, 1874-03-01
LITERATURE.

.rne F-c4f-fou OF Greece t11d Rene. -
TIE ASc1E.;T CITY: Study on tn: EEIIG.ox.
LAWS, AND ISsg1rurroSs or G"EEcE Asp Ao1k- n
Nv Era-rr D1 C3SLaS1E9. Translated from th$
Ia.est French edition ly WILLARD SKILL Boston:
Lee s: Shepard -
wa have hero an embodiment OF cnc OF the
ingenious hypo:h,scs vhica are SO prolific st the
nrc.ent aay. for the explanation OF tho unknowa7
bio aud the aadenons.rable in ell departments
of knowledge. It ia 6killfully and olaboraselJ
constructed, a,d, to the general readcr at least;
ia p,ausible and interesting. Its object Ii 70
shoy that tic institutions, the customs, and tho.
character OF the Greea aud Roman nations had
their foundation in, or wero Developed out OF.
a pxiuitiye religious belief. III order to accom-
plsh its purpose, it is necessary to 60 back to n
an,inulty without date, and study tho germ ana
rradpsl evolution Of the religious notions OF
both tlese peoples. Tho Crooks and Eomana
ara united in tho sanle study, because they Sere
t;yo branches OF { single race, speaking two idl-
o1as OF :n identical language, Eoro goTer11od bg
the san,o lavs and principles and passed through
= serics Of similar revolutions.
B,,t vuat eources of knowledge have VIC OF
tho pro-Aisto1ic period Of these two peoples7
The hymas of tho Tcdas and the laws OF Manu
give u a clue to tue thoughts and uSagos OF the
Arcas th!riy-1iye centuries ago; but there cxists
not single written line to testify to the life Of
tho GrcekB and Romans in their earliest genera
t;ons. The only witness We have Of it dTo!ls IN
t,e legends thnt survived in the imaglnations OF
thu neoote in their religious rites and ceremonies
which long outlastcd the faith that originally
establisbcd them. and in the ancient roots Of
their language, Which, reveal LILO opinions ana
habits tha. first nodded them.
fro111 }}tnHh
mast sicnii,ceucs, We rcnl that, from their IN
fancy, tho Grcco-Itallans had belief in tue
eoul'a immortality. It first took shape IN tho
notion that the soul Was not released from the
hodv At death, but WAS buried with it, and ercr
after coutincd to the locaGty OF its grave.
Hence the sacredness OF the rites Of sepulture,
End the custom Of conveying. at stated intervals,
food sad wine to tho tou1bs OF tho deceased Tor
the Bustcnanco Of their 6ouis. As the dead
were. in . sense, still living, and penoioners
mon their descendants, they came to bc regard
ID as diyiniEes, called by The Greeks demons,
or heroes, and by tho Latins, Lares, danes,
md Ge1.it aud tho obligation OF offering sacr1-
fees to them was entaued upon Ill successive
generations. =
In q sacred and aheltcred spot in the houso OF
every reok and Roman, stood GIL altar, on which
burned sacred fire that was never extlaGulstea
It was the Providence OF the family, the OBJECT
OF its alteration. In tho course OF ages 1t y, vas
pcrsoniGcd undor tho namo OF Vesta. The
sacred fire and thcir dead ancestors we're tho
gods OF every household Each family had
distinct set and secret aud independent rites OF
worship, TINT never could be shared with .
stranger. In tue pdte1Jana!1as alone was Ecstea
the right Of performing tho religious obscrT-
ances about tie domestic alta1 and the ancestral
tomb, and from him it descended to the eidest
son. To preserve this natural priesthood from
extinction, marriage WAS obligatory and cehbacy
m itnpict7. The wife, on her marriage, vas seT-
cred from the family and religion Of her father,
and adopted into those Of Ter husband: AS the
domestic priest and law-sivor, hs ruled over tho
household and over Ler. WomanB subjec:;on
and infc7io1ity were the result OF religious
principle. and not OF mans superior strength.
The family vas religious community, Its re-
latiouahips, the paternal power, tho night II
property, the right OF succession, We're decided
BIZ it's codo OF worship. .......
The gems at Rome end il GREECE vas but an
tive. organization and unity. As families in
creased IN process OF time, they Tcro united IN
p!uGtries or curies, and these again werc grouped
into tribes. As society enlarged, aud the intel
lcc.ual life developed new religious IDEAS Eero
still yenerated, but othera were added, derived
from physical nature, AMI With t: more compre-
Lensivo worship. Finally cities were estab.
liDLel They woro simply confederatons. OF
smaller aosictca, md their laws and institutions
yora based upon tho religious principle. They
,Yeyo tl1c abodcs Of the family and tho national
gods, .ud as such were held to be eacred and
meant to BIO eternal.
Like tho family, tho city was founded with re-
lisious rites, and had its godF, its dogmas, ano
it's worship. 1t was like church. lts ruler vas
its PontiN its ulagi6t1ac were its priests; na
citizens wcro the mo1nbers admitted to its Wor-
Blip; strangers had no recognition or possession
il it patriotism WAS religious enthusiasm, anu
exile was accommodation. With = religion
that vas supreme in its control over the Stase,
tho CITY, and tho family, tho arclents Ind only
thc enjoyment Of political rlGLt'. VI mcEidu-
al liberty they had nos 4 conception
As with all human constitutions, that OF tue
Greek and Roman nation had its revolutions,
which modified its structure, weakened, and ct
lest overturned it. Dy tho 1rss revolution, tho
Kings wero slorr1 Of thci- political power, bat
retained their religious authority. In tho ecc~
ond revolution, tho fanily-orgsnlzaton e1po,
was abro gated, tho gems was dlsrnetnbered, and
| clients we're freed. The ple1s effected an en-
| trance into the city through the third revolu-
| tioo: and, by tho fourth, democracy Eas abo!-
| ishei, and popular tyrants voro made onni-
notent over the State. 1t remained but for
| philosophy. tho noman conquest, and Christian
| ity to complete the ruin OF tho municipal s5s.
tenn OF Greece and Italy, and to eEaca tho last
remnants OF the re!isiocsbc belief upon which shoy
| were established.
| We have doae but poor jugtico to the argu
| meut OF II. Do Coulangsg in the above faint out.
| line. Tho original il logically built up nnc
carefully filled out. 1t is the work Of scholar
aud thinker, and will receive the respect o.
such. But it il, at the moRt, clever hypothesis
dorstand the riddles Of Crock and Roman =! hia
tory but, whether it gives us an entire solnt1os
| OF them, there IS a question.
| The vTronEs c9 Our 5ea:s1cn. !:
AMONG OUR SAILORS. b J. Gnzx JErE15, n. D: D:
re~d;z Containing Extracts from the IaT5 and Con
gar Regulations Gortr7liog tho United states oaer