 Chapter 27 of Famous Men of Greece. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Famous Men of Greece by John Herron and A.B. Poland. Chapter 27, Demosthenes. Roman Numeral 1. In the city of Athens, about 25 years after the Peloponnesian War, there lived a delicate boy named Demosthenes. His father was a manufacturer of swords and made a great deal of money. But when Demosthenes was only 7 years old, his father died. Guardians had charge of his property for 10 years. They robbed the boy of part of his fortune and managed the rest so badly that Demosthenes could not go to school to the best teachers in Athens because he had not money enough to pay them. One day, when he was 16 years old, a great trial was going on at Athens and he strolled into the court. There were 1,501 diecasts or, as we call them, jurymen in their seats and the court was crowded with citizens who, like Demosthenes, had gone in from curiosity. A lawyer named Calistratus was speaking. He did not finish his speech for nearly four hours, but no one left the court until he ceased to speak. Then hundreds of people went out and hurried home. Demosthenes waited to see the end. When each of the jurymen had thrown a voting pebble into a basket, the clerk of the court counted the pebbles and told the result. Calistratus had won the case. Demosthenes went home determined to become a lawyer and public speaker. In one year from that time, he brought suit against his guardians, delivered four orations against them and won his case. He recovered a large part of the property which his father had left to his mother and himself. After this he entered public life, but the first time he made a speech in the public assembly it was a complete failure. He stammered and could not speak loud enough, and in trying to do so he made odd faces. People laughed at him and even his friends told him that he could never be a speaker. So he went home greatly cast down. Then an actor who was a great friend of his family went to see him and encouraged him. He asked Demosthenes to read to him some passages of poetry. Then the actor recited the same passages. The verses now seem to have new meaning and beauty. The actor pronounced the words as if he felt them. The tones of his voice were clear and pleasant and his gestures were graceful. Demosthenes was charmed. You can learn to speak just as well as I do, said the actor, if you are willing to work patiently. Do not be discouraged but conquer your difficulties. I will, said Demosthenes, and he did. It is said that to improve his voice he spoke with stones in his mouth and to become accustomed to the noise and confusion of the public assembly he went to the seashore and recited there amid the roar of the waves. To overcome his habit of lifting one shoulder above the other he suspended a sword so that the point would prick his shoulder as he raised it. He built an underground room in which he could study without interruption and practice speaking without disturbing anyone. He had one side of his head shaved so that he would be ashamed to leave this retreat. Then he remained there for months at a time engaged in study. One thing that he did while there was to copy eight times the speeches in the famous history of Thucydides. This was to teach him to use the most fitting language. Besides all this he took lessons of an excellent speaker named Isias who taught declination. In this way the awkward boy who had been laughed out of the assembly became in time the greatest orator of Athens. Not only was Demosthenes a graceful orator but he was wise and patriotic. He soon acquired great influence in Athens and became one of the ten official orators. At this time Philip of Maston had organized a strong army and was beginning those conquests which in the end made him master of Greece. Demosthenes from the first regarded him with suspicion but said nothing until convinced that Philip was threatening the liberty of Athens and of all Greece. Then he urged the Athenians to fight against Philip as their forefathers had fought against the Persians at Marathon, at Solemus and at Platia. Philip he said is weak because he is selfish and unjust. He is strong only because he is energetic. Let us be equally energetic and being unselfish and just we shall triumph. Philip's victory at Caronia completely disheartened the Athenians and Demosthenes had to use all the power of his eloquence to rouse them. In his speeches he showed how the success of Philip and the failure of Athens were not due to the advisors of the people or to the generals who led their army but to the Athenians themselves. You idle away your time said he going into barbers shops and asking what news today while Philip is gathering forces with which to crush you and the rest of Greece with you. Philip tried to bribe Demosthenes but the order was absolutely incorruptible and to the end of his life he raised his voice and used his influence for the cause of freedom against both Philip and Alexander. He delivered twelve orations on this subject. Three of these orations were specially directed against Philip and are known as the Philippics. They are so bitter in their denunciation