Preface
This little book tries to describe what an intelligent person would
see and hear in ancient Athens, if by some legerdemain he were
translated to the fourth century B.C. and conducted about the city
under competent guidance. Rare happenings have been omitted and
sometimes, to avoid long explanations, probable matters have been
stated as if they were ascertained facts; but these instances are
few, and it is hoped no reader will be led into serious error.
The year 360 B.C. has been selected for the hypothetical time of
this visit, not because of any special virtue in that date, but
because Athens was then architecturally almost perfect, her civic
and her social life seemed at their best, the democratic constitution
held its vigor, and there were few outward signs of the general
decadence which was to set in after the triumph of Macedon.
I have endeavored to state no facts and to make no allusions, that
will not be fairly obvious to a reader who has merely an elementary
knowledge of Greek annals, such information, for instance, as may be
gained through a good secondary school history of ancient times.
This naturally has led to comments and descriptions which more
advanced students may find superfluous.
The writer has been under a heavy debt to the numerous and excellent
works on Greek “Private Antiquities” and “Public Life” written in
English, French, or German, as well as to the various great Classical
Encyclopædias and Dictionaries, and to many treatises and monographs
upon the topography of Athens and upon the numerous phases of Attic
culture. It is proper to say, however, that the material from
such secondary sources has been merely supplementary to a careful
examination of the ancient Greek writers, with the objects of this
book kept especially in view. A sojourn in modern Athens, also,
has given me an impression of the influence of the Attic landscape
upon the conditions of old Athenian life, an impression that I have
tried to convey in this small volume.
I am deeply grateful to my sister, Mrs. Fannie Davis Gifford, for
helpful criticism of this book while in manuscript; to my wife,
for preparing the drawings from Greek vase-paintings which appear
as illustrations; and to my friend and colleague, Professor Charles
A. Savage, for a kind and careful reading of the proofs. Thanks
also are due to Henry Holt and Company for permission to quote
material from their edition of Von Falke’s “Greece and Rome.”
W. S. D.
University of Minnesota,
Minneapolis, Minnesota.
May, 1914.
Contents
| Chapter I. The Physical Setting of Athens. |
| 1. The Importance of Athens in Greek History |
| 2. Why the Social Life of Athens is so Significant |
| 3. The Small Size and Sterility of Attica |
| 4. The Physical Beauty of Attica |
| 5. The Mountains of Attica |
| 6. The Sunlight in Attica |
| 7. The Topography of the City of Athens |
8. 360 B.C.—The Year of the Visit to Athens
|
| Chapter II. The First Sights in Athens. |
| 9. The Morning Crowds bound for Athens |
| 10. The Gate and the Street Scenes |
| 11. The Streets and House Fronts of Athens |
12. The Simplicity of Athenian Life
|
| Chapter III. The Agora and its Denizens. |
| 13. The Buildings around the Agora |
| 14. The Life in the Agora |
| 15. The Booths and Shops in the Agora |
| 16. The Flower and the Fish Vendors |
| 17. The Morning Visitors to the Agora |
| 18. The Leisured Class in Athens |
| 19. Familiar Types around the Agora |
20. The Barber Shops
|
| Chapter IV. The Athenian House and its Furnishings. |
| 21. Following an Athenian Gentleman Homeward |
| 22. The Type and Uses of a Greek House |
| 23. The Plan of a Greek House |
| 24. Modifications in the Typical Plan |
| 25. Rents and House Values |
26. The Simple yet Elegant Furnishings of an Athenian House
|
| Chapter V. The Women of Athens. |
| 27. How Athenian Marriages are Arranged |
