arrayed in scientific form the tales of travellers and explorers. Rhodes, although no more the mistress of the sea, had her famous schools of rhetoric, in which Cicero stayed awhile for study. Scarcely less skilful in the play of dialectic were the teachers who abounded in the great towns of Asia Minor. Tarsus Strabo, iv. is singled out by Strabo as a seat of learning, whose citizens had the most unselfish love of letters. Marseilles, again, was fast becoming the favourite resort of studious Romans.

6

10. 13.

The in

fluence of

old associa

tions in

favour of

Athens.

v. 1.

Here were formidable rivals to compete with the doctors of the Porch and the Academy. For a time, probably, the influence of Athens rested mainly on the associations of the past, or the artistic beauties of a city peopled with so many memories dear to thoughtful minds. It is thus that, Cicero, in his later years, speaks of the recollections of his visits to those scenes: After hearing Antiochus in the Pto- De Finibus, lemæum, in the company of Piso and my brother and Pomponius and my cousin Lucius, for whom I had a brother's love, we agreed to take our evening walk in the Academy, chiefly because that spot would be the least crowded at that time. So we all met at Piso's house, as was agreed, and, chatting as we went, walked the six stadia, between the Gate Dipylum and the Academy. When we reached the scenes so justly famous, we found the quietude we craved.

Yet her attractive

“Is it a natural sentiment," asked Piso, " or a mere
illusion, which makes us more affected when we see
the spots frequented by men worth remembering,
than when we merely hear their deeds or read their
works? It is thus that I feel touched at present,
for I think of Plato, who, as we are told, was wont
to lecture here. Not only do those gardens of his,
close by, remind me of him, but I seem to fancy
him before my eyes. Here stood Speusippus, here
Xenocrates, here his hearer Polemon....
"Yes,"
said Quintus, "what you say, Piso, is quite true, for
as I was coming hither, Colonus, yonder, called my
thoughts away, and made me fancy that I saw its
inmate Sophocles, for whom you know my passionate
admiration. . . .” "And I too," said Pomponius,
"whom you often attack for my devotion to Epi-
curus, spend much time in his garden, which we
passed lately in our walk."

But, in spite of old associations, the attractivepower grew ness of Athens had declined, and the student world

weaker.

no longer crowded to her as before. The ravages of war had swept over the land, the siege of Sulla had laid waste the groves of Plato, and the garden in which Epicurus lived; the civil strife left little time for peaceful studies, and the early empire showed no favour to the home of letters, where Brutus and even Antony had loved to court a brief respite from the

din of war. The sages, indeed, had soon returned with quiet times to the old haunts, and Cicero was surprised to see how little they cared for the havoc that was made; but philosophy had spent, for a time at least, its force of active speculation, and was living on its hoarded capital; as such it had less charm for earnest minds; other centres, other studies beguiled away the growing manhood of the age, and, as Strabo says, the young noblemen of Rome forgot the way to Athens and betook them- iv. 1.5. selves to Gaul.

thanks to

the patron

age of

Hadrian,

and the

But the old city raised its head again, thanks It revived, to the magnificent patronage of Hadrian, who honoured it with marked affection, and deserved by his liberality some at least of the pompous phrases in which the Greeks spoke of him in inscriptions, as 'founder, benefactor, restorer of the world.' The Antonines did even more for it in the interests of learning. With them began the system of endowments by the State; some of the lecturers became recognised Professors, and the University existed as by law established. Few precise details are given us in ancient authors of the number and the value of the imperial appointments. Dion Cassius tells 71, 31. us, in vague language, that the philosophic Emperor Marcus gave salaried teachers to the world at Athens in every branch of letters.' From Lucian it

Antonines,

who began

the system

of state en

dowments.

Lucian's description

tion by a board. Eunuchus.

would seem that a round sum of 10,000 drachmæ was allotted to at least one representative in each of the four great schools, to say nothing of lecturers in other subjects, who will be mentioned presently. Stoic as the Emperor was himself, he was so tolerant as to wish all other systems to have fair play and equal favour. He was competent enough to choose the ablest men, but he allowed the brilliant Herodes Atticus to have the disposal of his patronage. After of an elec- his death, if we may trust Lucian's lively pictures, a board of electors filled the vacant places, and the Satirist describes them as grave and reverend seniors, before whom the competitors appeared in person to make good their title to the vacant chair (@póvos), and to prove their fitness by actual display, like candidates in these days preaching their trial sermons for a vacant living. The field was gradually narrowed, till only two were left, like athletes, to dispute the victory. Each made parade of all his erudition, his mastery of the logic of his school, to prove himself the fittest representative of Aristotle's doctrines. But they warmed to their work, as they went on, and leaving the passionless theories of dialectic, they betook themselves to virulent invective, not shrinking from personalities the most grotesque, and the most unsavoury charges. The scene described is too absurd to be literally true, though it may point to some unseemly

6

favourable

same

Athenian

Lucian.

passages in the appointments of the board. Yet we may fairly balance this unfavourable picture by another which the same writer paints for us, in far more flattering colours. He puts into the mouth of one A more Nigrinus an elaborate eulogy of Athens: Brought up picture in as are the citizens in philosophy and poverty, they author of never look with favour on a neighbour or a stranger society. who tries to bring in luxury among them. Far from that, if anyone arrives among them with such habits, Nigrinus, they try to convert him by degrees, and school him imperceptibly till they bring him to a better mind. He told me how a wealthy upstart came in vulgar pomp to Athens, expecting to be envied and admired for his crowds of servants and his clothes of broidered gold; but they only pitied the poor wretch, and tried to correct him in a kindly way, not blaming him rudely to his face, as in their free city anyone may live as he thinks best. But when he annoyed them at the gymnasia or the baths, by crowding them with all his slaves, one of them whispered to his neighbour, as if he did not wish the man to hear, "He is afraid of being murdered at his bath, yet all is perfectly secure, and there is no need of an armed force." The stranger heard the plain truth, and took the hint. And so they made him put aside his embroidery and purple by their sly remarks upon the flowery colours. "Why, here we