THE SPLENDOUR OP GREECE 83 



was one of the greatest pages of history : a page that 

 ought to be preached to every one of the stricken 

 nations of Europe to-day. First they looked after 

 their security. They built a* five-mile wall round the 

 city, and long walls down to their seaport ; and they 

 brought all the Greek States together in a defensive 

 League. At this point Athens got the services of a 

 great statesman, Pericles, who had in his mind a 

 vision of " the city beautiful." He gathered about 

 him the finest Greek architects and artists ; and, as 

 Athens now had the good fortune to enter upon fifty 

 years of peace, they reared such public buildings as 

 the world had never seen before and has never seen 

 since. The first democracy in the world built, with 

 small resources, the finest city the world has yet known. 



Much as I should like to do it, I have not space 

 here to describe this wonderful marble heart of 

 Athens. On the central hill were two temples, the 

 finer of which, the Parthenon, was the most exquisite 

 building ever put together : a severe and chaste 

 structure in yellowish marble, adorned with such 

 sculpture in the purest white marble, with brilliant 

 red or blue background, as no artist has since 

 equalled. A noble and lofty marble portico, on the 

 hill-side, formed an approach to these temples. At 

 the foot of the hill lay the old market-place (Agora), 

 which was now transformed into a public square, 

 lined with stately colonnades and beautiful civic 

 buildings. Other superb temples and monuments 

 were reared in different parts of the city. There has 

 never been, and is not in the world to-day, a city 

 with so beautiful a central part. 



Other arts made equal progress. In the rocky side 

 of the hill was cut a large amphitheatre, capable of 



