the story of mankind-第12部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



hand；　was　built　at　the　bottom　of　a　deep　valley；　and　used　the

surrounding　mountains　as　a　barrier　against　foreign　thought。

Athens　was　a　city　of　busy　trade。　Sparta　was　an　armed　camp

where　people　were　soldiers　for　the　sake　of　being　soldiers。　The

people　of　Athens　loved　to　sit　in　the　sun　and　discuss　poetry　or

listen　to　the　wise　words　of　a　philosopher。　The　Spartans；　on　the

other　hand；　never　wrote　a　single　line　that　was　considered　literature；

but　they　knew　how　to　fight；　they　liked　to　fight；　and　they

sacrificed　all　human　emotions　to　their　ideal　of　military　preparedness。



No　wonder　that　these　sombre　Spartans　viewed　the　success

of　Athens　with　malicious　hate。　The　energy　which　the　defence　of

the　common　home　had　developed　in　Athens　was　now　used　for

purposes　of　a　more　peaceful　nature。　The　Acropolis　was　rebuilt

and　was　made　into　a　marble　shrine　to　the　Goddess　Athena。

Pericles；　the　leader　of　the　Athenian　democracy；　sent　far　and

wide　to　find　famous　sculptors　and　painters　and　scientists　to

make　the　city　more　beautiful　and　the　young　Athenians　more

worthy　of　their　home。　At　the　same　time　he　kept　a　watchful

eye　on　Sparta　and　built　high　walls　which　connected　Athens

with　the　sea　and　made　her　the　strongest　fortress　of　that　day。



An　insignificant　quarrel　between　two　little　Greek　cities　led

to　the　final　conflict。　For　thirty　years　the　war　between　Athens

and　Sparta　continued。　It　ended　in　a　terrible　disaster　for

Athens。



During　the　third　year　of　the　war　the　plague　had　entered

the　city。　More　than　half　of　the　people　and　Pericles；　the　great

leader；　had　been　killed。　The　plague　was　followed　by　a　period

of　bad　and　untrustworthy　leadership。　A　brilliant　young　fellow

by　the　name　of　Alcibiades　had　gained　the　favor　of　the

popular　assembly。　He　suggested　a　raid　upon　the　Spartan

colony　of　Syracuse　in　Sicily。　An　expedition　was　equipped　and

everything　was　ready。　But　Alcibiades　got　mixed　up　in　a　street

brawl　and　was　forced　to　flee。　The　general　who　succeeded　him

was　a　bungler。　First　he　lost　his　ships　and　then　he　lost　his

army；　and　the　few　surviving　Athenians　were　thrown　into　the

stone…quarries　of　Syracuse；　where　they　died　from　hunger　and

thirst。



The　expedition　had　killed　all　the　young　men　of　Athens。

The　city　was　doomed。　After　a　long　siege　the　town　surrendered

in　April　of　the　year　404。　The　high　walls　were　demolished。

The　navy　was　taken　away　by　the　Spartans。　Athens　ceased　to

exist　as　the　center　of　the　great　colonial　empire　which　it　had

conquered　during　the　days　of　its　prosperity。　But　that　wonderful

desire　to　learn　and　to　know　and　to　investigate　which

had　distinguished　her　free　citizens　during　the　days　of　greatness

and　prosperity　did　not　perish　with　the　walls　and　the

ships。　It　continued　to　live。　It　became　even　more　brilliant。



Athens　no　longer　shaped　the　destinies　of　the　land　of　Greece。

But　now；　as　the　home　of　the　first　great　university　the　city　began

to　influence　the　minds　of　intelligent　people　far　beyond

the　narrow　frontiers　of　Hellas。







ALEXANDER　THE　GREAT



ALEXANDER　THE　MACEDONIAN　ESTABLISHES

A　GREEK　WORLD…EMPIRE；　AND

WHAT　BECAME　OF　THIS　HIGH　AMBITION





WHEN　the　Achaeans　had　left　their　homes　along　the　banks　of

the　Danube　to　look　for　pastures　new；　they　had　spent　some

