The Trojan War.-Paris, son of Priam, king of Troy, had seized Helen, wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta, and had carried her home to the Troad. So Menelaus and his brother Agamemnon, king of Mycena, called their warriors. together and sailed for Troy, and with them went many other chiefs of Greece; notably, Achilles, king of the Myrmidons, from Thessaly; Ajax, son of the king of Salamis; Diomed, a chief from Argos; Odysseus (Ulysses), king of Ithaca; Nestor, king of Pylos. For nine years they laid siege to Troy, which at last fell into their hands, and was destroyed.

The Dorian Migration. The Thessalians entered Thessaly from Epirus, settling and naming the land. Those before dwelling in Thessaly moved to the southward; among them were the Dorians, who, under the lead of the sons of the god-born Heracles (Hercules), conquered and settled the greater part of Peloponnesus, forming the states of Sparta, Elis, Messenia, Argos, Corinth. The Ionians, who were before in Peloponnesus, now crossed to Lydia, where they founded twelve cities, Ephesus and Miletus being the greatest. The people of these twelve cities. erected at Mycale a temple, called Panionium, where they all went and worshipped Poseidon, with a joyous festi val. Such a union was called an Amphictyony, and similar unions were formed in many of the Greek states.

The Homeric Poems.- About 1000, the bards began to sing and recite the story of the Trojan war (the Iliad) and the wanderings of Odysseus on his return from Troy (Odyssey). The Iliad and Odyssey, together with certain hymns to the gods, have long been attributed to the poet Homer, though their authorship and date are much disputed.. The Establishment of the Delphic Oracle.-The god Apollo, descending from Olympus, looked on the hills and groves of Greece, to choose a spot where he would reveal to men

the will of Zeus and the events of the future, and whence he would give them advice in their perplexing affairs. He chose the slopes of Parnassus, and there the temple of Delphi was built in his honor; and for priests he chose the Cretans of a passing ship, who knew the sacred hymns addressed to him in Crete. In this temple always dwelt a priestess, through whom Apollo spoke to men, told them of the future, and how to guide the present aright. Thus, according to the myth, was founded the famous Delphic Oracle. To guard it, a council was formed, comprising members from all the leading Greek states, and known as The Amphictyonic Council.

2. List of the Chief Gods of the Greeks, with their

Attributes.

ZEUS (Jove, Jupiter), the god of the sky, controlling rains, clouds, and weather in general.

POSEIDON (Neptune), god of the sea, controlling calm and storm. APOLLO, god of wisdom, of medicine, music, and poetry; giving power

to heal, and inspiring lays and poems; afterward, god of the sun. ARES (Mars), god of war, of physical force, controlling the field of battle.

HEPHÆSTUS (Vulcan), god of fire, and of all the forging and casting and moulding of metals; giving skill in all metal work; represented as lame.

HERMES (Mercury), god of cunning; of inventive skill; of commercial sharpness and wit.

HERA (Juno), wife of Zeus and queen of the sky.

ATHENA (Minerva), daughter of Zeus, and goddess of wisdom; of strategy in war; of housewifery.

ARTEMIS (Diana), sister of Apollo, goddess of hunting; afterward goddess of the moon.

APHRODITE (Venus), goddess controlling marriage and love.

DEMETER (Ceres), goddess of harvest, controlling the yield of the seed

and the fertility of the soil.

HESTIA (Vesta), goddess of fire, especially of the hearth-fire, thus becoming the deity of the home.

These were the twelve great gods; besides these, Dionysius (Bacchus) was widely worshipped. He was the god of wine, controlling the yield of the vineyards and inspiring drunken madness. Every wood, every stream, every mountain, had its own presiding spirit, who might be approached and pleased by prayers and gifts.

The following phrases are used of the gods: "the gods who live forever;" "all power is with the gods;" "the gods, if willing, can save a man, even from a distance."

STUDY ON 1 AND 2.

In what way were the Greeks evidently accustomed to go from place to place? What occupation would this encourage? What effect would this habit have on civilization? Why? What do the myths indicate of the origin of Greek civilization? What does the list of words given tell us of the Phoenicians? Of the Greeks? Which tribes were most active in the Heroic Age? Why should an early movement have taken place to gain Thessaly? (See Map.) In what geographical directions did the Greek movements take place? Why? What do you understand by an Amphictyony? Name two things which were in common to those belonging to an Amphictyony.

