322 ELEMENTS OF SCIENCE 



But Greece itself and Macedonia (now reckoned a 

 part of it) fell into great confusion, the Macedonian royal 

 family became extinct, and the crown passed to one of 

 Alexander's generals, while another, Antipatros, con- 

 quered Athens B.C. 322. Epirus, however, rose into 

 importance under King Pyrrhus, who died B.C. 272. 

 The days of single city rule were now over, and, except 

 Sparta on the south and Macedonia on the north, 

 Greece was divided into small States, each consisting 

 of confederated cities and territories. 



But all internecine disputes were ere long put an 

 end to by the growing power of Rome. Four Macedo- 

 nian wars took place and ultimately (B.C. 146) Greece 

 was practically subdued, though Athens and several 

 other Greek cities and islands retained for a time a 

 nominal independence. 



Since, as we have already said, the civilisation of the 

 ancient Roman Empire is still being directly carried 

 down and furthered by ourselves, the artistic, philoso- 

 phic and religious conditions of Greece are most im- 

 portant matters for consideration, as they so directly and 

 powerfully influenced that ancient Roman civilisation. 



The perfection of the plastic art in Greece, with which 

 the names of Phidias and Praxiteles are associated, is 

 revealed to us by many precious sculptured relics, while 

 the ruins of the great Athenian temple of the city's 

 patron goddess, Athene, with many others of less re- 

 nown, proclaim the skill and refinement of Grecian 

 architecture. Homer and the dramatists have been 

 already mentioned, while, as historians, we may name 

 Xenophon, Herodotus, and, above all, Thucydides, who, 

 in his history of the Peloponnesian war, set a model for 

 all time of historical description and narrative. The 

 same, perhaps, may be affirmed, as regards oratory, of 



