The Idaho Republican., 1914-08-14


world an turned human thought and
activity into new channels. There
have been many wars; there are but
few epochal battles since the dawn
of civilization. Read them upon the
disclosed scroll.
First of these is a Marathon ItI
was fought out on the borders of the
Aegean near the close of the Filth
century. 1t resulted in the overthrow
of the Persians in Greece and the
checking of the Persian advance to
the conquest of Europe. 1t was a
victory of civilization over semi-bar-
barism. On what slender threads
great destinies hang-whether to
bring battle against the 100000 for
midable Persians and their allies at
that time or to wait more conven-
of that pregnant hour The appeal of
destiny rang in his ears. The 10
Greek generals in charge of the
Athenian army were divided half and
half; five were for an immediate en-
gagement; five stood out for delay.
The determining vote was cast by the
war-ruler, Callimachus, and the de-
cisive battle was on. Aeschylus, who
was in both battles, those of Mara
thon and Salamis, voiced the battle
cry of the Greeks that rang out elate
and clear over the mountains where
brooded the gods and heros of
Greece: ''On sons of the Greeks.
Strike for the freedom of your
country; strike for the freedom of
your children and your wives-for the
shrines of your fathers gods and for
the sepulchres of your sires-All-
all are now staked upon the strife. y
And when the eleven thousand heroic
Greek footmen swooped down on ten
fold their number of a Persian host
flushed with the conquest of half the
world and that hitherto had never
known defeat, the Persians We're
driven into the sea and the liberties
of Greece were assured. The defeat
of tn Greeks at Marathon would have
meant that the infant energies of
Europe would have been trodden
under foot of the Persian dynasty,
the triumphant reign of semi-barbar-
ism lasting untold centuries, the men
tai and political prostration of mil
lions, as Cresy put it, beneath the
diadem, the tiara and the sword. We
would have had no Greek civilization
with it's inspiring and world infinenc-
ing literature, no age of Per1cles, no
Parthenon lighted up with marble
smiles whose remnants even have
been the dispair of art for thousands
of years: no Greek drama, no Rome
with it's reign of wide-sweeping law
for Rome would have been crushed
in the egg; no European marvels OF
progress. All would have been nip
ped in the budding and crushed by
: the devastating scourge of the victori'
Gus Mede From thence the semi
barbaric Persian hordes rolled back
into their native element, sullenlJ
coming back to be defeated again a.
Salamis and once more by Alexander
at Arbela. Salamis and Arbela were
the aftermath of Marathon and spell
ed liberty for Europe.
Then came epoch making Arminius
in the region of Lieppe, near Ems ant
Weser nine years after the birth Of
Christ BY his victory over the Ro
man general VarrUs, in the forest:
of Germany he hurled back the power
of Romans from German shores ant
made possible the marvellous develop
ment and porgress of the Teutoni'
family of nations. Arminus rouset
and moulded the various German
tribes into a victorious unity. HI
was inspired alike by patriotism ant
love. Thusneda, the lovely daughter
tof Segestes, had won his heart ant
when refused her hand the pair elop
ed and the father threatened hin
with the power of the Roman govern
ment. "Very well, then ! will figh
Rome" And the battle was tough
that destroyed the legions of Varrus
over which loss Augustus wept, broke
the Roman power in Germany, ant
made possible Teutonic civilization
with it's vast influence in human af
fairs.
Aours in 1872 won by Charles Mar
tel, the Hammer, over the Saracens
saved Europe from the Turks ant
stayed the Koran, backed by the
scimeter and the hordes of Arabia. Il
marked the greatest victory for civil
ization of the middle ages. From the
loins of Martel came Charlemagne
with the practical restoration of the
old gigantic world, Roman empire
only to go down and be broken like
waves upon a storm beaten shore anC
to be transformed through feudalism
into mighty Independent state and