44 Polıteía
that beginning, one must ponder the same issue anew: for in Rome a man was
arguably first a citizen and then a soldier, while in Sparta the priorities were
without a doubt reversed.
The two kings possessed other politically important prerogatives as well.
One of these privileges was symptomatic of royal preeminence in the making
of foreign policy. In antiquity, it was not the practice for a city to maintain
resident ambassadors in the polities with which its citizens had frequent deal-
ings. Instead, the Greeks adapted the traditional aristocratic institution of
guest- friendship [xenía] to serve the needs of the political community as a
whole. Ordinarily, the citizens of one community selected from among the
citizens of another one or more vice-consuls called próxenoı to provide hospi-
tality when they dispatched embassies and, in general, to look after their in-
terests in that particular locality. Here, in typical fashion, Lacedaemonian
practice diverged from the norm. The Spartans insisted on regulating and
controlling all intercourse with outsiders. They were unwilling to allow for-
eigners to choose their own representatives from among the citizens of Lace-
daemon, and theirs, tellingly, is said to have been the only city in Hellas that
was not, in the time of Philip of Macedon, ruined by treachery on the part of
her own citizens. There is also evidence suggesting that the two kings selected
those who served as Sparta’s próxenoı abroad, but there is no certainty. What
we do know is that they named vice-consuls at Sparta for the various cities
that had relations with her, and there is reason to suspect that the pertinent
cities were then invited to ratify the choice.^24 Thereby, the kings not only con-
ferred honor on the men selected for the posts; they also secured for them-
selves, even in time of peace, a formal role in the conduct of foreign affairs.
In similar fashion, the basıleîs appointed the four officials known as the
Púthıoı—each naming two to keep the records of the oracles for him and to
share his mess. When the city herself wished an oracle from Delphi concern-
ing a given matter, she chose her messenger from among these four men. This
practice assured royal predominance in religious matters and made the ma-
nipulation of religion for political purposes almost the sole prerogative of the
two dyarchs.^25 In a community as traditional and as pious as ancient Lacedae-
mon, this could have extraordinary consequences. A wily king like Cleomenes
son of Anaxandridas could use religion to control the city.^26
In their capacity as generals, the kings were charged with maintaining the
elaborate system of public carriage roads that enabled the Spartiates to trans-