 18

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[18] τῶν δὲ ταφῶν¹ ἀνεῖλε τὴν δεισιδαιμονίαν ἅπασαν ὁ Λυκοῦργος, ἐν τῇ πόλει θάπτειν τοὺς νεκροὺς καὶ πλησίον ἔχειν τὰ μνημεῖα τῶν ἱερῶν² συγχωρήσας. περιεῖλε δὲ καὶ τοὺς μιασμούς.³ συνθάπτειν δὲ οὐδὲν ἐπέτρεψεν, ἀλλʼ ἐν φοινικίδι καὶ φύλλοις ἐλαίας θέντας τὸ σῶμα περιστέλλειν κατʼ ἴσον ἅπαντας. ἀνεῖλε δὲ καὶ τὰς ἐπιγραφὰς τὰς ἐπὶ τῶν μνημείων, πλὴν τῶν ἐν πολέμῳ τελευτησάντων, καὶ τὰ πένθη καὶ τοὺς ὀδυρμούς.

Instituta Laconia. Plutarch. ed. Frank Cole Babbitt. Cambridge, MA. 1931.

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Funding provided by The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Current edition Perseus

Τὰ παλαιὰ τῶν Λακεδαινίων ἐπιτηδεύματα (Greek) (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. III. Babbitt, Frank Cole, editor. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1931 (printing).)

Editions (1)

Τὰ παλαιὰ τῶν Λακεδαινίων ἐπιτηδεύματα Perseus (Plutarch. Plutarchi Chaeronensis Moralia, Vol IΙ. Vernardakēs, Grēgorios N., editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1889.) — 18 focus

[18] τῶν δὲ ταφῶν ¹ ἀνεῖλε τὴν δεισιδαιμονίαν ἅπασαν ὁ Λυκοῦργος, ἐν τῇ πόλει θάπτειν τοὺς νεκροὺς καὶ πλησίον ἔχειν τὰ μνημεῖα τῶν ἱερῶν 25 συγχωρήσας. περιεῖλε δὲ καὶ τοὺς μιασμούς, συνθάπτειν δὲ οὐδὲν ἐπέτρεψεν, ἀλλʼ ἐν φοινικίδι καὶ φύλλοις ἐλαίας θέντας τὸ σῶμα περιστέλλειν κατʼ ἴσον ἅπαντας ἀνεῖλε δὲ καὶ τὰς ἐπιγραφὰς; τὰς ἐπὶ τῶν μνημείων, πλὴν τῶν ἐν πολέμῳ τελευτησάντων, καὶ τὰ πένθη καὶ τοὺς ὀδυρμούς.

Translations (1)

The Ancient Customs of the Spartans Perseus (Plutarch. Moralia, Vol. III. Babbitt, Frank Cole, translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1931 (printing).) — 18 focus

[18] Lycurgus did away with all superstitious fear connected with burials, granting the right to bury the dead within the city, and to have the tombs near the shrines. He also abolished the pollutions associated with death and burial. He permitted the people to bury nothing with their dead, but only to enfold the body in a red robe and olive leaves, and all to treat their dead alike. He also did away with the inscriptions on tombs, except of those who had met their end in war, and also did away with mourning and lamentation.¹

Notes on the current edition

Τὰ παλαιὰ τῶν Λακεδαινίων ἐπιτηδεύματα

1. τάφων] ταφῶν Bernardakis (probably from ταφάς in the Life of Lycurgus, chap. xvii.).

2. For ἔχειν... ἱερῶν Hartman would read ἔχειν τὰ ἠρία, and Kronenberg would omit περιεῖλε... μιασμούς, both contradicted by the Life of Lycurgus, chap. xxvii.

3. For ἔχειν... ἱερῶν Hartman would read ἔχειν τὰ ἠρία, and Kronenberg would omit περιεῖλε... μιασμούς, both contradicted by the Life of Lycurgus, chap. xxvii.

Plutarch Instituta Laconia 18

ed. Frank Cole Babbitt

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