GARDENS OF VARIOUS NATIONS. 573 



the like scale. Probably many of the Greeks — if not most of 

 them — had small gardens attached to their houses, in which were 

 grown such vegetals as were used at that time for the consumption 

 by the family. Yet of the early Greek gardens we have little or 

 no knowledge. The one described by Homer in his Odyssey must 

 have been a mere creation of this poet's imagination. It was considered 

 to be of enormous extent, being made to stand on four acres of 

 land. Homer describes it as being surmounted by a hedge. In the 

 garden he places " tall flourishing trees," " pears and pomegranates, 

 and apple-trees producing beautiful fruit, and sweet figs and flourish- 

 ing olives ; " vines also grew there. The fruit-trees bloomed and 

 fruited throughout the year, having no period of rest. The beds 

 were laid out in order to the farthest part of the grounds, and 

 these also flourished throughout the year. Two fountains were also 

 in this garden of Alcinoiis. Aristophanes, who lived four hundred 

 years before our era, in his work the " Aves," speaks in one part of 

 " sweet-smelling gardens ; " this passage appears to be the only place 

 where real flower-gardens of the Greeks are mentioned : perhaps this 

 is owing to the limited variety of flowers that the Greeks had. Still a 

 certain number were cultivated, such as roses, violets, narcissi, iris, 

 and a few other sorts, for chaplets and other decorations. Plutarch 

 tells us that roses and violets were grown beside leeks and onions, 

 thus displaying more fully the beauties of the flowers. A rose 

 plantation possessed by a man is spoken of by Demosthenes, but this 

 was probably kept for profit, and not for his own enjoyment. 



At Athens, or rather at six stadia from that city, was situated the 

 Academia, or public garden. It was laid out by Cimon, and in it 

 grew plane and olive trees ; statues and works of art were also inter- 

 spersed throughout the grounds. Plato, a great lover of nature, taught 

 in these grounds, as did later his followers, thence acquiring the name 

 of the Academic philosophers. Epicurus had a garden near to the 

 Academia, where he instilled his ideas into his followers. Other 

 philosophers and writers had also gardens. 



If the ancient Greeks have not handed down to posterity accounts 



