Lycurgus

Plutarch

Plutarch. Plutarch's Lives, Vol. I. Perrin, Bernadotte, translator. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1914.

And Pindar says:—[*](Fragment 199, Bergk, Poet. Lyr. Gr. i.4 p. 448.)

  1. There are councils of Elders,
  2. And young men’s conquering spears,
  3. And dances, the Muse, and joyousness.
The Spartans are thus shown to be at the same time most musical and most warlike;
  1. In equal poise to match the sword hangs the sweet art of the harpist,
as their poet says. For just before their battles, the king sacrificed to the Muses, reminding his warriors, as it would seem, of their training, and of the firm decisions they had made, in order that they might be prompt to face the dread issue, and might perform such martial deeds as would be worthy of some record.[*](The Greek of this sentence is obscure, and the translation doubtful.)

In time of war, too, they relaxed the severity of the young men’s discipline, and permitted them to beautify their hair and ornament their arms and clothing, rejoicing to see them, like horses, prance and neigh for the contest. Therefore they wore their hair long as soon as they ceased to be youths, and particularly in times of danger they took pains to have it glossy and well-combed, remembering a certain saying of Lycurgus, that a fine head of hair made the handsome more comely still, and the ugly more terrible.