time　among　the　mountains　of　Macedonia。　Ever　since；　the

Greeks　had　maintained　certain　more　or　less　formal　relations

with　the　people　of　this　northern　country。　The　Macedonians

from　their　side　had　kept　themselves　well　informed　about　conditions

in　Greece。



Now　it　happened；　just　when　Sparta　and　Athens　had　finished

their　disastrous　war　for　the　leadership　of　Hellas；　that

Macedonia　was　ruled　by　an　extraordinarily　clever　man　by

the　name　of　Philip。　He　admired　the　Greek　spirit　in　letters　and

art　but　he　despised　the　Greek　lack　of　self…control　in　political

affairs。　It　irritated　him　to　see　a　perfectly　good　people　waste　its

men　and　money　upon　fruitless　quarrels。　So　he　settled　the

difficulty　by　making　himself　the　master　of　all　Greece　and　then

he　asked　his　new　subjects　to　join　him　on　a　voyage　which　he

meant　to　pay　to　Persia　in　return　for　the　visit　which　Xerxes

had　paid　the　Greeks　one　hundred　and　fifty　years　before。



Unfortunately　Philip　was　murdered　before　he　could　start

upon　this　well…prepared　expedition。　The　task　of　avenging　the

destruction　of　Athens　was　left　to　Philip's　son　Alexander；　the

beloved　pupil　of　Aristotle；　wisest　of　all　Greek　teachers。



Alexander　bade　farewell　to　Europe　in　the　spring　of　the

year　334　B。C。　Seven　years　later　he　reached　India。　In　the

meantime　he　had　destroyed　Phoenicia；　the　old　rival　of　the　Greek

merchants。　He　had　conquered　Egypt　and　had　been　worshipped

by　the　people　of　the　Nile　valley　as　the　son　and　heir　of　the

Pharaohs。　He　had　defeated　the　last　Persian　kinghe　had

overthrown　the　Persian　empire　he　had　given　orders　to　rebuild

Babylonhe　had　led　his　troops　into　the　heart　of　the

Himalayan　mountains　and　had　made　the　entire　world　a　Macedonian

province　and　dependency。　Then　he　stopped　and　announced

even　more　ambitious　plans。



The　newly　formed　Empire　must　be　brought　under　the　influence

of　the　Greek　mind。　The　people　must　be　taught　the　Greek

languagethey　must　live　in　cities　built　after　a　Greek　model。

The　Alexandrian　soldier　now　turned　school…master。　The　military

camps　of　yesterday　became　the　peaceful　centres　of　the

newly　imported　Greek　civilisation。　Higher　and　higher　did　the

flood　of　Greek　manners　and　Greek　customs　rise；　when　suddenly

Alexander　was　stricken　with　a　fever　and　died　in　the　old

palace　of　King　Hammurabi　of　Babylon　in　the　year　323。



Then　the　waters　receded。　But　they　left　behind　the　fertile　clay

of　a　higher　civilisation　and　Alexander；　with　all　his　childish

ambitions　and　his　silly　vanities；　had　performed　a　most　valuable

service。　His　Empire　did　not　long　survive　him。　A　number　of

ambitious　generals　divided　the　territory　among　themselves。

But　they　too　remained　faithful　to　the　dream　of　a　great　world

brotherhood　of　Greek　and　Asiatic　ideas　and　knowledge。



They　maintained　their　independence　until　the　Romans

added　western　Asia　and　Egypt　to　their　other　domains。　The

strange　inheritance　of　this　Hellenistic　civilisation　（part　Greek；

part　Persian；　part　Egyptian　and　Babylonian）　fell　to　the

Roman　conquerors。　During　the　following　centuries；　it　got

such　a　firm　hold　upon　the　Roman　world；　that　we　feel　its　influence

in　our　own　lives　this　very　day。





A　SUMMARY



A　SHORT　SUMMARY　OF　CHAPTERS　1　to　20





THUS　far；　from　the　top　of　our　high　tower　we　have　been

looking　eastward。　But　from　this　time　on；　the　history　of　Egypt

