Page:A Short History of the World.djvu/147

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The Greeks 127 have more to say a little later in this history. These Greek enquirers who begin to be remarkable in the sixth century B.C. are the first philosophers, the first " wisdom-lovers," in the world. And it may be noted here how important a century this sixth century B.C. was in the history of humanity. For not only were Piioto . Aliiiari THE TEMPLE OF NEPTUNE (POSEIDON), P/ESTUM, SICILY these Greek philosophers beginning the research for clear ideas about this universe and man's place in it and Isaiah carrying Jewish pro- phecy to its sublimest levels, but as we shall tell later Gautama Buddha was then teaching in India and Confucius and Lao Tse in China. From Athens to the Pacific the human mind was astir.