Smyrna times., 1905-02-01
THE ANCIENT GREEKS
THEY WE'RE MASTERS IN THE
SCIENCE OF GOVERNMENT.

The statues and literary master
nieces of Hellas, whose themes were
mainly legendary, are responsible for
1be impression that the ancient Greek
was cast in the heroic mold. The he
roic Greek was a turbulent, master
ful egOtistic demigod. He had no
counterpart in any historical figure ex-
cept Alexander the Great, who deem
ed himself a descendant of Achilles.
the sea nymph's son, and acted very
much like him.
The Greek of history was an uncom-
monty consistent republican In the
tolerance he gave to individualism and
the capacity he showed-inside his city
state-for collective action he carried
the science of government and of DO
litical self control in some respects to
a height from which all subsequent
history is a descending slope. While
maintaining democratic standards, he
did not enforce nor bow to that tyran-
nous and narrowing public opinion
cast all men in much the same mold.
He found a place in his scheme of
things for diversities of natural bent
for the effeminate dress of Alcibiades,
the tub of DiOgenes, the railings of
CleOn, the austerities of Aristides, the
satire of AristOphanes, the arrogance
of PhociOn. The democracy of Athens
was never the democracy of the dead
level. 1t meant opportunity, not a
steam roller,
AS creditable story is told on the
side of collective action. Greek politics
implied, as Mahaffy has observed, 1.-The
reasonable discussion of the public, the
final decision of the majority, the sub
mission of magistrates and rulers to
the will of the people" The Greek
multitude" was tolerant patient, 10y
al to its leaders and capable, as it
showed in the Peloponnesian war, of
making exemplary sacrifices and of in
itiating and maintaining a course of
action for a prOtracted period. The
whole population of Athens, for in
stance, abandoned the country and
took to their ships, leaving the enemy
to destroy their city and their posses
sions while they sought him and finally
conquered him on the sea. For that
fortitude it would be impossible to find
modern parallel.
The civic qualities are uppermost in
the great period Of Greek history-a
keen appreciation of humor that acted
as a safety valve to the turbulence of
assemblies, an aptitude at public
speaking which was useful in battle as
in council. Every free Greek was at
once a legislator, an orator, potential
admiral or general.
There was one capital defect in the
Hellenic character. The individual
Greek could not stand prosperity. AS
Grote put it, 1.-The effects of a copious
draft of glory on the temperament Of
an enterprising and ambitious Greek
were perfectly maddening." He was a
good loser. but nearly always bad
winner. Almost every conspicuous
Greek of history became at the end a
cOrruptionist or q traitor. Miltiades,
victor Of Marathon, became pirate
and died in Imprisonment. Themisto-
cles was negotiating to betray the Gre
clan armament to the great king the
day before he destroyed the Persian
feet at Salamis. Alcibiades betrayed
in turn the Athenians, the Spartans
and the Persians Demosthenes was
banished for embezZlement. The Syra
cusan leaders became tyrants when
they could. OF all Greeks only limo
leon. the COrinthian who freed Syra
cuse. was at once honorable, fortunate
and acclaimed.
Although the Hellenic world fr1ngeC
the Mediterranean and the Black seas
from end to end. the significant politi
cal history of Greece is almost alto
gether the history of Athens and spar
ia. The great places of heroic legend
Ithaca and PYlos and Phthia and Ar
cadia and Argos and Corcyra, TN
Phaeakes' land" figure but family Il
Z the historical period. Ithaca was oni
n barren rock, Arcadia a recruiting
! ground for rustic mercenaries and Al
Y gOs and Corcyra and such states as AF
n tOlia, Messena, Thessaly and the Achat
4 an League ancient prototypes OF th
u rude and turbulent Balkan states OF u
4 day. The transitory pre-eminence 2
Thebes was the pre-eminence OF II
one great soldier, Epaminondas.
n Between them Spartans and Athen
4 ans wrote the great story of politics
n Greece. The Spartans were more
n military brotherhood than a state. u
men dining in barracks and vlsltin
n their families by stealth and all ire
A men despising wealth and any toll e.
eept that Of the gymnasium. the or
ground and the battlefield. They we
4 proud, shy, self contained non
Keeping people, so i'll at ease ana u
practiced in public speech that y
Il word 'laconic" has become a proven
q Their cautious political sense, tht
n military discipline, their long lived q
nasty and their unbroken maintenan
y OF one form Of government secur
them the instructive Difference OF otn
Greeks.