Show I p pi I i People of Athens Favorably Impressed by American Athletics s i SAYS WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN I S S 1 S Sis 5 is e S S 5 S 5 55 S S Sv 5 5 5 5 55 5 5 5 y v r i A 5 h t t 5 4 5 s 55 5 t tI S r I i S I It Itc ItS c S a S t k 5 S 5 5 f R M c 5 ft S 5 5 4 5 II 5 S 1 S S 3 5 I I S S 4 j 9 ti t p i L 1 S t 5 r S 5 1 it 4 5 i 5 5 4 f i 5 5 sl slI 5 t S I A 4 4 5 5 4 5 5 r The Acropolis at Athens The Stadium at Athens Vienna July 2 Nothing so im impresses impresses Impresses presses presses the visitor to Greece not the waters of t f the Aegean sea with their myriad myrial hues not the Acropolis elo eloquent eloQuent eloquent quent with ruins not even the lovely site of Athens itself its is the part which which little Greece Gt ece has played in the Instruction instruction instruction tion of the world Less than square miles mUes in area less than half haIr of ofU U which productive Is s and with witha a population population lation of otless less than two and a half mil mu millions millions lions this diminutive nation has a his history history hisS S tory without a parallel There is scarcely a department of thought in which Greece has not been the pioneer and In many thins things she sheL L has set an example which subsequent subs quent generations have but imperfectly fol followed followed lowed Jawed If in Egypt one is awed by bythe bythe I Ithe the evidences of antiquity if In Pal Palestine Palestino estine estino he is made reverent by the thel spiritual association connected with I Judea Galilee and Samaria in Greece he bows with profound respect to the mighty influence exerted by b this single people upon up n civilization The signs along the streets recall the alphabet with which the student of the classics struggles when he takes up the dead languages and yet the Greek language can hardly ardly l be called caned dead for while it is the spoken tongue of but a comparatively small number it has found a glorious resurrection resurrection resurrection in nearly n arly all alt the languages of Europe In fact it has ha no o many man merits that we are constantly com corn complimenting complimenting it by returning to It for forthe forthe forthe the nomenclature of philosophy science and art artOf artOf artOf Of those who still speak the lan language language language guage of Herodotus Homer Socrates and Demosthenes a n majority live outside of Greece Gree e for the Greek col colonies colonies colonies onies planted around the eastern end endot of ot the Mediterranean form a consider considerable considerable considerable able as well as an influential portion cf the population Greek colonization by the way was of an enduring kind kindI I Those who went out into distant fields did not go as individual bees official or commercial to gather honey and return with it to the par parent parent parent ent hive they the went out rather in swarms to o found cities develop coun COUIl countries countries tries and establish new centers for forthe forthe forthe the spread of Greek influence They identified themselves with the land td which they went they became an integral part of the population and by virtue of their inherent superior superiority ity they th y gradually substituted the language the Ideas the customs of ot their th ir native land for those which they found So securely did they build that neither neith r the Roman Koman nor noi the Turk were able to obliterate their work The people bowed before the storm but continued Greek and today in Alexan Alexandria Alexandria dria dna Asia Minor and Constantinople Hellenic influence Is still sUn felt The ancient Greeks sought to per perfect perfect feet the human form and It Is not to tobe tobe tobe be wondered at that marble models of ot strength grace gra e and beauty have been unearthed where the Olympian games inspired a rivalry in physical develop development development development ment The games were established nearly years before the beginning of the Christian era and during the na nations nations nations independent existence they were held In such high esteem that the laurel wreath of victory was the greatest re reward reward reward ward within the reach of the youth of the country Each city had Its stadium some of them of immense size The Theone Theone Theone one at Athens seated spectators and the enthusiasm aroused by the contests was scarcely less tess than that which at Rome greeted the gladiators By the generosity of a rich Greek Greeli the stadium it t Athens has recently re been restored at a cost of more than a mil million million million lion dollars The Tha race course is feet long end and nd a little more than In width and the seats are of marble Notwithstanding its great Ca en Capacity capacity it cannot contain the crowds that assemble to witness the athletic games renewed there in 1898 1896 by the International Athletic association as Our country has the distinction of having led In the contest in 1896 and again n the contest held at Athens last April Our representatives won eleven pl v n prizes each time and I found that these vic vie victories victories tories had very favorably Impressed the people of Athens The stadium is not the only splendid monument to the public spirit of the modern Greeks The Academy of Science and the library are magnificent buildings each costing more than the restoration of or the stadium They illus illustrate illustrate Illustrate the best in Grecian architecture reproducing the Corinthian the Doris and the Ionic They are of marble and would be worthy worth of a place in any city of the world The library contains several hundred thousand vol volumes volumes volumes umes and has all the modern equip ment meat Athens has a population of but little more than and it Is doubt doubtful doubtful doubtful ful whether there is another city of ot Its size that can boast of ot as large an ex expenditure expenditure of private capital in public buildings The mountain which has supplied