What does 2 indicate in regard to the occupations of the Greeks? What reason had they for propitiating each of their gods? What relation evidently existed between their religion and their life and surroundings?

What proofs of intellectual life among the Greeks of the Heroic Age? What directions did it take. The "Lion-gate" indicates the beginnings of what arts?

3. Extracts Illustrative of Heroic Age.

a. Agamemnon's Councils of War.

(Iliad.)

In the ninth and final year of the Trojan war, the issues of the contest still being doubtful, Agamemnon, king of Mycenæ, called together a "council of the great-hearted elders," the leaders of the people, and said: "A dream from heaven came to me in my sleep. . . and charged me, saying; . . . To sleep all night beseemeth not one who is a councilor, to whom the host is entrusted. . . . I am a messenger to thee from Zeus who . . .

He biddeth thee call to arms take. . . the city of the TroSo come, let us now call to But first I will make trial of

...

hath great care for thee and pity. the Greeks, for now thou mayest jans.' So spake the dream. . . . arms. . . the sons of the Greeks. them . . . and will bid them flee . . . only do ye from this side and from that speak to hold them back." To this the chiefs agreed, and when the people were assembled, Agamemnon proposed a return to Greece," and they with shouting hasted to the ships; " but Odysseus, king of Ithaca, who had been present at the council of the elders, ran among the folk to call them back; "whenever he found one that was a captain and a man of mark, he . . . refrained him with gentle words: Good sir, it is not seemly to affright thee like a coward, but do thou sit thyself and make all thy folks sit down.'. . . But whatever man of the people he saw ... shouting, him he drave with his scepter and chode .; 'Good sir, sit still and hearken to the words of others that are thy betters; but thou art no warrior and . . . never reckoned; whether in battle or in council . . . let there be one master, one king, whom Zeus hath given the scepter and made the giver of the laws to all the rest.'"

The assembled Greeks were now addressed in favor of war, first by one and then another prince; at last, after a speech by Odysseus, the Greeks "shouted aloud and praised the saying of godlike" Odysseus; and after two more speeches from their princes they eagerly went to their tents to prepare for battle. "And they did sacrifice, each man to one of the everlasting gods, praying for escape from death." But Agamemnon offered sacrifice to Zeus, "and called the elders, the princes of the . . . host," to stand around the sacrifice while thus he prayed; "Zeus, most glorious, most great god of the stormcloud, . . . grant that the sun set not, till I have laid low upon the earth Priam's palace."

...

Then each chief marshalled his own men for war, except Achilles, who was angry with Agamemnon (see f.), and would neither come to council nor to war, though Agamemnon sent him many gifts, entreating him.

...

Again, while the Trojans were keeping watch, the Greeks "were holden of heaven-sent panic"; and again Agamemnon summoned an assembly, in which he advised a return to Greece; but all kept silence until prince Diomed arose and said; "With thee first in thy folly will I contend. . . . O King . deemest thou that the sons of the Greeks are thus indeed cowards?... if thine own heart is set on departing, go thy way. ... But the rest will tarry here." Him the Greeks applauded, shouting aloud, and after him another chief arose and advised Agamemnon to call a council of the elders, saying, "In the gathering of many shalt thou listen to him that deviseth the most prudent council;" and thus did Agamemnon.

b. The Law-suit.

1

(Iliad.)

"The folk were gathered in the assembly-place, for there a strife was arisen, two men striving about the price of a man slain; the one avowed that he had paid all, expounding to the people, but the other denied that he had received aught: ... and the folk were cheering both, as they took part on either side; . . . while the elders were sitting in the sacred circle. . . Then before the people, they rose up and gave judgment.”

STUDY ON α AND b.

What title has the chief ruler among the Greeks? Make a list of the things which he does. What title may he have on account of each one of these duties? How is his will made known to the people? How does he know the opinion of the people? Who help him accomplish his will? How do these men know his will? What means do they take to make the people obey? What means does Agamemnon take to make the other chiefs or kings obey? (See case of Achilles.) How many sorts of assemblies, or meetings, do we see among the Greeks? Who compose each, and what is the use of each? What takes the place of each nowadays, in our own country? How do the people show their opinion of proposals made to them? How do the following extracts show this government to have been supported?

1 In case of murder, the matter was often settled by the murderer's pay

ing a sum of money to relatives of the man murdered.