第44章

havenowishtodisputethisestimate。ButonacarefulstudyitwillappearthattheAthenians，atleast，inahigherdegreethananyothercommunityofancienttimes，exhibitedparliamentarytact，ortheabilitytositstillwhilebothsidesofaquestionaregettingdiscussed，——thatsortofpoliticaltalentforwhichtheEnglishracesaredistinguished，andtothelackofwhichsomanyofthepoliticalfailuresoftheFrenchareegregiouslydue。 Onewouldsupposethatajudicatureofthewholetownwouldbelikelytoexecuteasorryparodyofjustice；yetjusticewasbynomeansill-administeredatAthens。Eventhemostunfortunateanddisgracefulscenes，——aswheretheproposedmassacreoftheMytilenaianswasdiscussed，andwheresummaryretributionwasdealtouttothegeneralswhohadneglectedtheirdutyatArginusai，——eventhesescenesfurnish，whenthoroughlyexamined，asbyMr。Grote，onlythemoreconvincingproofthattheAthenianwasusuallyswayedbysoundreasonandgoodsensetoanextraordinarydegree。Allgreatpointsinfact，weresettledratherbysoberappealstoreasonthanbyintrigueorlobbying； andonecannothelpthinkingthatanAthenianofthetimeofPerikleswouldhaveregardedwithpityingcontemptthetrickofthe“previousquestion。“Andthisexplainstheundoubtedpre-eminenceofAthenianoratory。Thisaccountsforthefactthatwefindintheforensicannalsofasinglecity，andwithinthecompassofasinglecentury，suchnamesasLysias，Isokrates，Andokides，Hypereides，Aischines，andDemosthenes。Theartoforatory，liketheartofsculpture，shoneforthmorebrilliantlythenthaneversince，becausethentheconditionsfavouringitsdevelopmentweremoreperfectlycombinedthantheyhavesincebeen。Now，aconditionofsocietyinwhichthemultitudecanalwaysbemadetostandquietlyandlistentoalogicaldiscourseisaconditionofhighculture。ReadersofXenophon’sAnabasiswillrememberthefrequencyofthespeechesinthatcharmingbook。Wheneversometerribleemergencyarose，orsomealarmingquarrelordishearteningpanicoccurred，inthecourseoftheretreatoftheTenThousand，anorationfromoneofthecommanders——notademagogue’sappealtothelowerpassions，butacalmexpositionofcircumstancesaddressedtothesoberjudgment——usuallysufficedtosetallthingsinorder。TomymindthisisoneofthemostimpressivehistoricallessonsconveyedinXenophon’sbook。Andthispeculiarkindofself-control，indicativeofintellectualsobrietyandhighmoraltraining，whichwasmoreorlesscharacteristicofallGreeks，wasespeciallycharacteristicoftheAthenians。 Theseillustrationswill，Ihope，sufficetoshowthatthereisnothingextravagantinthehighestimatewhichIhavemadeofAthenianculture。IhavebarelyindicatedthecausesofthissingularperfectionofindividualtraininginthesocialcircumstancesamidwhichtheAthenianslived。Ihaveallegeditasaninstanceofwhatmaybeaccomplishedbyawell-directedleisureandintheabsenceorveryscantydevelopmentofsuchacomplexindustriallifeasthatwhichsurroundsusto-day。ButI havenotyetquitedonewiththeAthenians。Beforeleavingthispartofthesubject，Imustmentiononefurthercircumstancewhichtendstomakeancientlifeappearinoureyesmoresunnyandhealthyandlessdistressed，thanthelifeofmoderntimes。 Andinthisinstance，too，thoughwearenotdealingwithanyimmediateorremoteeffectsofleisureliness，westillhavetonotethepeculiaradvantagegainedbytheabsenceofagreatcomplexityofinterestsintheancientcommunity。 Withrespecttoreligion，theAthenianswerepeculiarlysituated。 Theyhadforthemostpartoutgrowntheprimitiveterrorismoffetishisticbelief。Saveincasesofpublicdistress，asinthemutilationoftheHermai，orintherefusalofNikiastoretreatfromSyracusebecauseofaneclipseofthemoon，theywerenolonger，likesavages，afraidofthedark。Theirkeenaestheticsensehadprevailedtoturnthehorrorsofaprimevalnature-worshipintobeauties。Theirspringsandgroveswerepeopledbytheirfancywithnaiadsanddryads，notwithtrollsandgrotesquegoblins。