BY J. BROWNLIE HENDERSON. <ie 
The Grecian schools produced a greater number of 
great thinkers than those of any other nation before or 
since. But one thing they lacked—a recognition of the 
Hebrew ideas of God and righteousness. Morals to them 
veie matters of expediency only, and though they ros: in 
act and hteratur> 10 wiaat we st:li believe to» be the highest 
point ever reached by the human race, in moral standard 
they were far below that of the ancient Hebrew. 
The educational system of Rome. while founded on 
that of the Greeks, was adapted by them to their own special 
needs. At first the schools had no connection with the State, 
but as the Empire grew its leaders recognised the importance 
of t aining the youth of the nation, and the State then step- 
ped in and supervised the work of tr:ming. After the 
elementary work, pupils were taught in secondary schools 
grammar, composition, music, rhetoric, etc., and occasionally 
geometry. At about 16 a youth would commence his 
professional training, and this lke most things taken up 
by the Romans was done in a thoroughly practical manner. 
If intended for a military career, he became attached to the 
staff of a commander, if intended for a lawyer he joined 
himself to a jurist, if for a politician to some well-known 
orator. He could also study at the higher schools and later 
on at the Universities. 
The University of Alexandria established in the third 
Century, B.C., was a great landmark in the history of educa- 
tion, and although so far from Rome became and remained 
the principle centre of education while the Empire lasted. 
It was a State endowed institution, and was splendidly 
equipped. It is not necessary here to go into its history, 
but it is a fact not generally realised that one of its earliest 
teachers, in the third Century, B.C., was as far as we know 
the first to calculate the magnitude of the earth by measuring 
an arc of the meridian. It was at the University of Alex- 
andria and similar high schools that the Roman completed 
his studies. The Roman system was the best that the 
world had so far seen, but the corruption that ruined the 
Empire of course also ruined the schools. | Perhaps it might 
be as accurate to state that the corruption which ruined 
the schools thereby ruined the Empire. 
