Spartan Constitution. 65 originally 5 or for the most part^ selected for their meiitorious qualities, these qualities would have been thought meritorious in scarce any other state but Sparta. Of this privileged class, or of some class possessing a similar precedence, was probably composed the small assembly^ which seems to have been convened in times of need, and for occasions which were either not of sufficient importance to require, or of too pressing urgency to wait for, the decision of the entire Spartan body. Doubtless this assembly was more frequently convoked than the other ^ ; and thus an additional restraint was laid on the power of the Spartan comitia. This latter assembly is only known from its incidental mention by Xenophon in his account of the conspiracy of Cinadon, which, as it alone throws much light on the rela- tion in which the Equals stood towards the inferior Spartans and the subject classes, may be here noticed with some detail. In the year oQQ b. c. the Ephors received information of a treasonable plot contrived by one Cinadon, a man of vigor- ous mind and body, but not one of the Equals. In answer to some questions, their informant stated that Cinadon de- sired him to count how many Spartans there were in the market-place : that he counted the King, the Ephors and councillors, and others, to the number of about 40, when Cinadon said, ' These are your enemies, but all the other persons in the market-place to the number of more than 4000 are your allies:' that Cinadon had stated that there were not many concerned with him in the same plot, but they thought that they were in concert with all the Helots and Neodamodes, and with the Inferiors and the Perioeci : for whenever mention was made of Spartans in the presence of any of these, none could conceal that he would gladly eat their flesh raw. Having obtained further information as to the manner in which the conspirators intended to procure the approbation or dislike, praise or blame, which by a secret and tacit consent establishes itself in the several societies, tribes, and clubs of men in the world : whereby several actions come to find credit or disgrace amongst them, according to the judge- ment, maxims, or fashion of that place." Locke on the Understanding, ii. 28. 10. ^"7 Xenophon says, ov^e n-i]v /niKpav KaXovfieuifu eKKKncriav JuXXeJai/Te?, Hell. III. 3. 8, as if the convening of that, and not of the large assembly, would naturally have been the first step. Vol.. II. No. 4. I -Vc
