The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-15
TIEsDsPAToH RICHMOND VA SUNDAY FEBRUA 1a14

cd out that our higher culture is root
ed In the soil OF antiquity. having
sprung out OF tho great creations with
which the Greek race ut the high water
mark OF Its development endowed the
world. and that. therefore. we cannot
give UP our connection with Creek but
must continually go back TO it afresh,
In order TO assimilate more fully Its
life Iring elements. and build further
upon it's historical foundation.
Because Of this basal relation OF
Greek to human culture. the nations of
earth have paid their tribute of honor
TO these glorious creators Of cultural
values, and provided chairs of Greek In
All tho great universities OF the world.
We, too. in America have Undertaking
ly maintained the Greek ideal In our
universities. All that is now needed is
to render our Greek departments In the
universities fully effective by providing
the necessary Greek preparation In the
high school. by thus encouraging
Greek in the high school. we shall not
only strengthen the Greek department
In the university, but stimulate and
elevate the Latin instruction In the
high school. For 1t Will at once become
clear to everybody, as 1t has always
been TO scholars. that the study of
Greek is of all things the most helpful
and Illuminating to the Latin teacher
himself.
we peS, therefore, 10 urge upon ali
who are Interested in the work OF the
high school the fundamental cultural
and economic Importance of providing
the usual two final years of Creek in
struction in the high school, so "a not
only to make 1t possible for every pupil
who so desires. to acquire tho precious
elemcntseof Greek az far as the reads
Ing of Homer, and that, too, entirely re-
gardless OF whether he Will go on to
the university or not: but also az a
matter OF educational efficiency and
business economy. in order to make
fully effective the Greek equipment OF
the university, which depends organi-
cally upon the high schools for tho
preparation and supply Of it's student
material.
Greek is the one ideal element need
ed TO round out and perfect our system
Greek in tho high school is our tribute
OF loyalty TO the spiritual ancestry of
we, too, OF Virginia and the South can
afford to pay such reverence to the
Ideal interests of life. Our public
" am san de Se ray
until we shall have made II possible
Tor any number OF pupils. however
small. to pursue the study OF Greek
school course. For nothing Is moro
certain than that. In the profoundest
essentials OF our thought and speech.
supplement to Latina supplement- SO
important. and covering such vital Gull
tural phases of thought and vocabu-
school curriculum cannot but mean
q serious spiritual and practical lacuna
IN our educational system. And tho
OF human history. Greek has become
thus fundamental to our higher thought
and speech, and. therefore. most pre-
cious and necessary for a generous
noblesse oblige of our attitude to the
question of providing such instruction
In our public high schools. and thus
teaching of Greek In our great demo-
crazy.
1T was the Greeks who first taught
the world what was beautiful In archi-
lecture. sculpture and painting. and
all subsequent artists have cherished
and Initiated the transcendcnt forms
OF beauty which Greek artists have
h tem us us, tn, The mere memmory-all we
Athene Parthenos OF Phidas is a
spiritual benediction.
The Greeks were the originators
Of every noble type of literature known
among men, and the masterpieces which
they achieved in prose and poetry seem
destined never TO be surpassed. Homer
Is stln the central sun in the SOAR
system Of human letters. So. too. our
TO the Greek mind. Thales of Miletus
and Democritus OF Abdera. Socrates of
Athens and Aristotle of Stagirn, first
pointed the way OF knowledge to man
kind.
These arc tho tremendous facts,
which account for the critical import
ance of the Greek element In tho al
chemy of our thought and in the struc-
ture OF our speech: these the spiritual
values which merit of us a lasting
memorial to Greek In our pub
lie school system. Let us not
only endow II in our universities
let US also support and encourage 1t In
our high schools 1t is our noblest
heritage from the past. and no Gull
turcd lndoeuropenn democracy can ar
ford to omit IL as possible subject
OF study I'm tho high school. 1t matters
not how few may elect to pursue it,
The Classical Association of Vir-
ginia. therefore. earnestly recommends
the provision OF two final years OF
Greek instruction in the high school.
In addition to the regular provision
for high school Latin"