Five Great Dialogues [antikvár]

INTRODUCTIONSOME twenty-four hundred years ago that part of the worldwhich then represented Western civilization was divided intotwo opposing leagues of states. One league was headed by aseagoing, trading democracy, mistress of a marine empire of coloniesand more or less subject states, scattered through the neighboringseas. The other was led by an inland, military aristocracy, conquerorof considerable territory close around herself and ally of whateverstates feared the spread of democratic imperialism. The democracywas Athens, then at the height of her expanding pride and glory.The aristocracy was Sparta, conservative and tenacious, holding onto all that had ever been hers. Athens had a matchless fleet; Spartaan army without equal on shore.The citizens of democratic Athens were proud of their liberty,their government by popular assemblies and officials chosen yearlyby a combination of ballot and lot. Women, foreigners, and slaveswere, of course, excluded from politics but the vote of every freebornAthenian man counted for as much as every others. They wereproud too in Athens of their unparalleled culture, their literature,drama, music, and art. The beautiful new Parthenon, temple oftheir patron goddess Athene, shone down on them from the Acrop-olis. In their theaters were produced the tragedies and comediesthat are still the marvels of the world. Among writers and intel-lectuals there was much free thought and speculation on questionsof science, philosophy, and religion. The city, however, was strict inperforming its duties to the gods of the fathers, celebrating in specialstate the festivals of Athene, of the nature god Dionysus and theearth mother Demeter. Athenians revered and consulted the mys-terious oracle of Apollo in its rocky ravine at Delphi and competed in