GREECE. 
But the great of the Greeks as a people, 
were war and politics. Leaving the ordi bours 
of agriculture and the mechanical trades to the slaves, 
the citizens of the different states considered it as their 
peculiar privilege to share in the government of their 
country, and to. fight in defence of its rights, or for the 
advancement of its power. Every citizen, therefore, 
being bound to serve in arms, was enrolled as a soldier 
at a certain age; and one of their regular employments 
was the exercise of the nasium, as a preparative 
for the toils of war. The armies were composed prin- 
oo of heavy-armed infantry, attended by a number 
slaves to carry the ge, and serve in the camps, 
and sometimes to act as ight armed troops. The arms 
of the infantry were a helmet, corselet, large brazen 
shield; leathern greaves or boots, long pike, and short 
sword. ‘They were long adnaanelsied to advance, in a 
compact body, to close fight; but Iphicrates, an Atthe- 
nian general, introduced the employment of a greater 
proportion of light infantry, diminishing the weight 
and size of the buckler, exchanging the metal corselet 
for one of canvas, lengthening considerably the lance 
and sword, and accustoming the troops thus accoutred 
to the most active evolutions. That célebrated com- 
mander, describing an army as a human body, com- 
pared the general to the head, the heavy-armed infan- 
try to the breast, the cavalry to the feet, and the light 
troops to the hands. Chariots were little used after the 
heroic age ; and, for want of horses, cavalry were never 
numerous, generally consisting of the wealthier citizens, 
or of soldiers fitted out at their expence. Till the time 
of Philip of Macedon, the Greeks were little acquainted 
with the art of conducting sieges, but commonly limited 
their a to a general assault, or inactive block- 
ade. In long or distant wars, especially in the later 
ages of Greece, the citizens received pay, while serving 
in the field ; but the constant object of every Grecian 
state was to support their troops at the expence of the 
enemy. Even in the most civilized periods, Grecian 
warfare was conducted with a spirit of rapine and bar- 
barity, which seemed to increase, instead of diminish- 
ing, as knowledge and refinement spread among the 
people. Retaliation was considered as justifying the 
most atrocious measures, of which, in the course of the 
ee war acnaiy: many instances occur- 
, in the proceedings of all parties. The Lacedemo- 
nians regularly massacred the crews of the Athenian 
merchant vessels, and even of neutrals, whenever they 
came in their way ; and the Athenians deliberately de~ 
creed the extermination of the A.ginetans and Scyon- 
ians, whom they put to death without distinetion. 
_ The Greeks distinguished six simple forms of go- 
vernment, namely, monarchy, hereditary or legally 
established oligarchy, aristocracy, , tyranny, 
and assumed y, of which Aart pe Wiese SA. 
sidered as i and inadmissible. The title of King 
never a = na the possession of absolute 
power, but only a and regulated superiority, par- 
ticularly in directing the observances of reli ion, oni 
bare gorse Sea war, and at meag also in dispensing 
justice, but rarely in enacting laws. After the general 
abolition of monarchy in Greece, whenever a citizen of 
‘@ commonwealth was raised by any means to monarch- 
ical authority, he was denominated Tyrant, not origi- 
nally as a term of reproach, though in future times it 
ame too justly to be applied in that sense. In Athens 
ly, as early as the days of Theseus, the nobly- 
born formed a distinct class of the community, ps. 
were invested with great privileges; but hereditary 
ATT 
nobility declined 
among the citizens. Those who were able to serve in 
war on horseback at their own expetice, began to be 
regarded as a superior rank ; dnd to the saifie circum- 
Stance may be traced the order of ktiighthood in thost 
countries. Atistocracy, however, was less a régulat 
instituted form of government, than an asstinied title 
adopted by the rich and the noble in those statés where 
they held the chief power ; but, as their administration 
was generally oppressive, oligarchy, or the government 
of a few, became a more frequent, though less honour- 
able form of polity; and the teri aristocracy was at 
length employed rather to signify tliose persons who, 
on account of distinguished merit, weré elected by the 
ree to undertake the management of public affairs. 
is last Was commonly the mode adopted in the most 
democratical states; and pure democracy, in which all 
the freemen of the republic, in assembly, formed the 
supreme and absolute administration, was very rarely 
exemplified, and was usually denominated ochlogracy 
or mob-rule. Most of the Grecian governments con- 
tained a union of two or more of these forms ; and, 
from these various mixtures, new distinctions and desig- 
Nations arose, which it would be tedious and unprofit- 
able to trace. . Of political economy the Greeks seem 
to have been extremely ignorant; and very little is 
Imown respecting their mode of managing the public 
finances. On the subject of population, it does not 
very clearly appear what was their regular system. 
They certainly employed many regulations for keep- 
ing up at least, if not for increasing, the number of their 
citizens ; yet they shewed a decided aversion to any 
augmentation of their strength by the admission of fo- 
reigners to the privileges, or even to the protection of 
their state. They studied to preserve their townships 
completely insulated and distinct from all others; and 
piuhibitall intermarriage with the members of a diffe- 
rent community, with all the jealousy of feudal clan- 
ship. 
, there were many circumstances favourable to the 
cultivation of literature and science. Few individuals 
possessed large properties, but many of them lived in 
great leisure, followitig no occupation themselves, and 
incipally maintained by the labour of slaves. Assem~ 
bled generally in towns, and having free intercourse 
with one another, polite manners were formed, and va- 
riotis opportunities were presented for the display of 
taste and genius. A lively imagination, and love of 
novelty, were general characteristics of the Greeks, and 
disposed them to welcome every ray of knowledge which 
beamed upon their limited society. Many, possessed 
of active and intelligent minds, yet less daring in their 
dispositions, or more scrupulous in their integrity, 
shunning the stormy paths of political ambition, sought 
employment and distinction by attainments in litera. 
ture or science. Even those who aimed at the offices 
of statesmen, found a degree of general edhe. 
especially in the Emu of taste, and the arts of elo- 
quence, highly advantageous to enable them to com- 
mand attention in the public assemblies, and to assist 
them in swaying the minds of their fellow citizens. As 
knowledge increased among the members of a commu- 
nity, these qualifications Faciiie not merely useful, 
but essential to every political leader; and many, who 
were unable, or unwilling, to mingle in the struggle for 
public situations, found a less splendid, but often more 
where slong with Worarchy, Grete. 
and wealth beeame the principal cause of distitiction 
tp 
Amidst all the turbulence of the Grecian states, and { jterature 
the almost perpetual hostilities in which they were en- and science. 
