AND BYZANTINE GREEK. 13 



high reputation for eloquence in their day.^^ Thus, the admirers of Aristeides had no 

 difficulty in putting him on an equality with Demosthenes.^^ 



§ 13. 



The Greek Fathers were more or less under the influence of the Septuagint and the 

 New Testament, and, as a body, they did not set a high value on elegance of diction.^" 

 Some of them even discouraged the study of pagan authors. Thus, the author of the 

 Constitutions of the Apostles asks disapprovingly '*'' : " What defect, pray, dost thou 

 find in the law of God, that thou shouldst have recourse to those heathenish fables 1 " 

 The ecclesiastical vocabulary continued to receive accessions until a late date, but by 

 far the greater number of theological terms was introduced before the close of the 

 fifth century. 



If therefore we would have a clear conception of the state of the language during 

 the contest of Christianity against heathenism, we must never lose sight of the distinc- 

 tion between Pagan and Christian writers. The former were the legitimate successors 

 of those of the preceding period. The latter may be regarded as intruders or disturb- 

 ing forces. As to Philon and Josephus, the Jews, so far as language is concerned they 

 are to be classed with the Fathers. Here follows a list of authors of the Koman 

 period. 



Nicander (epic) 

 Inscription 4682 

 Polyhius 

 Apollodorus 

 Hipparchus 

 Inscription 4893 

 Inscription 489 G 



*^ Compare Lucian. Ehet. Praecept. 17. Lexiph. 23. Cicek. Brut. 17 Utinam imitarentur nee solum 

 ossa, sed etiam sanguinem ! 



*^ ArISTEID. in, 737 {UpoKtyofi.) "HveyKev ovv fj rpirri cpopa, Xcyo) 8e ^ Trjs 'Atrias, irpoiKSoixTa <TOti>ov Koi 

 Bavfidcriov tivbpa tov 'Apia-TeldT]v. 742 O yap as iStov iir}jxou6ivei. TTpoaov KaTevorja-a/iev, tovto in aKpi^das rav vfare- 

 pav (To(f>i<TTLK<ov dvBpSv avTos fiovos fiep.lp,i}TaL. 743 Arip.o<r6€i>iKbv 8e to TototiTov Siaprjfia. 



*^ Basil. Ill, 455 D 'AXX' fipus, S> Bavjidcne, Moo-ei Kat 'HXi'q koi toIs ovtq} paxapiois dvbpd<Ti avi/e(TUcv, « ttjs 

 ^ap^dpov (f)a>vfis SiaKfyopevots r^plv, ra eavrSv Kai to nap' (Kelvav (j)6(yy6fi(6a, vovv piv dXrjdrj, Xe^iii Si dfiaS^. 4G1 E 

 Ti yap av ('moipev TTpos ovtcos 'ATTiKi^ovcrav yXwrraj/, TrXfjv on oKteav (IpX fiadrjTrjs d/joXoyto Ka\ (j)i.\a ; addressed to 

 Llbanius. 



^' Const. ApOST. 1, C Ti ydp o-ot Ka\ XciVct iv Tw vopa ToC 6cov, Iv In iKelva ra iBvofjivBa opjxtjaris ; Here 

 IV is equivalent to SxTre ; that is, it denotes result, not purpose. 



