The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-03-21

tions, but especially love, was its bur-
den, and Alcaeus, Sapoho and Anac-
reon became its chief representatives.
So far two of the great branches Of
the Greek race had been chiefly active
ia the development of pOetry-the
Ionians in epic, elegiac and iambic
poetry, the Aeolians in lyric proper.
The Dorians, too, were developing
form Of lyric suited especially to the
worship of the gods and to the cele-
bration of athletic victories. These
lyrics were TO be sung not by indi-
Yiduals but by carefully trained choirs,
either in procession or with a dance
accompaniment. OF this Dorian choral
lyric, Stesichorus and Arien in earlier
times, Simonides and Pindar in later,
were the chief representatives. This
growth Of the new forms of poetry
had been coincident with the era Of
colonization in Greece. In the eighth
century B. c. the chief tribes sent
colonies TO all parts Of the Aediter-
ranean and the adjacent coasts, and
soon all the mainland on both sides Of
the Aegean, as well as the islands, had
Joined in the general chorus Of song.
The three chief tribes all bore their
part in this lyric development, which
lasted some go years. But Athens.
which was to be the center of the
golden age Of Greek literature, had, 80
far, taken a relatively unimportant
part in il. Even Sparta had shown
during the seventh century a remark
able tendency to foster letters. This
enlightened policy, so at variance with
her usual attitude, was probably en-
couraged by Delphi, and though not
herself productive in literary lines
Sparta became a great center of talent
from other Greek states. Tyrtaeus,
Terpander, Thaletas, Alcman, Polyn-
neStus, and others, form a remark
able group of poets and musicians, who
must eventually have revOlutionized
Sparta's attitude toward letters if such
enlightened patronage had continued.
But Sparta's attitude changed COM
pletely, doubtless because the authori-
ties wished definitely to stamp out a
mental tenets of Spartan discipline,
which taught that the citizen belonged
to the state, that obedience was his
first duty. to become a soldier the OBJ
iect and end of his existence.
Sparta'S remuneration Of possible
leadership in letters left the way clear
for Athens, which had been the slow
est of all the great Greek states to
come forward and play her role in lit
erature. No great epic poet had been
an Athenian, and in all the lyric period
even he was far greater. doubtless, as
statesman and patron of letters than
as poet. But now her time had come.
The expulsion Of the tyrants in the lat
ter part of the sixth century, and more
especially the brilliant leadership Of
Athens in repelling the Persian inva-
sions early in the fifth century, turned
all eyes upon her. Tradition makes
identical the birth year Of Themistocles,
no Of f
ness, and of Aeschylus, the father Of
the Athenian drama Under the one
Athens was TO become temporary mis-
treSS Of the seas; following the lines
marked out by the other, she was TO
win the hegemony, perhaps for all
time, in letters and art. With the re-
turn of peace and with enormously in
creased wealth and power and infiu-
ence, Athens set to work under wise
leaders to make herself the real capital
of Greece. Wealthy public men WED
with the state in the encouragement Of
art and letters. Not only was native
talent encouraged and rewarded, but
from all parts of the Hellenic world
men Of genius were drawn to the At
tic capital by the stimulus which
comes from contact with the best minds
and by the rich pecuniary rewards and
still richer CONDENSATION in fame which
that Athens struck out new lines in
literature. There was nothing distinct
ly new to be done. Her task was 10
perfect in many lines the beginnings
that had already been made. If she
might be said to have created any new
form it would perhaps be the drama;
but even here she rather borrowed and
perfected what the DOrians had in
vented. The unique thing was that
whereas elsewhere princes had patron
lied art and letters, as in the case OF
Polycrates of Samos. the Aleuadae Of
Thessaly, Hero in Sicily, and even at
Athens the Pisistratidae, now a whole
people at Athens. became encouragers
and promoters of men OF genius. It
may be doubted if great talent has
ever anywhere else found so stiinulat-
ing an atmosphere az that Of the Athe-
MAN demos in the fifth century B. G.
The first great literary achievement
of Athens was the drama. The rule
stin held that poetry developed before
prose. The suitable medium for the
other great branches of literary COM
position was still to be perfected, since
history, philosophy and oratory could
not be adequately expressed except in
prose. The Ionsan '1ogographers," or
in prose, had made begin