and　Mesopotamia　is　going　to　grow　less　interesting　and　I　must

take　you　to　study　the　western　landscape。



Before　we　do　this；　let　us　stop　a　moment　and　make　clear　to

ourselves　what　we　have　seen。



First　of　all　I　showed　you　prehistoric　mana　creature　very

simple　in　his　habits　and　very　unattractive　in　his　manners。　I

told　you　how　he　was　the　most　defenceless　of　the　many　animals

that　roamed　through　the　early　wilderness　of　the　five　continents；

but　being　possessed　of　a　larger　and　better　brain；　he　managed　to

hold　his　own。



Then　came　the　glaciers　and　the　many　centuries　of　cold

weather；　and　life　on　this　planet　became　so　difficult　that　man　was

obliged　to　think　three　times　as　hard　as　ever　before　if　he　wished

to　survive。　Since；　however；　that　‘‘wish　to　survive''　was　（and　is）

the　mainspring　which　keeps　every　living　being　going　full　tilt　to

the　last　gasp　of　its　breath；　the　brain　of　glacial　man　was　set　to

work　in　all　earnestness。　Not　only　did　these　hardy　people　manage

to　exist　through　the　long　cold　spells　which　killed　many

ferocious　animals；　but　when　the　earth　became　warm　and　comfortable

once　more；　prehistoric　man　had　learned　a　number　of

things　which　gave　him　such　great　advantages　over　his　less　intelligent

neighbors　that　the　danger　of　extinction　（a　very　serious

one　during　the　first　half　million　years　of　man's　residence　upon

this　planet）　became　a　very　remote　one。



I　told　you　how　these　earliest　ancestors　of　ours　were　slowly

plodding　along　when　suddenly　（and　for　reasons　that　are　not

well　understood）　the　people　who　lived　in　the　valley　of　the　Nile

rushed　ahead　and　almost　over　night；　created　the　first　centre　of

civilisation。



Then　I　showed　you　Mesopotamia；　‘‘the　land　between　the

rivers；''　which　was　the　second　great　school　of　the　human　race。

And　I　made　you　a　map　of　the　little　island　bridges　of　the　AEgean

Sea；　which　carried　the　knowledge　and　the　science　of　the　old

east　to　the　young　west；　where　lived　the　Greeks。



Next　I　told　you　of　an　Indo…European　tribe；　called　the　Hellenes；

who　thousands　of　years　before　had　left　the　heart　of

Asia　and　who　had　in　the　eleventh　century　before　our　era　pushed

their　way　into　the　rocky　peninsula　of　Greece　and　who；　since

then；　have　been　known　to　us　as　the　Greeks。　And　I　told

you　the　story　of　the　little　Greek　cities　that　were　really　states；

where　the　civilisation　of　old　Egypt　and　Asia　was　transfigured

（that　is　a　big　word；　but　you　can　‘‘figure　out''　what　it　means）

into　something　quite　new；　something　that　was　much　nobler　and

finer　than　anything　that　had　gone　before。



When　you　look　at　the　map　you　will　see　how　by　this　time

civilisation　has　described　a　semi…circle。　It　begins　in　Egypt；

and　by　way　of　Mesopotamia　and　the　AEgean　Islands　it　moves

westward　until　it　reaches　the　European　continent。　The　first

four　thousand　years；　Egyptians　and　Babylonians　and　Phoenicians

and　a　large　number　of　Semitic　tribes　（please　remember

that　the　Jews　were　but　one　of　a　large　number　of　Semitic　peoples）

have　carried　the　torch　that　was　to　illuminate　the　world。

They　now　hand　it　over　to　the　Indo…European　Greeks；　who　become

the　teachers　of　another　Indo…European　tribe；　called　the

Romans。　But　meanwhile　the　Semites　have　pushed　westward

along　the　northern　coast　of　Africa　and　have　made　themselves

the　rulers　of　the　western　half　of　the　Mediterranean　just　when

the　eastern　half　has　become　a