| 28. Lack of Sentiment in Marriages |
| 29. Athenian Marriage Rites |
| 30. The Mental Horizon of Athenian Women |
| 31. The Honor paid Womanhood in Athens |
32. The Sphere of Action of Athenian Women
|
| Chapter VI. Athenian Costume. |
| 33. The General Nature of Greek Dress |
| 34. The Masculine Chiton, Himation, and Chlamys |
| 35. The Dress of the Women |
| 36. Footwear and Head Coverings |
| 37. The Beauty of the Greek Dress |
38. Greek Toilet Frivolities
|
| Chapter VII. The Slaves. |
| 39. Slavery an Integral Part of Greek Life |
| 40. The Slave Trade in Greece |
| 41. The Treatment of Slaves in Athens |
| 42. Cruel and Kind Masters |
43. The “City Slaves” of Athens
|
| Chapter VIII. The Children. |
| 44. The Desirability of Children in Athens |
| 45. The Exposure of Infants |
| 46. The Celebration of a Birth |
| 47. Life and Games of Young Children |
| 48. Playing in the Streets |
| 49. The First Stories and Lessons |
50. The Training of Athenian Girls
|
| Chapter IX. The Schoolboys of Athens. |
| 51. The Athenians Generally Literate |
| 52. Character Building the Aim of Athenian Education |
| 53. The Schoolboy’s Pedagogue |
| 54. An Athenian School |
| 55. The School Curriculum |
| 56. The Study of the Poets |
| 57. The Greeks do not study Foreign Languages |
| 58. The Study of “Music” |
| 59. The Moral Character of Greek Music |
| 60. The Teaching of Gymnastics |
| 61. The Habits and Ambitions of Schoolboys |
62. The “Ephebi”
|
| Chapter X. The Physicians of Athens. |
| 63. The Beginnings of Greek Medical Science |
| 64. Healing Shrines and their Methods |
| 65. An Athenian Physician’s Office |
| 66. The Physician’s Oath |
| 67. The Skill of Greek Physicians |
68. Quacks and Charlatans
|
| Chapter XI. The Funerals. |
| 69. An Athenian’s Will |
| 70. The Preliminaries of a Funeral |
| 71. Lamenting the Dead |
| 72. The Funeral Procession |
| 73. The Funeral Pyre |
| 74. Honors to the Memory of the Dead |
75. The Beautiful Funeral Monuments
|
| Chapter XII. Trade, Manufactures, and Banking. |
| 76. The Commercial Importance of Athens |
| 77. The Manufacturing Activities of Athens |
| 78. The Commerce of Athens |
| 79. The Adventurous Merchant Skippers |
| 80. Athenian Money-changers and Bankers |
| 81. A Large Banking Establishment |
| 82. Drawbacks to the Banking Business |
| 83. The Pottery of Athens |
84. Athenian Pottery an Expression of the Greek Sense of Beauty
|
| Chapter XIII. The Armed Forces of Athens. |
| 85. Military Life at Athens |
| 86. The Organization of the Athenian Army |
| 87. The Hoplites and the Light Troops |
| 88. The Cavalry and the Peltasts |
| 89. The Panoply of the Hoplites |
| 90. The Weapons of a Hoplite |
| 91. Infantry Maneuvers |
| 92. The Preliminaries of a Greek Battle |
| 93. Joining the Battle |
| 94. The Climax and End of the Battle |
| 95. The Burial Truce and the Trophy after the Battle |
| 96. The Siege of Fortified Towns |
97. The Introduction of New Tactics
|
| Chapter XIV. The Peiræus and the Shipping. |
| 98. The “Long Walls” down to the Harbor Town |
| 99. Munychia and the Havens of Athens |
| 100. The Glorious View from the Hill of Munychia |
| 101. The Town of Peiræus |
| 102. The Merchant Shipping |
| 103. The Three War Harbors and the Ship Houses |
| 104. The Great Naval Arsenal |
| 105. An Athenian Trierarch |
| 106. The Evolution of the Trireme |
| 107. The Hull of a Trireme |
| 108. The Rowers’ Benches of a Trireme |
| 109. The Cabins, Rigging, and Ram of a Trireme |
| 110. The Officers and Crew of a Trireme |
| 111. A Trireme at Sea |
| 112. The Tactics of a Naval Battle |
113. The Naval Strength of Athens
|
| Chapter XV. An Athenian Court Trial. |
| 114. The Frequency of Litigation in Athens |
| 115. Prosecutions in Athens |
| 116. The Preliminaries to a Trial |
| 117. The Athenian Jury Courts |
| 118. The Juryman’s Oath |
