The daily Nome industrial worker., 1916-12-25
CHRIS &T1IAS.

Some historical text books show specimens Of ancient Greek art and specimens Of the early christian or Byzantine art. Any person will no Iice a wide distinction. The latter appears crude and i'll formed in com parison with the work of the Greek sculptors, and so inferior, apparent ly, is the christian art that one wonders what was responsible for the decadence.
 Moreover, there is a certain some thing about the Byzantine art which suggests the east with it's peculiar stiifening and groupings regardless of perspective which sometimes is elevated in the modern efforts al initiating the works of this school. These artificial and suited lines ignore for the sake of effect the natural curves which were a mania with the Creek sculptors.
 But notwithstanding all this, we will notice that both have a certain indefinite something ill common, and that the one although it appears de cadent is possessed of connection to the other which is not to be ignored. The classic art has become orientalized so to say by the newer philosophy. Another important fact is that if we consider the christian festivals, We find that they present an entirely different aspect to that which the ancient pagan festivals present, but an inves+Agatid$ shows that the former is grafted upon the latter. and the both are connected in a manner unmistakably reveals the fact that one is a later day develop ment of the other.
 Yet further than this, if we take care to consider the theology of the later day christianity, we discov- er also that it is a development of organism whereon has been founded q mixture of ancient Greek philo- sophy and metaphysics with a com pound sprinkling of oriental mystic ism which was most prevalent in the teachings of the gnostics of Alex andria
 These are things that have pe- culiar significance which have to be observed if we will understand the peculiar moral and social deevlcp- mcnt of society under the Romans.
 When the christian era begins. Rome was mistress of the world as we understand it. The legiOns ot the city on the Tiber had penetrated the remotest recesses, and the Ro- man civilization reflects the result of that intercourse between con querors and conquered. Associations with the east also brought of necess' ity association with all the concep- jions of the east and these reacted in turn upon the classic conceptions which had been accepted by the AttibG4l i-tiAllI Ht IEIIS ltll Bl Christ, his moral teachings, is found e1 upon the Golden Rule. It was rule whose acceptance however pre- missed an absolute social equality. And it reaches it's perfection in the communism of the earliest of his fol- lowers when "all things were in common.
 The Roman economy was slave economy. They did the work. They lived in the foeci or slums of the city And when the religion of Christ first spread among the Romans, it's roots were strongest among the servile classes to whom it's mysticism and symbolism made wonderful appeal. It promised surcease of all worldly sorrows, and preaching a rigid almost ascetic abstinence, not very difficult to slaves, it presented nothing which seemed impossible. To the poor a religion of poverty Is not an intolerable condition of thought, nor one impossible of at- tainment, and only when the faith reached higher strata did it meet with any serious economic obstacles.
 At first it was fraternity or brotherhood in the strict sense of the term. And an absolute equality prevailed when the leaders were chosen by the member of that frater- nifty themselves.
 As time passed on and the more