of Philip that today any speech which is very bitter and severe against a man or a party is called a Philippic. The most famous speech that Demosthenes ever made was in defense of himself and is known as the speech on the crown. He had advised the Athenians to unite with the Thebans against Philip. His advice was followed and a victory was won. The Athenians were so much pleased that it was proposed to crown Demosthenes with a golden wreath at one of the great festivals. Now this proposal had to be voted on by the people and some of Demosthenes enemies objected. If the people refused to vote the crown it would have meant disgrace for Demosthenes and so he was obliged to go before the assembly to speak in defense of himself and to show that his advice to his countrymen had been correct. It was true that the Athenians had not been able to destroy Philip's power or free the states of Greece from his control. But said Demosthenes, I insist that even if it had been known beforehand to all the world that Philip would succeed and that we should fail not even then ought Athens to have taken any other course if she had any regard for her own glory or for her past or for the ages to come. By this he meant that it was the duty of her people to fight for what they believed to be right even if in the very beginning they had known that they could not succeed. Grander words than these never fell from human lips and when the vote was taken the people decided that he should receive the crown. Roman numeral 2 When news reached Athens of the murder of Philip Demosthenes rejoiced and placed a wreath upon his head as if he were at a feast. He even persuaded the Athenians to make a thank offering to their gods. Alexander soon placed the Greek cities at his mercy. Then he demanded that Demosthenes and eight other Athenian orators should be delivered up to be punished for treason. Demosthenes told the people of Athens the story of the wolf and the sheep. Once on a time he said the shepherds agreed with the wolf that henceforth they should be friends. The wolf promised faithfully never again to attack the sheep but he said he thought it would be only fair that the shepherds should cease to keep dogs. The shepherds agreed and gave up their dogs. Then the wolf ate up the sheep. The Athenians knew what Demosthenes meant and heeded the lesson. They kept their watchdogs. Demosthenes and the other orators safely at home. Alexander at length withdrew his demand and treated the Athenians with kindness. However, this did not win the favor of Demosthenes who continued to oppose the Macedonians at every step. After some years one of Alexander's satraps stole a large treasure, fled to Athens and begged for protection. Demosthenes was unjustly accused of helping him and was condemned to pay a fine. He could not pay it and so went into exile. When Alexander died, the orator returned to Athens. The Athenians sent a man of war to bring him to the Piraeus. The magistrates, the priests and all the citizens marched out to welcome him and escort him to the city. Demosthenes now made a last effort to free Athens but Macedonia was still strong and Athens and those who loved her were weak. In a short time the demand was again made that the orators be given up to be punished and Demosthenes again had to flee for his life. He sought refuge in a temple of Poseidon on an island near the coast of Greece. The sacredness of the temple ought to have protected him but he was not allowed to escape. The captain of the soldiers who were sent to kill him told him that if he would come out of the temple he should be pardoned. Demosthenes knew well that this promise would be broken. He asked to be allowed a few moments in which to write a letter and his request was granted. He wrote and then placed the end of his writing-quill in his mouth. Those who were watching saw him grow pale. He tried to reach the door but fell dead near the altar. He had taken poison which he had long carried in the end of his writing-quill for he feared that if he ever fell into the hands of the Macedonians he would die in prison or by torture. 1. While Alexander was conquering the world there lived in Athens a man whose work survived hundreds of years after the conqueror's empire fell to pieces. Indeed, it exists today. This man was Aristotle the great philosopher at one time Alexander's tutor. After Alexander became king Aristotle went to Athens and established a school of philosophy. His fame grew and he was called the man of wisdom. He spent much of his time in writing and wrote about almost everything that men thought of in his time. Some of his works are studied in our colleges today. Like all other great men of Greece Aristotle had enemies. Some of them accused him of not having respect for the gods he therefore fled from Athens in order as he said to keep the Athenians from sinning against philosophy by banishing him. He died in exile. It is said that for about two hundred years after his death people did not know what had become of his writings. The men to whom they were left had buried them in an underground chamber for fear the king of Pergamos who was very proud of his library