| 119. Opening The Trial. The Plaintiff’s Speech |
| 120. The Defendant’s Speech. Demonstrations by the Jury |
| 121. The First Verdict |
| 122. The Second and Final Verdict |
| 123. The Merits and Defects of the Athenian Courts |
| 124. The Usual Punishments in Athens |
| 125. The Heavy Penalty of Exile |
126. The Death Penalty of Athens
|
| Chapter XVI. The Ecclesia of Athens. |
| 127. The Rule of Democracy in Athens |
| 128. Aristocracy and Wealth. Their Status and Burdens |
| 129. Athenian Society truly Democratic up to a Certain Point |
| 130. The Voting Population of Athens |
| 131. Meeting Times of the Ecclesia |
| 132. The Pnyx (Assembly Place) at Athens |
| 133. The Preliminaries of the Meeting |
| 134. Debating a Proposition |
| 135. Voting at the Pnyx |
136. The Ecclesia as an Educational Instrument
|
| Chapter XVII. The Afternoon at the Gymnasia. |
| 137. The Gymnasia. Places of General Resort |
| 138. The Road to the Academy |
| 139. The Academy |
| 140. The Social Atmosphere and Human Types at the Academy |
| 141. Philosophers and Cultivated Men at the Gymnasia |
| 142. The Beautiful Youths at the Academy |
| 143. The Greek Worship of Manly Beauty |
| 144. The Detestation of Old Age |
| 145. The Greeks unite Moral and Physical Beauty |
| 146. The Usual Gymnastic Sports and their Objects |
| 147. Professional Athletes: the Pancration |
| 148. Leaping Contests |
| 149. Quoit Hurling |
| 150. Casting the Javelin |
| 151. Wrestling |
| 152. Foot Races |
153. The Pentathlon: the Honors paid to Great Athletes
|
| Chapter XVIII. Athenian Cookery and the Symposium. |
| 154. Greek Meal Times |
| 155. Society desired at Meals |
| 156. The Staple Articles of Food |
| 157. Greek Vintages |
| 158. Vegetable Dishes |
| 159. Meat and Fish Dishes |
| 160. Inviting Guests to a Dinner Party |
| 161. Preparing for the Dinner: the Sicilian Cook |
| 162. The Coming of the Guests |
| 163. The Dinner Proper |
| 164. Beginning the Symposium |
| 165. The Symposiarch and his Duties |
| 166. Conversation at the Symposium |
| 167. Games and Entertainments |
168. Going Home from the Feast: Midnight Revelers
|
| Chapter XIX. Country Life around Athens. |
| 169. The Importance of his Farm to an Athenian |
| 170. The Country by the Ilissus: the Greeks and Natural Beauty |
| 171. Plato’s Description of the Walk by the Ilissus |
| 172. The Athenian Love of Country Life |
| 173. Some Features of the Attic Country |
| 174. An Attic Farmstead |
| 175. Plowing, Reaping, and Threshing |
| 176. Grinding at the Mill |
| 177. The Olive Orchards |
| 178. The Vineyards |
| 179. Cattle, Sheep, and Goats |
180. The Gardens and the Shrine
|
| Chapter XX. The Temples and Gods of Athens. |
| 181. Certain Factors in Athenian Religion |
| 182. What constitutes “Piety” in Athens |
| 183. The Average Athenians Idea of the Gods |
| 184. Most Greeks without Belief in Immortality |
| 185. The Multitude of Images of the Gods |
| 186. Greek Superstition |
| 187. Consulting Omens |
| 188. The Great Oracles |
| 189. Greek Sacrifices |
| 190. The Route to the Acropolis |
| 191. The Acropolis of Athens |
| 192. The Use of Color Upon Athenian Architecture and Sculptures |
| 193. The Chief Buildings on the Acropolis |
| 194. The Parthenon |
| 195. A Sacrifice on the Acropolis |
| 196. The Interior of the Parthenon and the Great Image of Athena |
197. Greek Prayers
|
| Chapter XXI. The Great Festival of Athens. |
| 198. The Frequent Festivals in Athens |
| 199. The Eleusinia |
| 200. The Holy Procession to Eleusis |
| 201. The Mysteries of Eleusis |
| 202. The Greater Dionysia and the Drama |
| 203. The Theater of Dionysus |
| 204. The Production of a Play |
| 205. The Great Panathenaic Procession |
206. The View from the Temple of Wingless Victory
|
| Index |
[Illustration: ]
Athenian Acropolis
Maps, Plans, and Illustrations.