UEOGRA I'HIC DE VELOPMKNT OF CI VILIZA TION .31 



Lifeon the eas^torii shores of the Mediterranean led the inhahitaiits to find 

 in eoninierce prosperity, wealtii, and civilization. Their ships followed 

 alon<,' tile coast, then ^'radually sailed out into the Mediterrani-an, on 

 through the Pillars of Hercules into tiie Athintic, and north to England ; 

 the ships of Tarshish sailed south, through the Ked sea, into the Indian 

 ocean, south of Africa, and they may even luive circumnavigated that 

 continent. 



Tiiis lecture will show the development of commerce and shipping; 

 the origin and growth of colonies, exemplified by Carthage, Sicily, and 

 Spain, and will he delivered by Prof Thomas Davidson, M. A., of Aber- 

 deen University, Scotland. 



Fifth lecture— Greece. Tyre and Sidon gave toCJreece all their knowl- 

 edge. There it was developed by difierent geographic conditions. The 

 two great races of the world — the Semitic and the Aryan — differed in 

 their environment as in their institutions and habits. In Syria was 

 monotheism, in Greece unlimited polytheism. The language and coun- 

 try of the Grecian Aryan were more favorable than those of the Semite 

 in Syria. Their mountains, inclosing numerous small valleys, the islands 

 and seas of Greece, its beautiful climate and luxuriant soil, developed a 

 people ditlerent in their institutions, their government, arts, and sciences 

 from any that ever existed, either before or since, and gave the world the 

 tir.st idea of personal liberty of the individual man. As no other nation 

 ever showed such rapid development, such early maturity, so no other 

 people ever had such a rapid decline without renaissance. 



The lecture will show the causes for this wonderful development and 

 early decay, and will be delivered by Prof. Benjainin Ide Wheeler, LL. D., 

 of Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, professor in the American 

 School of Archeology at Athens, 189.5-90. 



Sixth lecture — Rome. The Seven Hills, one densely wooded, the river 

 Tiber, and the rich valley and plain around made the environment of 

 Rome, and secured Romulus and his band of freebooters from attack, 

 while they easily invaded the country of their neighbor. In Rome the 

 civilizations of the old world met, and from this union a broader culture 

 was developed, upon which modern civilization was founded. By the 

 conquest of Italy, Greece, Egypt, Syria, and Assyria, Rome obtained from 

 each what was best adapted to its needs — arts and letters from Greece, agri- 

 culture from I'^gypt, commerce and colonization from Tyre ; from Syi-ia 

 and Arabia, monotheism and science ; from Assyria, imi)erial govern- 

 ment. The lecture will show the conditions and causes that led to this 

 expansion of Rome, slowly and steadily extending its dominion until 

 it embraced in its empire the whole of the known world. From Rome 

 came law, authority, and power, with a dominion so wide and powerful 

 that in any part of the world a man could say with the Apostle Paul, " I 

 am a Roman citizen," and thus secure protection. Freeman truly says: 

 " None but those who havegrasjicd the place of Rome in history can ever 

 fully understand the age in which we live." By Rev. Alex. Mackay- 

 Smith, D. I)., of Washington, D. C. 



Seventh lecture— Constantinoi)le. The culture and civilization of Rome 

 were carried to Constantinople by Constantine. The geographic position 