would get hold of them. When the manuscripts were at last found they could still be read. For hundreds of years after that Aristotle's writings were more widely studied in Europe than almost any other books. Two. Another great philosopher who lived during the time of Alexander was Zeno. He was born in Cyprus but came to Athens in his youth. He gave his lectures in a porch called in Greek a stoa from which he and his followers are called stoics. He taught that men should live simply and learn to be neither fond of pleasure nor cast down by sorrow. Today we call people stoics who endure pain and misfortune without complaining. One of Zeno's rivals was a philosopher named Epicurus. He founded a school in Athens and taught there for thirty six years. His enemies accused him of teaching that pleasure was the only thing to live for and many people still have this idea. We call a man an Epicurus who is very fond of high living. Epicurus, however, really used the word pleasure to mean peace of mind not the mere satisfaction of eating and drinking. Both he and his pupils lived in a very simple way. One of the oddest of Greek philosophers was Diogenes. He used to stand in the public places of the city and ridicule the follies of his fellow citizens. Because of this habit he and his disciples were called cynics or growlers from a Greek word which means dog. It is said that he lived in a tub. Many stories are told of the curious doings and sayings of Diogenes. Once in broad daylight he walked through the streets of Athens carrying a lighted lantern. What are you about now Diogenes? asked one man who met him. I am looking for a man sneered Diogenes. Once when he was on a voyage the ship in which he was sailing was captured by pirates. The passengers and crew were taken to Crete and sold as slaves. The auctioneer who was selling them asked Diogenes what he could do. I can rule men, was the answer. Sell me to someone who wishes a master. When the great Council of the States of Greece honoured Alexander by asking him to lead their forces against Persia the young conqueror visited Diogenes. The philosopher was then living at Corinth in the house of the man who had bought him as a slave. He was in the garden basking in the sun when Alexander visited him. Can I do anything to help you Diogenes? asked Alexander. Nothing but get out of my sunshine replied Diogenes. As Alexander was leaving this man a few wants he said if I were not Alexander I should wish to be Diogenes. It was as though he had said if I were not going to conquer the world I should like to have the power which Diogenes has to conquer self. Three. A number of celebrated painters lived during the reign of Alexander. The most famous was Apelles. Alexander would allow no one else to paint his portrait. Apelles had talent but he became a great artist as much by his patient industry as by his talent. His motto was Never a day without a line. Once he painted a horse and exhibited it in a contest with some of his rivals who also had painted pictures of horses. He saw that the judges were not going to give the prize to his picture so he requested that all the pictures should be shown to some horses. This was done and the animals paid no more attention to the pictures of Apelles' rivals than they would have paid to blank boards. But when Apelles' horse was shown to them they naved as though they had seen a friend. End of Chapter 28 Chapter 29 of Famous Men of Greece This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Christine Famous Men of Greece by John H. Harn and A. B. Poland Chapter 29 Ptolemy One of Alexander's favorite generals was Ptolemy. In the division of the Empire Egypt was placed in his charge. Other parts of the empire were entrusted to other generals. One had Macedonia, another Thrace, another Syria. At first they ruled as governors for Alexander's young son but after a while they became independent and were called kings. Ptolemy and his descendants ruled Egypt for more than 350 years. They were a great line of sovereigns and did much for the good of the country. We are accustomed to think of them as Egyptians but really they were Greeks living in Egypt. One of Ptolemy's first acts and one which shows that he was a man of affectionate feeling was to bring the body of Alexander from Babylon to Egypt. It was first buried in Memphis but afterwards removed to Alexandria because, as you remember the city was founded by Alexander and named after him. Ptolemy made Alexandria his capital and did a great deal to beautify the city. He founded a museum and began collecting books for a library. His son, Ptolemy Philadelphus carried on his work and made the library the largest and best in the world. Most of the books were made of the piss of the papyrus or paper plant in the story of Pisistratus. They were written in Greek and Latin. Ptolemy appreciated the intelligent and learning of the Jews and treated them with so much kindness and gave them so many liberties that great numbers of them settled in Egypt. Two things that Ptolemy Philadelphus did are especially worth remembering. One was to call the Bible of the Jews to be translated into Greek. The other was