Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-10-19
GRECIAN HISTORY.
THE ADVANTAGES OF ITS STUDY.

THE ADVANTAGES OF ITS STUDY.
"a paper read before the vincent Branch, c. l.. s. c.,
at West Brattleboro, Oct 4th, by Miss Annie Grout
Before attempting to notice briefly some of
the advantages of studying Greek history, it
may be well TO alude to the advantage of
study in general the mental discipline and
culture which it gives, and the ability to un.
derstand and appreciate whatever is true,
beautiful and grand, in nature or art, to an
extent which would be impossible without it.
The higher the training the greater the en-.
joyment. Without some degree of such men
tai training we should be like the man with
the muck-rake, Of whom we read in Pilgrims
Progress, forever intent upon "raking to him
self the straws, the sticks, and dust of the
floor never looking up to see that above
him stood an angel proffering him a celestial
crown in exchange for his rake.
But while it is true that every study has its
uses and benefits, it is equally true that there
are special advantages in the study of histo
ry, especially the history of a people distin-
guished, as we're the Greeks, for their litera.
ture and art, government, laws and other in
stitutons.
In the first place such study gives us broad
er views of life. As nation, we can learn
how other nations have lived, hourished and
decayed adopt their eIcellencies avoid the
rocks upon which they have been wrecked.
Our citizens should study especially the histo-
ry Of other free countries not only that Of
England, whose laws we have copied TO so
ht,N alpn tbopa ~ (.raaoa nd
Rome, from whom our immediate ancestors
obtained these laws. We can Judge more
correctly of our own present circumstances II
we have the means Of comparing them with
the past This study, therefore, becomes
duty devolving upon all American citizens, in
order that they may take an intelligent inter
est in public affairs And then, as individu-
ais aside from the duties We owe the state or
the nation, we may learn much from the study
OF history. Who Of us knows how much Of
encouragement to make the most Of them
selves the many famous men of our own day,
some of whom have risen from most humble
beginnings, may have derived from the e1.
ample of ancient heroes Shall we not avail
ourselves of the same encouragement The
"Llves Of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands Of time"
Another advantage to be derived from the
study Of Grecian history is found in the fact
that, to very many, history is, or may easily
come to be- as interesting as any romance or
fairy tale. A well-known saying declares that
truth is stranger than fiction. Grecian histo-
ry possesses this interest in very marked
degree. Greece proper had an area less than
that Of Maine yet within its bounds were
twenty states which for many years bade de-
fiance to the whole known world. What
more thrilling story can we find than that of
the battle of Thermopyln; Xerxes with an
army said to be the greatest the world ever
saw, estimated at more than two millions Of
fighting men opposed to him Leonidas and
his 300 Spartans, with few allies, scarcely
1000 men in all, preferring death to retreat,
| fighting till the last man fell or the battle
of Platem, the final overthrow of the Persian
army on the soil of Greece, after a struggle
of half a century-the triumph, not only of
| discipline over numbers, but also of civiliza-
tion over barbarism. Had Greece been de-
feated and become province of the Persian
empire, the greatness which she afterwards
attained, and the glory and renown with
which she filled the earth, would probably
never have existed.
The religion of the Greeks was interviewer
with everything lovely in nature. They wor-
shipped the powers of nature personifed
Whatever of sight or sound pleased theil
fancy was attributed to the agency of beauti
ful and immortal though unseen, beings
The thunder was the voice of Jupiter the
echo from the forest, the murmur of the
brook, were the whispers of the deities in
habiting each.
Greek history furnishes US with one OF the
many evidences of the truth of the Bible, il
its fulhllment of the wonderful prophecies o.
Daniel. The four universal kingdoms, Syria
Persia, Greece and Rome, were presented t.
both NebuchAdnezzar and Daniel in the form
of visions. Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the
compound image formed of gold, silver, bras
and iron, and Daniels vision of the fou
beasts, and of the ram and the goat, ar
familiar to all readers of the Bible. Th
brass of the image, and the leopard will
four wings and four heads you will remem
ber, we're types of the third or MAcedo
Grecan kingdom. 1t is said that the Greek
wore brazen armor. The wings of the leop
ard referred to the movements of Alexande
the Great whose marches are said to hav
been unparalleled for their rapidity and tn
four heads are usually interpreted TO mea
the four kingdoms, Maoedon, Thrace, syri
and Egypt, into which Alexander's kingdom
was divided among his generals. So, in tn
Sth chapter of Daniel, we find a vision cor
oerning the two monarchies of Persia an
Greece, and are told in the same chapter this
the rough goat represents the king or king
dom of Greece, and the great horn that
between his eyes is the first king, AlexandC
the Great We find also another type of th
four kingdoms just mentioned in the fou
, horns that came up when the great horn WI
broken. 1t is easy to sec how helpful
knowledge of Greoian history is to a corret
| Interpretation of these visions, as also to
better understanding of some other parts
the Bible-as, for instance, Paul's visit
Mars hill, and the reception which he nj
> with from the Greeks of that age.
Grecian mythology, sculpture, painting
p poetry and music furnish to this day subjec
5 for song and models for imitation to all II
, civilized world, and the student of Greci5
8 history has before him field for researC
, which will richly repay all the time and ca
o he may be able to eXpend.
ROMAN CATHOLIC PAsToRAL.-The pa
/ toral letter issued by Cardinal McOloskey al
! | Arnhhishnn lnrrinnn in Aha alarm Of II