New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-04-13
The Soul of the Greeks as ReCeated
in Their Epigrams.

IN Il HeH GpSIuMo'
zr1Ecr EPIGRAals FROM THE. GREEK
SO 40 5 64C zs3 i.onginans Green & Co.
EURIPIDEs, MEDEA. TROJAN WOMEN AND
EcTRA1 FEpsnatory 1n. %oes s BY
Gilbert Murray $40; PIP s.. a. 80. OXFORD Uni
Tersity Press. American Branch.
Very often a brief and sudden glimpse ct
thing OF beauty fills one with more intense pleas
ere than a long, sweeping look does. and in some
RESPECTS this is peculiarly true when the ancient
Greek world is the object of regard. The many
annotated volumes that have been hurled at our
boeas explaining the secret OF Greek life" or
.tbe spirit OF Athenian culture" something
souallv abstract and unreal fail miserably TO
reveal the charm OF that pagan atmosphere with
she clearness and force OF the tiny epigrams Of
,he Greek Anthology. These epigrams are the
very soul OF Greek thoughts and emotions, not
vague autopsies held over the cadavers Of the
classics. Lovers OF Greek literature and life owe
Professor Mackail thanks for preparing new
edition OF his selections from Greek Anthol-
oeies The student familiar with the labored
products Of Greek literary genius viii find
among these little utterances mulutudinous
echoes Of the sweetest. grandest and most trag-
tel voices that ever spoke in ancient Hellas.
m reading them the sympathetic student will
fancy that some unconscious poetic instinct
drove the epigrammafsts 10 sift out all that was
commonplace, pointless or un-Hellenic, leaving
disconnected mass of phrases and lines which,
Sor all their separateness, were ready TO be
6ttod together into perfect mosaic picture of
the soul OF Hellas.
The reader who is not deeply versed in Greek
literature may approach the epigrams salts
factorily through Professor Maclairs interesting
introduction wherein an excellent account is
given OF the purpose and content Of Greek cpl
grams and biographies of their writer's and col
lstors. The editor has drawn examples from all
surviving Anthologies,-in the text Of the Ger
man phnologist Jaoobs.-and has added a few
Ecaftered epigrams from classical works. The
aim OF the present collection being to show the
Hellenic attitude toward The more important
asnects of life Professor Mackal groups the
chosen epigrams under the following twelve APP
nrouriate heads, according 10 their themes:
love pravers and dedications epitaphs litera-
iure and art religion Nature, the family, beauty,
fate and change. the human comedy. death. and
life Through the dmnutive two, four. and oc-
casionaIIy eight line stanzas on these topics the
reader sees as through chinks i'm a wall, sunny
meadows. with temples and merry pagans, TEEN
ing city streets and mysterious. all-encircling
sea.
The epigrams touching on love reveal the vast
difference between the ancient world and our
own. The editor observes that this difference in
the present aspect is probably only one of ex-
pression; the result Of love in human lives differs
slightly he is inclined to think. from age to age
!. is hard. though: to agree wholly with this
verdict. after reading the epigrams with
medieval and modern instances in mind. -Four
types OF attitude toward love appear I'm Homer.
sappho the tragedians and Theocritus; and
Meleager might be credited with fifth one,
were 1t not that he is SO tinged with Asiauc IN
huences that true Hellenist dislikes reckoning
him among the Greeks. even though he is
master OF epigrams. The Homeric age held pas
sion 10 be unworthy of a strong man. but almost
idealized quiet married life. as Odysseus's eX-
ouisite words repeatedly show. Almost the same
must be said OF the Periclean age. although here
Il is not the crude warrior that laughs at senti-
ment bat rather the refined. cold minded
thinker of the market place and the school. The
classical writings from these two epochs do not
disclose so completely the average" mans ideas
and feelings as the very unclassical but ex-
quislte epigrams DO. The latter prove the ex-
istence OF an enormous difference between Hell
lenic and modern ideas on love. a difference
which perhaps so serious student Professor
Mackai could not discern: the Greek almost
never took love seriously. he took 1t either Won
deringly or, as Sappho did, wildly. In other
words. romanticism is absolutely alien 10 the
true Greek; not until Asiatic influences had
worked upon the Hellenes a long time do We
find as in Meleager and his mastery erotic
epigrRms a powerful yet mongrei Greek TO-
manucisnl. Even Theocrtus not classic"
Greek, but sicilian. is easy-going and jolly in
the midst Of his most passionate ecstasies over
Daphne The epigrams chosen by the editor do
not make this point perfectly clear; for, drawn
they are from every age and district, and
written by every manner Of man, peasant and
prince. they show Sapphic ecstasy and philo-
sophie amusement in confusing proximity on the
page. Thus Don Of Athens eXclaims:
Take thy war-shafts. o Cypris. and go to some
other target. for ! have not even space left for
a wound"-whe another more natural sufferer
means in words long since gone stale: Would
were pink rose that thou highest fasten me
with thine hands upon thy snowy breast" Never
fheless. there is always that curious reference
10 the speaker, characteristic Of both ancient
ana modern Humanism. and never a truly ro-
mantle Dedication Of either Love or the loved
one. Bitter humor and amused irritation are
conspicuous everywhere
To apprehend the Greeks as they were. the
reader must turn 10 the epigrams that are
prayers and epitaphs. 1t is literally true that
IN these some OF the masterpieces Of Literature
are TO be found. Here can be learned the Greek
love Of life. contentment and noble resignation
70 misfortune and death. Who read I'M
moved this prayer OF an old fisherman to the
SOD OF the sea?-
Old Amyntichus tied his pIummeted hshing-net
sound his hsh-spear. he ceased from his toll,
and spalIe towards Poseidon and the salt surge OF
hard old age clinging Poverty keeps her youth and
wastes my limbs. Give sustenance 10 a poor old
while he draws breath: but give II from