to open again a great canal which had been dug many centuries before from the Nile to the Red Sea but had long been filled up by the drifting sand of the desert. This was something like the cutting of the Suez Canal. Ptolemy's canal connected the Atlantic with the Indian Ocean. Ships could sail from the Atlantic across the Mediterranean then through the canal and the Red Sea and on to India. At that time Egypt raised more wheat than any other country in the world so she had a great commerce. In exchange for her wheat she bought the products of Europe and Asia and Alexandria became the richest city of the world. But more than that the Ptolemy's, especially Philadelphus invited learned men to their court and gave them support so that they might carry on their own studies and teach others. At one time there were 14,000 students receiving instruction in the city. Thus Alexandria became the home of learning. It was there that pupils were first told that the earth is round and one of the great astronomers who lived there found out very nearly the length of the earth's circumference and diameter. The people of Alexandria knew more about these things 200 years before Christ than the people of Europe 200 years after. The science of today about which you hear so much is only the continuation of what was begun by the wonderful Greeks whom the Ptolemy's gathered about them in Alexandria. One of the Ptolemy's line was the celebrated Cleopatra an able ruler and the most fascinating woman of her time. You will read something of her history in famous men of Rome a companion volume to this book. End of Chapter 29 Chapter 30 of Famous Men of the Greece This is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Christine Famous Men of Greece by John H. Haran and A. B. Poland Chapter 30 Pyrrhus A prince named Pyrrhus lived in the state of Epirus not far from the home of the great Achilles. At 12 years of age he became king but the government was carried on for him by a guardians. About that time he read the story of Alexander the Great and determined to be like him a great conqueror. While he was dreaming of victories in foreign lands war came to him in his own country Ptolemy of Egypt helped him to defeat his enemies and regain his throne. Then he resolved anew to conquer as Alexander had conquered and he began with Alexander's own Macedonia. After a war that lasted several years he got possession of one half the country. One of Alexander's generals took the other half. However the people in Pyrrhus half preferred the old general as a ruler and in seven months Pyrrhus had to give up his Macedonian kingdom. He reigned quietly in Epirus for a few years. Then a chance came to try and conquer the Romans who lived just across the Adriatic sea. Pyrrhus was delighted. Ruling Epirus was a dull business. In the south of Italy great many Greeks had settled. Greek was the language of the people who lived there and the region was called Great Greece. Rome wished to rule all Italy but those Greeks were not willing to be under Roman rule. So they sent word to Pyrrhus that they were in trouble and would like him to help them. Preparations for war were at once made and as soon as possible Pyrrhus landed on the shores of Italy with an army of about 30,000 men and 20 elephants. A great battle was fought and Pyrrhus won the victory but the loss of life was dreadful. As he walked among the dead after the battle he said another such victory and I shall have to go home alone. Half his men were slain. However the Greeks of south Italy furnished him with fresh soldiers and he gained a second victory. The war came to an end in a very curious way. One of the servants of Pyrrhus deserted to the Romans and offered to poison his master for the consuls. The consuls sent back the deserter to Pyrrhus under guard and with a message that they scorned to gain a victory through treason. Pyrrhus does show his gratitude then sent back to Rome all the prisoners whom he held without asking any ransom. This made the enemy's friends and a truth was concluded. It was one of the terms of the truth that Pyrrhus should leave Italy. A large number of Greeks lived in Sicily. They had built Syracuse and other large cities and towns. At the time Carthage in Africa was a powerful city and the Carthaginians were trying to conquer the Sicilian Greeks. Pyrrhus crossed to Sicily to help his countrymen. But his Italian friends got into trouble with the Romans again and begged him once more to help them. Accordingly he left Sicily and went back to Italy. Now, however, his good fortune foresoaked him. He was totally defeated by the Romans and forced to leave Italy. He now returned to Epirus but as he was no lover of peace he soon went to war a second time with Macedonia. Again he conquered the land of Alexander but again the king of Macedonia again the kingdom. Not content to rule Epirus Pyrrhus next went into the Peloponnesus and fought against the Spartans but they drove him from their territory. Finally he went to Argos and fought in a civil war which was going on in that state. A fight took place in one of the streets of Argos and during it a woman threw a tile from the roof