Theirfeelingstowardtheunseenpowersatworkaboutthemwereinthemainpleasant；aswitnessthelittlestoryaboutPheidippidesmeetingthegodPanashewasmakingwithhothastetowardSpartatoannouncethearrivalofthePersians。Now，whilethisoriginalsourceofmentaldiscomfort，whichafflictstheuncivilizedman，hadceasedmateriallytoaffecttheAthenians，theyontheotherhandlivedatatimewhenthevaguesenseofsinandself-reproofwhichwascharacteristicoftheearlyagesofChristianity，hadnotyetinvadedsociety。 ThevastcomplicationoflifebroughtaboutbytheextensionoftheRomanEmpireledtoagreatdevelopmentofhumansympathies，unknowninearliertimes，andcalledforthunquietyearnings，desireforamelioration，asenseofshort-coming，andamorbidself-consciousness。ItisaccordinglyunderRomanswaythatwefirstcomeacrosscharactersapproximatingtothemoderntype，likeCicero，Seneca，Epictetus，andMarcusAurelius。Itisthenthatwefindtheideaofsocialprogressfirstclearlyexpressed，thatwediscoversomeglimmeringsofaconsciousphilanthropy，andthatwedetecttheearliestsymptomsofthatunhealthytendencytosubordinatetooentirelythephysicaltothemorallife，whichreacheditsculminationintheMiddleAges。InthepalmydaysoftheAtheniansitwasdifferent。Whenwehintthattheywerenotconsciouslyphilanthropists，wedonotmeanthattheywerenothumane；whenweaccreditthemwithnoideaofprogress，wedonotforgethowmuchtheydidtorenderboththeideaandtherealitypossible；whenwesaythattheyhadnotadistressingsenseofspiritualunworthiness，wedonotmeanthattheyhadnoconscience。Wemeanthattheirmoralandreligiouslifesateasilyonthem，liketheirowngracefuldrapery，——didnotgallandworrythem，likethehair-clothgarmentofthemonk。 TheywerefreefromthatdarkconceptionofadevilwhichlentterrortolifeintheMiddleAges；andthemorbidself-consciousnesswhichledmediaevalwomentoimmurethemselvesinconventswouldhavebeentoanAthenianquiteinexplicable。 Theyhad，inshort，anopenandchildlikeconceptionofreligion； and，assuch，itwasasunnyconception。AnyonewhowilltakethetroubletocompareanidylofTheokritoswithamodernpastoral，orthepoemofKleantheswithamodernhymn，ortheAphroditeofMeloswithamodernMadonna，willrealizemosteffectuallywhatImean。 And，finally，thereligionoftheAthenianswasinthemainsymbolizedinafluctuatingmythology，andhadneverbeenhardenedintodogmas。TheAthenianwassubjecttonopriest，norwasheobligedtopinhisfaithtoanyformulatedcreed。Hishospitablepolytheismleftlittleroomfortheologicalpersecution，andnoneforanyheresyshortofvirtualatheism。 Thefeverishdoubtswhichrackthemodernmindlefthimundisturbed。Thoughhemightsinktoanydepthofscepticisminphilosophy，yettheeternalwelfareofhissoulwasnotsupposedtohangupontheissueofhisdoubts。AccordinglyAtheniansocietywasnotonlycharacterizedinthemainbyfreedomofopinion，inspiteoftheexceptionalcasesofAnaxagorasandSokrates；buttherewasalsononeofthatGothicgloomwithwhichthedeep-seatedChristiansenseofinfiniteresponsibilityforopinionhassaddenedmodernreligiouslife。 InthesereflectionsIhavewanderedalittlewayfrommyprincipaltheme，inordermorefullytoshowwhytheoldGreeklifeimpressesusassocheerful。Returningnowtothekeynotewithwhichwestarted，letusstatesuccinctlythenetresultofwhathasbeensaidabouttheAthenians。Asapeoplewehaveseenthattheyenjoyedanunparalleledamountofleisure，livingthroughlifewithbutlittleturmoilandclatter。Theirlifewasmorespontaneousandunrestrained，lessrigorouslymarkedoutbyuncontrollablecircumstances，thanthelifeofmoderns。Theydidnotrunsomuchingrooves。Andalongwiththiswehaveseenreasontobelievethattheywerethemostprofoundlycultivatedofallpeoples；thatalargerproportionofmenlivedcomplete，well-rounded，harmoniouslivesinancientAthensthaninanyotherknowncommunity。