Strabo, Geography, Horace Leonard Jones (Translator), 10.4.18

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[18] Lycurgus the Spartan law-giver, Ephorus continues, was five generations later than the Althaemenes who conducted the colony to Crete;¹ for historians say that Althaemenes was son of the Cissus who founded Argos about the same time when Procles was establishing Sparta as metropolis;² and Lycurgus, as is agreed by all, was sixth in descent from Procles; and copies are not earlier than their models, nor more recent things earlier than older things; not only the dancing which is customary among the Lacedaemonians, but also the rhythms and paeans that are sung according to law, and many other Spartan institutions, are called “Cretan” among the Lacedaemonians, as though they originated in Crete; and some of the public offices are not only administered in the same way as in Crete, but also have the same names, as, for instance, the office of the “Gerontes,”³ and that of the “Hippeis”⁴ (except that the “Hippeis” in Crete actually possessed horses, and from this fact it is inferred that the office of the “Hippeis” in Crete is older, for they preserve the true meaning of the appellation, whereas the Lacedaemonian “Hippeis” do not keep horses); but though the Ephors have the same functions as the Cretan Cosmi, they have been named differently; and the public messes are, even today, still called “Andreia” among the Cretans, but among the Spartans they ceased to be called by the same name as in earlier times;⁵ at any rate, the following is found in Alcman:

In feasts and festive gatherings, amongst the guests who partake of the Andreia, ’tis meet to begin the paean

⁶

Geography. Strabo. Horace Leonard Jones (Translator). London. 1924-1929.

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Current edition Perseus

Geography (Books 6-14) (English) (Strabo. The Geography of Strabo, Vols. 3-6. Jones, Horace Leonard, translator. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd., 1924-1929 (printing).)

Editions (1)

Γεωγραφικά Perseus (Strabo. Strabonis Geographica, Vols. 1-3. Meineke, August, editor. Leipzig: Teubner. 1877.) — 10.4.18 focus

[18] τῶν τε Σπαρτιατῶν τὸν νομοθέτην Λυκοῦργον πέντε γενεαῖς νεώτερον Ἀλθαιμένους εἶναι τοῦ στείλαντος τὴν εἰς Κρήτην ἀποικίαν· τὸν μὲν γὰρ ἱστορεῖσθαι Κίσσου παῖδα τοῦ τὸ Ἄργος κτίσαντος περὶ τὸν αὐτὸν χρόνον ἡνίκα Προκλῆς τὴν Σπάρτην συνῴκιζε, Λυκοῦργον δʼ ὁμολογεῖσθαι παρὰ πάντων ἕκτον ἀπὸ Προκλέους γεγονέναι· τὰ δὲ μιμήματα μὴ εἶναι πρότερα τῶν παραδειγμάτων μηδὲ τὰ νεώτερα τῶν πρεσβυτέρων· τήν τε ὄρχησιν τὴν παρὰ τοῖς Λακεδαιμονίοις ἐπιχωριάζουσαν καὶ τοὺς ῥυθμοὺς καὶ παιᾶνας τοὺς κατὰ νόμον ᾀδομένους καὶ ἄλλα πολλὰ τῶν νομίμων Κρητικὰ καλεῖσθαι παρʼ αὐτοῖς ὡς ἂν ἐκεῖθεν ὁρμώμενα· τῶν δʼ ἀρχείων τὰ μὲν καὶ τὰς διοικήσεις ἔχειν τὰς αὐτὰς καὶ τὰς ἐπωνυμίας, ὥσπερ καὶ τὴν τῶν γερόντων ἀρχὴν καὶ τὴν τῶν ἱππέων (πλὴν ὅτι τοὺς ἐν Κρήτῃ ἱππέας καὶ ἵππους κεκτῆσθαι συμβέβηκεν· ἐξ οὗ τεκμαίρονται πρεσβυτέραν εἶναι τῶν ἐν Κρήτῃ ἱππέων τὴν ἀρχήν· σώζειν γὰρ τὴν ἐτυμότητα τῆς προσηγορίας· τοὺς δὲ μὴ ἱπποτροφεῖν), τοὺς ἐφόρους δὲ τὰ αὐτὰ τοῖς ἐν Κρήτῃ κόσμοις διοικοῦντας ἑτέρως ὠνομάσθαι· τὰ δὲ συσσίτια ἀνδρεῖα παρὰ μὲν τοῖς Κρησὶν καὶ νῦν ἔτι καλεῖσθαι, παρὰ δὲ τοῖς Σπαρτιάταις μὴ διαμεῖναι καλούμενα ὁμοίως πρότερον· παρʼ Ἀλκμᾶνι γοῦν οὕτω κεῖσθαι

φοίναις δὲ καὶ ἐν θιάσοισιν

ἀνδρείων παρὰ δαιτυμόνεσσι πρέπει παιᾶνα κατάρχειν.

Translations (1)

Geography Perseus (Strabo. The Geography of Strabo, Vols. 1-3. Hamilton, Hans Claude, translator; Falconer, William, translator. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1854-1857.) — 10.4.18 focus

[18] Lycurgus, the Spartan legislator, he says, was five generations later than Althaemenes, who conducted the colony into Crete. He is said by historians to have been the son of Cissus, who founded Argos¹ about the same time that Procles was engaged in establishing a colony at Sparta. It is also generally admitted that Lycurgus was the sixth in descent from Procles.² Copies do not precede the models, nor modern precede ancient things. The usual kind of dancing practised among the Lacedaemonians, the measures, and the paeans sung according to a certain mood, and many other usages, are called among them Cretan, as if they came from Crete. But among the ancient customs, those relative to the administration of the state have the same designations as in Crete,³ as the council of Gerontes⁴ and that of the Knights,⁵ except that in Crete the knights had horses; whence it is conjectured, that the council of Knights in Crete is more ancient, since the origin of the appellation is preserved. But the Spartan knight did not keep a horse. They who perform the same functions as the Cosmi in Crete, have the different title of Ephori [in Sparta]. The Syssitia, or common meal, is even at present called Andreia among the Cretans; but among the Spartans they did not continue to call it by its former name, as it is found in the poet Alcman;

In festivals and in joyous assemblies of the Andreia, it is fit to begin the pean in honour of the guests.

Notes on the current edition

Geography

1. This Althaemenes, therefore, is not to be confused with the Althaemenes who was the grandson of Minos.

2. i.e., of Laconia (see 8. 5. 4).

3. “Old Men,” i.e., “Senators.”

4. “Horsemen,” i.e., “Knights.”

5. The later Spartan name was “Syssitia” or “Philitia” (sometimes “Phiditia”).

6. Alcman Fr. 22 (Bergk)

Strabo Geography 10.4.18

Horace Leonard Jones (Translator)

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