of her house. It stuck Pyrrhus upon the head and stunned him and some of the soldiers of the party against whom he was fighting run up and killed him. 287 BC 2. Sicily about whose struggle you have just read was the home of a famous mathematician named Archimedes. He was born at Syracuse in 287 BC and was only a boy when Pyrrhus was in Sicily helping the Cartagenaeans fight the Sicilians. Many years later Syracuse was besieged by another enemy, the Romans. Archimedes then an old man proved of great help to his countrymen. He invented engines for throwing stones on the enemy. By using these engines the Sicilians kept the Romans at bay for a long time. It is said that Archimedes set fire to the Roman ships with powerful burning glasses. At last, however, Syracuse fell and Archimedes was put to death by a Roman soldier contrary to the order of the Roman commander. End of chapter 30 Chapter 31 of Famous Men of Greece For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Christine Famous Men of Greece by John H. Harn and A. B. Paul Chapter 31 Cleomines III About 100 years after the death of Alexander the Great lived a young prince named Cleomines. His father was one of the kings of Sparta and bore the name of one of the greatest of Greek hero, Leonides the famous defender of Thermopylae. One day, when the prince was about 18 years old, he start from home to go hunting. He had not gone far from the city gate when one of his father's slaves overtook him and handed to him a writing tablet. On its vexed surface Cleomines read the words Leonides the king took Cleomines. Come back to the palace the moment you have read this note. Cleomines turned and went back towards the city. Late in the afternoon he reached the palace. The gateway was hung with a garland of flowers and entering he found the woman busily arranging roses and lilies in every room. As soon as he saw his father he asked, is anyone going to be married? replied his father. This evening I wish you to marry Agiatis the widow of King Agis. I am having the palace decorated for the wedding. She is beautiful and good and the heroes of one of the richest men in Sparta. But, said Cleomines, how can she ever be willing to marry your son? I am the king, replied Leonides, and she is bound to obey me. Since you wish it, I will marry her of Cleomines. But I never can hope that she will love me. Cleomines had good reason for saying this. For Leonides had caused his fellow king Agis the husband of Agiatis to be murdered. Agis had been one of the best and greatest of Sparta's kings. He had been distressed at the state of his country when he came to the throne. The old customs of Lycorgos had been set aside. Since the close of the Peloponnesian when Sparta had proved more than a much for Athens, a great change had come over the kingdom. Her men were no longer warriors. The hope of Agis was that he might persuade the people to live according to the old laws which no one now obeyed. But Leonides, his fellow king, did not wish to return to the old ways of living and the five Ephors, or magistrates of Sparta, were friends of his. They determined to put Agis to death. The Ephors seized him upon the street and carried him to prison. And for no other reason than that he had tried to carry out the laws of Lycorgos and restore the glory of Sparta. He was put to death. This had been done at the orders of Leonides. Cleo-men therefore had reason to think that Agiatis never would marry him. However, the marriage took place as Leonides wished. And although Agiatis hated Leonides and feared her husband, she soon learned to love Cleo-menes who was manly and true and who devoted his life to making her happy. She talked to him of Agis and what he had wished to do for Sparta. As Cleo-menes listened, he made up his mind to do just what Agis had wished to do. He saw that luxurious ways of living had beaten Sparta and destroyed her influence. And he saw also that his father's friends were not so few good and brave men still left in Sparta. But rich men who cared for nothing but money and pleasure. 2. Leonides died a few years after the murder of Agis and then Cleo-menes became king. At this time a great general named Aratus was at the head of the league of Greek cities called the Achaean League. It seemed likely that it would soon control all the Peloponnesos. Cleo-menes therefore persuaded the Spartans to go to war against the Achaeans. In several battles he defeated Aratus and won for himself great fame as a soldier. This made the Spartans very fond of him and he thought that the time had arrived when he might persuade them to obey once more the old laws and customs. But the efforts were opposed to the changes which he wished to make and so he boldly put them to death. Next day he banished 80 citizens who were opposed to his plans. He then explained to the people why he had done this and why he had put the efforts to death. If without bloodshed he said, I could have driven from Spartan luxury and extravagance debts and usury, the riches of the few and the poverty of the many I should have thought myself the happiest of kings. He declared that the laws of Likurgus must be enforced to