the story of mankind-第12章

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to　improve　the　condition　of　the　peasant　without　however　destroying

the　prosperity　of　the　nobles　who　were　（or　rather　who

could　be）　of　such　great　service　to　the　state　as　soldiers。　To　protect

the　poorer　classes　against　abuse　on　the　part　of　the　judges

（who　were　always　elected　from　the　class　of　the　nobles　because

they　received　no　salary）　Solon　made　a　provision　whereby　a

citizen　with　a　grievance　had　the　right　to　state　his　case　before

a　jury　of　thirty　of　his　fellow　Athenians。



Most　important　of　all；　Solon　forced　the　average　freeman

to　take　a　direct　and　personal　interest　in　the　affairs　of　the　city。

No　longer　could　he　stay　at　home　and　say　‘‘oh；　I　am　too　busy

today''　or　‘‘it　is　raining　and　I　had　better　stay　indoors。''　He

was　expected　to　do　his　share；　to　be　at　the　meeting　of　the　town

council；　and　carry　part　of　the　responsibility　for　the　safety　and

the　prosperity　of　the　state。



This　government　by　the　‘‘demos；''　the　people；　was　often　far

from　successful。　There　was　too　much　idle　talk。　There　were

too　many　hateful　and　spiteful　scenes　between　rivals　for　official

honor。　But　it　taught　the　Greek　people　to　be　independent　and

to　rely　upon　themselves　for　their　salvation　and　that　was　a　very

good　thing。







GREEK　LIFE



HOW　THE　GREEKS　LIVED





BUT　how；　you　will　ask；　did　the　ancient　Greeks　have　time

to　look　after　their　families　and　their　business　if　they　were

forever　running　to　the　market…place　to　discuss　affairs　of　state？

In　this　chapter　I　shall　tell　you。



In　all　matters　of　government；　the　Greek　democracy　recognised

only　one　class　of　citizensthe　freemen。　Every　Greek

city　was　composed　of　a　small　number　of　free　born　citizens；　a

large　number　of　slaves　and　a　sprinkling　of　foreigners。



At　rare　intervals　（usually　during　a　war；　when　men　were

needed　for　the　army）　the　Greeks　showed　themselves　willing　to

confer　the　rights　of　citizenship　upon　the　‘‘barbarians''　as　they

called　the　foreigners。　But　this　was　an　exception。　Citizenship

was　a　matter　of　birth。　You　were　an　Athenian　because　your

father　and　your　grandfather　had　been　Athenians　before　you。

But　however　great　your　merits　as　a　trader　or　a　soldier；　if　you

were　born　of　non…Athenian　parents；　you　remained　a　‘‘foreigner''

