greater part of its ancient structures, and left it a ruin. About A. D. 1455, Athens was taken by the Turks, to whom it has been subject ever since During eleven hundred years it often changed masters, but what happened there in this long period is little known. At present about three-fourths of its inhabitants are Greeks, and the remainder are Turks. It is now called Athini and Setines.

4. Solon's laws went into effect nearly six centuries before Christ, and the battle of Cheronea took place about three and a half centuries before Christ. For about three hundred and fifty years then, Athens was that mighty state, which, by the power of mind, exercised the greatest ascendancy over civilized nations that any one people ever did. Of the great men of Athens, her legislators, philosophers, and historians, it may be said

"Their spirits govern though their clay is cold."

5. Many of their works are lost, but all their conquerors, except the Goths, left much that was not destroyed. The Roman masters of Athens, loved its genius, its literature, and its arts: the schools of philosophy and rhetoric were long continued; and at last, when Athens was overrun by barbarians, its learned men took refuge in Italy, where they taught the learning and language of Greece for subsistence.

6. When the Goths overran Italy, and destroyed every thing ancient and venerable, they yet respected religious houses and religious men. The manuscripts of Greek authors were preserved in convents, and the Greek language was always enough cultivated, to be kept just alive. Since that time printing has been invented, many Greek books

have been printed, and an acquaintance with Greek literature, now forms part of the education of many people in Europe and America.

7. The duration of the Athenian republic has been divided into three eras: the first, the age of Solon, or of the laws; the second, the age of Themistocles and Aristides, or the age of glory : the third, that of Pericles, or the age of luxury and the arts.

s. The population of Athens consisted of citizens, sojourners or persons who had emigrated from other countries, and slaves. This population is supposed to have continued nearly the same for centuries, because, when it increased, the people went off to colonies abroad. The number of citizens is supposed to have been nearly 20,000, and the sojourners 10,000 males; and the city contained besides as many, or more females of both classes. The class of slaves was more numerous than either of the others. The whole population of the province of Attica, is estimated to have been 450,000 persons, bond and free.

The slaves were persons taken in war, whose friends were unable to pay the ransom, or price of their liberty; sojourners who could not pay the taxes; poor people who could not discharge their debts, and whose persons were sold to raise money; and the descendants of all these, for the children of slaves always belong to the masters of their parents. Many of the captives taken in war were

females; some of these were employed in weaving and embroidery, others in lighter services. Hector in Homer, predicts the day when his wife, the fair Andromache, should become the captive of his enemies, and be compelled to delineate in the Argive looms, the story of the fatal war of Troy : that is, should be employed by the conquerors of Troy to make pictures, in embroidery, of the calamities of the war. Hector speaks to Andro

mache thus :

"Andromache thy griefs I dread; I see thee trembling, weeping, captive led! In Argive looms our battles to design, And woes of which so large a part was thine! To bear the victor's hard commands, or bring 'The weight of waters from Hyperia's spring. There, while you groan beneath the load of life, They cry, Behold the mighty Hector's wife! Some haughty Greek, who lives thy tears to see, Embitters all thy woes, by naming me. The thoughts of glory past, and present shame, A thousand griefs shall waken at the name ; May I lie cold before that dreadful day, Press'd with a load of monumental clay! Thy Hector, wrapt in everlasting sleep, Shall neither hear thee sigh, nor see thee weep."

This short narrative of Athenian history, is too brief to do more than introduce readers to an acquaintance with the subject. Other books will inform them more about the extraordinary people that has been described in the last few pages.

The most remarkable events in the history of Athens, occurred in the following order of time:

Romans conquered Greece, and made

the whole country a Roman province, Athens besieged by Sylla,

Pillaged by the Goths,

338

146

87

A. D.

396

Taken by the Turks.

1455

13

BOTIA.

1. Northwest of Attica lay Rootia. In this province were Thebes, Leuctra, and Platea.

At Platea the Greeks defeated the Persians. At Leuctra the Thebans vanquished the Lacedæmonians.

At Cheronea Philip subdued the allied armies of Greece.

2. Boeotia was remarkable for the dulness of its inhabitants, yet the mythology made it the residence of the Muses; this country was embellished with a multitude of statues in honour of these goddesses, and of poets and musicians. The fountains, Aganippe and Hippocrene were sacred to the Muses. Hippocrene signifies the horse's fountain; and the fable relates that when the Muse's winged horse, Pegasus, struck with his foot the spot whence it flows, the fountain burst forth. Helicon was the Muses' hill; its pure air, venerable trees, and cool shades, made it a delightful spot to mortals, and quite a fit abode, the Greeks thought for the heavenly sisters.

4. One of the most celebrated oracles was that of Trophonius: those who consulted this oracle went into a cave to learn the hidden things of futurity, and there some frightful spectacle was presented to them. The ignorant and credulous were sometimes so terrified in this cave, that it used to be said, they who entered the cave of Trophonius never laughed afterwards; but many, doubtless, laughed often at the foolish attempts made to deceive the superstitious, and at their weakness in being deceived.