the land we again divided among the citizens. The people who had delighted when they heard all this and much more were they pleased when Cleo-Mins and his father-in-law were the first to give up their lands for division. The rest of the citizens did the same and so 600 years after Likurgus there was a new division of property and once more every Spartan had land enough to raise wheat and oil and wine for his family for a year. Against the citizens dying at public tables on simple Spartan fear and the youths were trained and reeled as Likurgus had ordered. The Pyrrhic dance which trained soldiers in quick movements was revived. Against the army was well disciplined and the soldiers of Sparta became as long ago the best among the Greeks. The king himself set his people an example of simple living. Some of the Greeks had loved when Cleo-Mins is said he would tread in the steps of Likurgus and Solon. But when they saw Sparta victorious on the battlefield and the city prosperous and happy once more they could not help admiring the men who had brought the change about. But in time a dreadful disaster befell Cleo-Mins and Sparta. The Achaian League invited the Macedonian king Antigonus to bring an army to help them against Cleo-Mins. And in a single battle the Spartans lost almost everything that they had gained. The other king who was Cleo-Mins own brother was killed and out of 6,000 men whom he commanded only 200 survived. Cleo-Mins made his way to Sparta and advised the citizens to submit to the Macedonians which they did and the independence of Sparta was gone forever. Cleo-Mins had hopes of getting help from Ptolemy king of Egypt so he sailed to that country and he was promised assistance. But unfortunately Ptolemy died and the next king made Cleo-Mins a prisoner because an enemy of the great Spartan had said that he was plotting against the Egyptian king. Cleo-Mins saw no way of escape and so put an end to his life. He was one of the greatest men of the last days of Greece. End of the chapter 31 Chapter 32 of Famous Men of Greece This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Christine Famous Men of Greece by John H. Haran and A. B. Poland Chapter 32 The Fall of Greece The States of Greece tried again and again to throw off the Macedonian yoke. Unfortunately, however, they often quarreled with one another and were not ununited against Macedonia. For this reason the kings of that state kept their place as masters of Greece for another hundred years. Then the Romans invaded the country and in a battle fought near a town called Pidna, the Macedonians were defeated and their king Perseus was taken prisoner. This brought the Macedonian kingdom to an end. Macedonia was made part of the Roman Empire and men were sent from Rome to rule it. Epirus was next captured. 150,000 of its inhabitants were sold into slavery and the state was made a Roman province. After the fall of Macedonia, the other states of Greece still continued fighting with one another. So in about 20 years in 1846 a Roman army was sent against them. A battle was fought near Corinth in which the Greeks were completely defeated. Corinth at that time was one of the richest and most beautiful cities in the world. After the battle the Roman general led his soldiers enter the houses and take what they pleased. Pictures, marbles, statues and jewelry were taken and shipped to Rome. It is said that two of the rough Roman soldiers played a game of dice on one of the finest pictures. So little did they value works of art. 2000 of the men of Corinth were put to death by the Romans and the women and children were made slaves. After the buildings of the city had been plundered they were set on fire. And now Athene, Thebes, Sparta and other Greek states became like Macedonia the Empire of Rome. From the rule of Rome Greece passed in the Middle Ages under the rule of Turkey and it was only about 75 years ago that she revolted from Turkey and became once more an independent country. If ever you go to Greece a thousands of people do to visit the places where her great men lived you will see little but ruins. The columns of the temples are broken the stones of their walls lies scattered on the ground and yet Greece even amid ruin and decay is still teaching the world. Many of the words that stand for branches of learning in our language today are Greek words. Such words are arithmetic and mathematics. They show plainly that the first teachers of mathematics in Europe were Greeks. Gymnasium and athletics are also Greek words. They show that the Greeks set as the example running races, wrestling, jumping throwing words and doing other such things to make our body strong. Poet too and poem are Greek and remind us that the Greeks taught us how to write poetry. Grammar, rhetoric and geography are Greek words so are logic, astronomy and surgery. These and hundreds of other words in daily use show how much we have inherited from the Greeks. Although the old-time glory of Greece has waned the light of art and science which she kindled in the world grows brighter as time rolls on. End of the chapter 32 End of the famous man of Greece by John H. Haran and A. B. Poland