until　the　end　of　time。



The　Greek　city；　therefore；　whenever　it　was　not　ruled　by　a

king　or　a　tyrant；　was　run　by　and　for　the　freemen；　and　this

would　not　have　been　possible　without　a　large　army　of　slaves

who　outnumbered　the　free　citizens　at　the　rate　of　six　or　five

to　one　and　who　performed　those　tasks　to　which　we　modern

people　must　devote　most　of　our　time　and　energy　if　we　wish　to

provide　for　our　families　and　pay　the　rent　of　our　apartments。

The　slaves　did　all　the　cooking　and　baking　and　candlestick

making　of　the　entire　city。　They　were　the　tailors　and　the　carpenters

and　the　jewelers　and　the　school…teachers　and　the　bookkeepers

and　they　tended　the　store　and　looked　after　the　factory

while　the　master　went　to　the　public　meeting　to　discuss　questions

of　war　and　peace　or　visited　the　theatre　to　see　the　latest

play　of　AEschylus　or　hear　a　discussion　of　the　revolutionary　ideas

of　Euripides；　who　had　dared　to　express　certain　doubts　upon

the　omnipotence　of　the　great　god　Zeus。



Indeed；　ancient　Athens　resembled　a　modem　club。　All　the

freeborn　citizens　were　hereditary　members　and　all　the　slaves

were　hereditary　servants；　and　waited　upon　the　needs　of　their

masters；　and　it　was　very　pleasant　to　be　a　member　of　the

organisation。



But　when　we　talk　about　slaves。　we　do　not　mean　the　sort　of

people　about　whom　you　have　read　in　the　pages　of　‘‘Uncle

Tom's　Cabin。''　It　is　true　that　the　position　of　those　slaves　who

tilled　the　fields　was　a　very　unpleasant　one；　but　the　average

freeman　who　had　come　down　in　the　world　and　who　had　been

obliged　to　hire　himself　out　as　a　farm　hand　led　just　as　miserable

a　life。　In　the　cities；　furthermore；　many　of　the　slaves　were

more　prosperous　than　the　poorer　classes　of　the　freemen。　For

the　Greeks；　who　loved　moderation　in　all　things；　did　not　like　to

treat　their　slaves　after　the　fashion　which　afterward　was　so

common　in　Rome；　where　a　slave　had　as　few　rights　as　an　engine

in　a　modern　factory　and　could　be　thrown　to　the　wild　animals

upon　the　smallest　pretext。



The　Greeks　accepted　slavery　as　a　necessary　institution；

without　which　no　city　could　possibly　become　the　home　of　a　truly

civilised　people。



The　slaves　also　took　care　of　those　tasks　which　nowadays　are

performed　by　the　business　men　and　the　professional　men。　As

for　those　household　duties　which　take　up　so　much　of　the　time

of　your　mother　and　which　worry　your　father　when　he　comes

home　from　his　office；　the　Greeks；　who　understood　the　value　of

leisure；　had　reduced　such　duties　to　the　smallest　possible　minimum

by　living　amidst　surroundings　of　extreme　simplicity。



To　begin　with；　their　homes　were　very　plain。　Even　the　rich

nobles　spent　their　lives　in　a　sort　of　adobe　barn；　which　lacked

all　the　comforts　which　a　modern　workman　expects　as　his　natural

right。　A　Greek　home　consisted　of　four　walls　and　a　roof。

There　was　a　door　which　led　into　the　street　but　there　were　no

windows。　The　kitchen；　the　living　rooms　and　the　sleeping　quarters

were　built　around　an　open　courtyard　in　which　there　was　a

small　fountain；　or　a　statue　and　a　few　plants　to　make　it　look

bright。　Within　this　courtyard　the　family　lived　when　it　did　not

rain　or　when　it　was　not　too　cold。　In　one　corner　of　the　yard　the

cook　（who　was　a　slave）　prepared　the　meal　and　in　another

corner；　the　teacher　（who　was　also　a　slave）　taught　the　children

the　alpha　beta　gamma　and　the　tables　of　multiplication　and　in

still　another　corner　the　lady　of　the　house；　who　rarely　left　her

domain　（since　it　was　not　considered　good　form　for　a　married

woman　to　be　seen　on　the　street　too　often）　was　repairing　her

husband's　coat　with　her　seamstresses　（who　were　slaves；）　and

in　the　little　office；　right　off　the　door；　the　master　was　inspecting

the　accounts　which　the　overseer　of　his　farm　（who　was　a　slave）

had　just　brought　to　him。



When　dinner　was　ready　the　family　came　together　but　the

meal　was　a　very　simple　one　and　did　not　take　much　time。　The

Greeks　seem　to　have　regarded　eating　as　an　unavoidable　evil

and　not　a　pastime；　which　kills　many　dreary　hours　and　eventually

kills　many　dreary　people。　They　lived　on　bread　and　on

wine；　with　a　little　meat　and　some　green　vegetables。　They

drank　water　only　when　nothing　else　was　available　because

they　did　not　think　it　very　healthy。　They　loved　to　call　on　each

other　for　dinner；　but　our　idea　of　a　festive　meal；　where　everybody

is　supposed　to　eat　much　more　than　is　good　for　him；　would

have　disgusted　them。　They　came　together　at　the　table　for

the　purpose　of　a　good　talk　and　a　good　glass　of　wine　and　water；

but　as　they　were　moderate　people　they　despised　those　who

drank　too　much。



The　same　simplicity　which　prevailed　in　the　dining　room

also　dominated　their　choice　of　clothes。　They　liked　to　be　clean

and　well　groomed；　to　have　their　hair　and　beards　neatly　cut；

to　feel　their　bodies　strong　with　the　exercise　and　the　swimming

of　the　gymnasium；　but　they　never　followed　the　Asiatic　fashion

which　prescribed　loud　colours　and　strange　patterns。　They

wore　a　long　white　coat　and　they　managed　to　look　as　smart　as

a　modern　Italian　officer　in　his　long　blue　cape。



They　loved　to　see　their　wives　wear　ornaments　but　they

thought　it　very　vulgar　to　display　their　wealth　（or　their　wives）

in　public　and　whenever　the　women　left　their　home　they　were　as

inconspicuous　as　possible。



In　short；　the　story　of　Greek　life　is　a　story　not　only　of　moderation

but　also　of　simplicity。　‘‘Things；''　chairs　and　tables　and

books　and　houses　and　carriages；　are　apt　to　take　up　a　great

deal　of　their　owner's　time。　In　the　end　they　invariably　make

him　their　slave　and　his　hours　are　spent　looking　after　their

wants；　keeping　them　polished　and　brushed　and　painted。　The

Greeks；　before　everything　else；　wanted　to　be　‘‘free；''　both　in

mind　and　in　body。　That　they　might　maintain　t