From the Accounts already given of the State of Greece, it is eaſy to conclude, that the firſt muſt be ſtill prevalent when Homer lived; a piece of good Fortune that exempted him from the two Vices, to whoſe charge the admired Longinus lays the Fall of Poetry: An inſatiable Deſire of Riches, and what he calls a mean diſpiriting Paſſion, (ἀγεννεστάτον Παθὸς) the Love of Pleaſure[1].
In effect, Arms at that time was the honoured Profeſſion, and a publick Spirit the courted Character: There was a Neceſſity for them both. The Man who had bravely defended his City, enlarged its Dominion, or died in its Cauſe, was revered like a God: Love of Liberty, Contempt of Death, Honour, Probity and Temperance, were Realities. There was, as I ſaid, a Neceſſity for thoſe Virtues[2]: No Safety to Life or Fortune without them; while every State, that is to ſay, almoſt every City was neceſſitated either to defend itſelf againſt its warlike Neighbour, or ſhamefully ſubmit to Oppreſſion and Slavery. And no wonder if the Man who learns
- ↑ Περì Ὑψοῦς. Τμήμα μδʹ. ζήτημα λαμπρόν.
- ↑ Ὁ γὰρ δὴ χρόνος ἐκεῖνος, (the Age of Theſeus, a little before the Trojan War) ἤνεγκεν ἀνθρώπους χειρῶν μὲν ἔργοις, καὶ ποδῶν τάχεσι, καὶ σωμάτων ῥώμαις [ὡς ἔοικεν] ὑπερφυεῖς καὶ ἀκαμάτους; πρὸς οὐδὲν δὲ τῇ φύσει χρωμένους ἐπιεικὲς οὐδὲ ὠφέλιμον· ἀλλ’ ὕβρει τὲ χαίροντας ὑπερηφάνῳ, καὶ ἀπολαύοντας τῆς δυνάμεως ὠμότητι καὶ πικρίᾳ, καὶ τῷ κρατεῖν τὲ καὶ βιάζεσθαι τὲ καὶ διαφθείρειν τὸ παραπῖπτον. Αἰδῶ δὲ καὶ δικαιοσύνην, καὶ τὸ ἴσον, καὶ τὸ φιλάνθρωπον, ὡς ἀτολμίᾳ τοῦ ἀδικεῖν, καὶ φόβῳ τοῦ ἀδικεῖσθαι, τοὺς πολλοὺς ἐπαινοῦντας, οὐδὲν οἰομένους προσήκειν τοῖς πλέον ἔχειν δυναμένοις.Πλουτάρχου ΘΗΣΕΥΣ.
