The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1921-01-14
GREECE: NEW NATION OF
AN ANCIENT PEOPLE.

The uur~iion OF succession to tl'e
thron, a Nag Alexander OF Greece
tlrned world interest once more w
a0u,ura stern Europe. The changes
Greece has undergone territoria!iy ahd
the part IL has played in the wars all"
crises at It's corner of the world, are
discussed in the following bulletin is
sued hl tie National Geographic So
cieiy:
'What i Greece:
an the light OF The past the answer
rni@h; we'll be tentative. fOr a Getnl-
ton OF GreCce'S area at any time our
ing the thousands OF years or It's MS
tory would have held good hardly for
a Quarter century and in latter years
So swift have been the changes IN the
new Greece, each decade has seen the
fixing OF new boundaries.
Not until modern times-eNceP'
during The momcntary empire OF Alex
ander-has Greece meant nation.
In the tirerian Golden Age, as well
as before and since, Greece was Il
house divided against itself. Its lie
taile:! history would mean the history
Of more than 1870 separate states
And yet there was at all times some
feeling of Hellenic nationality even
though the rivalries among the va
rlous groups stood in the way OF tu-
sion into single nation
z'T'Nhile Great Britain may be de
scribed as q land surrounded by seas
Greece may be said 10 he a sea sur
rounded by land The Hellenes have
always been Il sea-taring fotk, anu
the Mediterranean sea, and more par
ticularly the Aegean have been tier
own particular herring ponds. Inc
islands of the eastern Mediterranean
became Greek territory In their en-
tirety. and this was true also of the
island-like peloponneSuS and some
other portions of the Greek peninsula
But an equally important part OF
Greece-or better. of the land of the
Hellencs-wcre the settlements made
nv its mariners on the shores OF the
mainland that hem in the Mediter-
ranean. These settlements constr
tuted an unbrokcn fringe of Hella*
along the shores of Asia Minor. and
scattered communities on the shores
of Italy. IN Sicily, even In northern
Africa and what is now southern
France This was the loose Greece
or Hellas at its greatest--a domain
OF one people but of many states.
Greece gave the world Its first
League of Nations. the Delian league.
organized IN HI +. c. by way Of mu-
tual protection against the external
aggression of Persia. which had q
sort Of archaeological ambition of
Its own In those days. Athens was
tho only 'nrincinal n0wnr' +" this
league, and was the recognized leader
Of the organization.
Later came the hegemony of Ath.
ems by force. the paradoXical empire
Of a democracy. bereft even Of the
trappingS OF monarchy. At this pc
rIod and under what may be termed
the empires of Sparta and Thehes, q
close approach TO a Greek nation may
Of these eras were most of the terri
tories peOpled by Greeks included. and
even large parts of the Greek PENN
sula itself were governed by other
Hellenic states. For brief period
under Alexander the Great. Greece
reached the status of nation, but II
was fusion forced by a virtual ont
slider and contained much territory in
hahited by others than Greeks; and
on the death OF the great military
genius the Hellenes separated again
into numerous governmental units.
Greece, expanding from the city
state. had comprised for Il moment
almost the whole civilized world; bat
the great dilation was followed by an
equally great contraction. Greece fell
under thn rising power of Rome, and
became d mere province in The west
-eln empire.
"The military ability and power OF
the Greeks died under the Roman
yoke; bdt when the Eastern empire
was formed with Constantinople as its
seat. Greek culture conquered Where
Greek arms could not, and Byzantium
became In reality a great Greek state.
Once more the territory that, by con.
structiOn at least. can be regarded as
Greece, spread outward until It held
within its boundaries much of south
eastern Europe. 1t is On reviving the
glory OF this period in GreCian history
that Greek ambition, when 1t could
live AT all. has dwelt"
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