ESSAYS 325 



I propose, first of all, to remark on two kindred and coherent points, calling 

 ancient Greek writers to witness. It has, I believe, been suggested that cancer 

 may be caused by the eating of meat, and, secondly, that the disease is most 

 prevalent in the most wooded districts of England, and may, therefore, be due in 

 some manner to the presence and prevalence of timber. My friend Sir Clifford 

 Allbutt writes that cancer was familiar to the Greek physicians in the period with 

 which I am dealing. 



Now, Plato in Republic, Book II., refers to the question of diet. He speaks of 

 a primitive diet and then of a richer or luxurious. The latter may be called 

 vegetarian (with one most important exception) and exhibits a wonderful contrast 

 with that of the Homeric poems. But what is the exception referred to ? 

 Swineherds, according to Plato, will be found in the luxurious State (n-oAis rpvcpwo-a 

 or <p\ey/j.alvov(Ta), " and we shall need the other kinds of cattle even — very many of 

 them — if any one will eat them." l In the simpler Platonic State or the so-called 

 " City of pigs " oxen and cattle are mentioned only for ploughing, for purposes of 

 draught, for weaving, and also for cobbling. Now Plato, as I think, in this passage 

 must be taken as having in mind the diet that at least in its salient items was 

 prevalent in Athens and Attica — if not, indeed, Hellas in general. The very 

 casual and haphazard manner, in which he enumerates foods and interposes other 

 luxuries also, is nothing against this conclusion, and is clearly explained by the 

 demands of dramatic and colloquial reality. 



Another passage will merit attention. In the famous Atlantis myth (Critias, 

 211) Plato describes the Attica of his day as still unrivalled in respect of the 

 suitableness of its pastures for all kinds of living things (rols C4 0ls tt" 0-4 " cvj3otov), 

 but goes on to betray the fact that " some of the mountains now only afford food 

 for bees," while 9,000 years before " there were many other high trees cultivated 

 by man and providing abundance of food for cattle " (voprjv /3ocrK?7/xa<rii> durj^avov). 

 As dramatic reality demands that the first of these statements be understood 

 literally, we are naturally led on to conjecture that, if the diet of Athens and Attica 

 was in the main vegetarian in character, so also a fortiori was that of the other 

 Greek States. Less pasture or less suitable pasture would probably imply fewer 

 flocks. Nor do I know of any positive evidence that, generally speaking, the 

 different Greek peoples had divergent tastes in this matter of meat. 



Now, bearing these reflections in mind, let us turn to Aristotle for a moment. 

 We find in Book I. of the Politics a very significant remark in his passage on the 

 sources of food. The laziest people, he says, are nomadic. The tame animals 

 supply them with food without effort or labour on their part. But seeing their 

 cattle are compelled to wander from place to place for their pasture, they must 

 needs go along with them too, cultivating a sort of live farm. 3 This indicates 



Republic, II., yj^c: derjaei 8e Kai tu>v ak\a>v fiovK-qpaTav TrafXTroWaiv, el tis avra 



«8rrat. Notice e'Serai — the future. It appears to express a suspicion that none 

 will be found to eat them, however luxurious or varied the diet. 



3 Book I. c. 8. Jowett (Davis's edition) has mistranslated the text ; " the 

 laziest," he says, "are shepherds, who lead an idle life, and get their subsistence 

 without trouble from tame animals ; their flocks having to wander from place to 

 place in search of pasture, they are compelled to follow them, cultivating a sort of 

 living farm." Welldon more correctly translates : " Thus the most indolent lead 

 a nomad life because such food as the domestic animals supply is obtainable 

 without trouble or effort, and as their cattle are obliged to change their quarters 

 for pasturage, they themselves must needs go with them, so that they carry on a 

 sort of husbandry of live stock." The Greek is r&iv Tjpepcov £taaav — note here the 

 definite article. Aristotle makes clear later on that he wishes to set out in this 

 passage a pretty full list of the classes, who obtain their food for themselves and 



