The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1904-06-06

ages of the worlds literature the great
greatness. The stories Of her gods and
heroes have been retold in every Ian
guage and her myths have influenced
poetic genius more than any other
theme and Greek culture and civiliza-
ton have come down to us in such
protection that in art and literature II
Is un ivaled even today.
And ii is of the influence that these
perfect phases of Greek civilization
namely o atory. literature and art have
exerted on the worlds history that we
wish to speak
In the first of these. oratory. Greece
has exceIlod the world. Were all the
supreme orators of the world chosen
and from their number one selected
none could equal the mighty Demoth-
enes. Demothenes the greatest orator
the wo Id has ever known, was d
Greek. His father, who was a wealthy
Tanufactu. er, died early leaving his
fortune and child en- to the care OF
the r guardians who cruelty abused thei
rust. AS soon as Demothenes became
Of age he resolved to prosecute at Law
-hese unfa thful guardians. He gained
mis- case but only recovered enough to
save him f. ON poverty. II S success III
shis and some other cases fixed his res
oIution TO devote himself to public lie.
His health was naturally feeble. hi
voice ha sh and tuneless and his actiJn
Ingraceful. To strengthen his lungs re
used to climb steep hills. recting as he
vent or dsclsim The shores of the
ca IN stormy weather. His feebleness
II health he never fairly overcame
1ut he obviated the defects of his early
training by the severest study pursued
Tor months at a time without intel rup-
Ion. He was most diligent studen.
Of Thucydides. whose great story he
is sa d to have known by heart. More
han sixty of his orations have beer
preserved. "Of all human production
hey present To US the models which
approach the nearest to perfection.
Ie was fired with earnestness anG
ents at all time with such undyint
.atr otism and power. that all age
ave rung with his D aises as char.
lion of befty. Whether those praise
deserved o. not, there can be bu.
'ur verdict upon his power as an ora
or: in all ages he stands preeminent
10 other man has been able to rival hi
achievements. He reached the poin
I perfection in oratory-that point o.
feetion too-to VIII ch all orators
II notions are now aspiring. the poin'
Z Influencing the world ard leaving e
he wo Id lessons which all ages viii
trive to copy and attain.
In the second. Greek literature, We
nd this perfection STILL The literature
the Greeks was native and Ike the
literature of all primative people. was
n the earliest ages concerned oni,
With the exploits OF heroes and myth
cal adventures of Gods and Goddasses
Tut slow as was the development OF
eek literature at first. yet toward the
md of the fifth century. that is to say
\ the age Of Periceles. the literature
# the Greeks blazed into such perfec-
ion of ach evement as mas not pee-
oaralleled among any people in any
'ther epoch Of the worlds history.
The beauty of Grecan scenery I'm
pired many of the most striking pas.
ages of hew poets and ii is though
hat the exh'larating atmosphere ane
rilliant skies of Attica were not un~c
ated to the lofty achievements of Atn-
an intellec,.
II was the sum OF evluiste sense OF
'rees and prov 'ion and beauty
which n'ade the Greeks artists in mar
lie that AFRO made them artists in
1nguage. The excellence of Greek lit
'rature fitness. symmetry. proportion
'eanness of outline are the same az
hose that characte ized Greek art.
wen the C eek philosophers. expressed
heir ideas and speculations with sucf
egard to the rules of literary art thai
nany of their predictions are fairly
ptitled to place IN literature ope-
The earlie~t specimens of Greek
poet' are the so-cailed Homeric poems
'onsisting OF the Tliad and the Odyssey.
wo of the most fascinating epics ever
written. Even today they are read With
rs much del ght as they were studied
md listened to by the Greek citizen OF
he Greek pupil of 1000 years ago.
The age in which the Iliad was writ
zen has been called the childhood of
he world. The work is cha acte lied
by the freshness and vitality Of youth.
I exerted an incalculable influence
ipon the literary and relig Gus life of
he Hellenic ace. Ii has made war
iors as well as poets. for many Of its
passages ale instinct with martial life.
It melted the military ambition of
Alexander. of Hannible and of Caesar.
II inspired Virgil Dante and NJ ltor.
All epic Writer'S have taken IL as their
model