Keen，nimble-minded，andself-possessed； audaciousspeculators，buttemperateandaversetoextravagance； emotionallyhealthy，andendowedwithanunequalledsenseofbeautyandpropriety；howadmirableandwonderfultheyseemwhenlookedatacrossthegulfofagesintervening，——andwhatapricelesspossessiontohumanity，ofwhatnobleauguryforthedistantfuture，isthefactthatsuchasocietyhasonceexisted！ Thelessontobedrawnfromthestudyofthisantiquelifewillimpressitselfmoredeeplyuponusafterwehavebrieflycontemplatedthestrikingcontrasttoitwhichisaffordedbythephaseofcivilizationamidwhichweliveto-day。EversinceGreekcivilizationwasmergedinRomanimperialism，therehasbeenaslowlygrowingtendencytowardcomplexityofsociallife，——towardthewideningofsympathies，themultiplyingofinterests，theincreaseofthenumberofthingstobedone。ThroughthelaterMiddleAges，afterRomancivilizationhadabsorbedanddisciplinedtheincomingbarbarismwhichhadthreatenedtodestroyit，therewasasteadilyincreasingcomplicationofsociety，amultiplicationofthewantsoflife，andaconsequentenhancementofthedifficultyofself-maintenance。Theultimatecausesofthisphenomenonliesofarbeneaththesurfacethattheycouldbesatisfactorilydiscussedonlyinatechnicalessayontheevolutionofsociety。Itwillbeenoughforusheretoobservethatthegreatgeographicaldiscoveriesofthesixteenthcenturyandthesomewhatlaterachievementsofphysicalsciencehave，duringthepasttwohundredyears，aidedpowerfullyindeterminingtheentranceoftheWesternworlduponanindustrialepoch，——anepochwhichhasforitsfinalobjectthecompletesubjectionofthepowersofnaturetopurposesofindividualcomfortandhappiness。Wehavenowtotracesomeoftheeffectsofthislately-begunindustrialdevelopmentuponsociallifeandindividualculture。Andaswestudiedtheleisurelinessofantiquitywhereitseffectsweremostconspicuous，inthecityofAthens，weshallnowdowelltostudytheoppositecharacteristicsofmodernsocietywheretheyaremostconspicuouslyexemplified，inourowncountry。TheattributesofAmericanlifewhichitwillbenecessarytosignalizewillbeseentobeonlytheattributesofmodernlifeintheirmostexaggeratedphase。 Tobeginwith，instudyingtheUnitedStates，wearenolongerdealingwithasinglecity，orwithsmallgroupsofcities。Thecityasapoliticalunit，intheantiquesense，hasneverexistedamongus，andindeedcanhardlybesaidnowtoexistanywhere。 Themoderncityishardlymorethanagreatemporiumoftrade，oraplacewherelargenumbersofpeoplefinditconvenienttolivehuddledtogether；notasacredfatherlandtowhichitsinhabitantsowetheirhighestallegiance，andbytherequirementsofwhichtheirpoliticalactivityislimited。Whatstrikesushereisthatourmodernlifeisdiffusedorspreadout，notconcentratedliketheancientciviclife。IftheAthenianhadbeenthememberofanintegralcommunity，comprisingallpeninsularGreeceandthemainlandofAsiaMinor，hecouldnothavetakenlifesoeasilyashedid。 Nowourcountryisnotonlyaverylargeone，butcomparedtoitsvastterritorialextentitcontainsaverysmallpopulation。Ifwegoonincreasingatthepresentrate，sothatacenturyhencewenumberfourorfivehundredmillions，ourcountrywillbehardlymorecrowdedthanChinaisto-day。OrifourwholepopulationwerenowtobebroughteastofNiagaraFalls，andconfinedonthesouthbythePotomac，weshouldstillhaveasmuchelbow-roomastheyhaveinFrance。Politicaleconomistscanshowtheeffectsofthishighratiooflandtoinhabitants，inincreasingwages，raisingtheinterestofmoney，andstimulatingproduction。Wearethuslivingamidcircumstanceswhicharegoadingtheindustrialactivitycharacteristicofthelasttwocenturies，andnotablyoftheEnglishrace，intoanalmostfeverishenergy。Thevastextentofourunwroughtterritoryisconstantlydrainingfreshlifefromourolderdistricts，toaidintheestablishmentofnewfrontiercommunitiesofasomewhatlowerorlesshighlyorganizedtype。Andtheseyoungercommunities，dailyspringingup，areconstantlystrivingtotakeonthehigherstructure，——tobecomeashighlycivilizedandtoenjoyasmanyoftheprerogativesofcivilizationastherest。