Athens with marble for 2500 2600 years Is only a law fow miles mUes from the city and its Us quarries are still unexhausted Modern Athens is very attractive its Us streets ate are paved and clean its busi busl business business ness houses are large and wen well built its government buildings are substantial and Its private residences give evidence of taste We were there in the season of flowers and we saw them blooming in profusion everywhere Numerous statues adorn the streets street i and parks the most noted being beim the statue of Byron B ron erected in memory of vt f his unselfish devotion to Greek Inde Independence independence independence The soldiers and policemen have adopted the of the ancient Greeks but otherwise the people peopleS dress like the people of northern Europe Europ As one approaches Athens for the first time his eye is sure to search for forthe forthe forthe the Acropolis the hill which art and religion combined d to tomake tomake tomake make immortal It rises from the plain much as Chapultepec rises from the plain of Mexico It is about feet high and at the top yards ards in length It must have been surpassingly beau beautiful beautiful beautiful when the Parthenon was completed ed that great treasury which has not flot only supplied the art galleries of the world with marvels in stone but has given law to the architects from that day to this Pericles who deserves the credit for the construction of the Par Parthenon Parthenon Parthenon thenon can be pardoned for exulting in his hi work Today the Acropolis is a picture of desolation but the few columns that remain bear witness to its departed glory Lord Elgin carried away at atone atone atone one time feet of the sculptured frieze and scarcely any of Its columns capitals cornice and pediment would have remained but for the size and weight of the masses of marble The pillage that for nearly twenty centuries has been robbing Greece of her price priceless priceless Priceless less works of art can be understood when it is stated that one Roman con conqueror conqueror conqueror celebrated his victory victor by tx cx I In his triumphant procession wagon loads of ot Greek pictures and statues and that these wagons were followed by men each bearing some trophy taken from the cities of Greece And yet In spite of the grand lar larceny larceny larceny ceny which has been perpetrated against this unfortunate land the mu museum museum museum seum at Athens contains enough of ot the beautiful In marble and bronze to make any nation conspicuous In tho the realm of ot art Within two years rears some additions have been made mado to the tho col collection collection collection lection a 0 bronze statue has been b ert unearthed and a marble figure half halt buried in the sands of tie the sea has been b en rescued The latter Is perfect in inthe Inthe Inthe the portions protected by the sand tout hut was disintegrating where it came h to contact with the waves The readers of these articles are arc too well Informed in regard to the tho discoveries discoveries discoveries eries of Dr tr to make it necessary necessary necessary essary to refer to tho the work In detail One room of contains the ornaments which ho he gathered from five tombs and they are sufficient to show the extended use made of this metal In the arts They consist of ear earrings earrings earrings rings finger rings bracelets necklaces head ornaments vases cups coins etc olcA etcA tc A pair of cups which attract special attention bear In relief the figures figur s of bulls the animals being equal in form to the best breeds of today On one cup they are being led to the sacrifice and on the other they are bound at the altar Besides original statues of renown and the of those which have been removed there are many specimens sp of ancient pottery by which one can trace the rise in artistic arU tlc taste and skill Some of the earliest statues In stone and clay bear a striking resemblance to those of Egypt Second only in interest to the Acro Acre Acropolis Acropolis polis polls is Mars hill a t rocky summit two thirds of the height of the Acropolis Here the ancient court of the gus composed of the most eminent of held Its sessions Here Hereunder Hereunder Hereunder under the dome of the sky the most Important cases were tried and life and death hung upon the decree of the court Here also Pauls great speech to the men of Athens was delivered de his text being found In the altar erect erected erected erected ed to the thie unknown god Only a little distance from Mars Marshill Marshill Marshill hill is the stone platform from which the orators r of Greece addressed the people A level space was formed near the top toi of ot the hill bill where a few tew thousand could congregate and here the citizens listened while the greatest of all the public speakers poured forth his eloquence It was worth a trip to Athens to view this spot where Demosthenes delivered the ora oration tion on the Crown and ana the Philippics which have been the pattern set Bot before the student for tor 2200 years In the mar marshaling marshaling shaling of facts In the grouping of ar arguments arguments arguments In the use of ot Invective and andIn andin nd In the arranging of climaxes he is ig still BUll i ithe the teacher Some one has drawn a distinction between Cicero and Demos Demosthenes Demosthenes Demosthenes thenes saying that when the former spoke the tho people said How well Cicero speaks while when Demosthenes spoke they said Let us go against Philip Demosthenes style was more convincing than ornate his purpose was to arouse not merely to please and from the accounts that have come comedown comedown comedown down to us his delivery delhery was suited to his language He in fact gave to ac action action tion the highest place among the re requisites requisites requisites of effective speech We re recalled recalled called caned this saying of Demosthenes when we listened to the excited tones and watched the gesticulations of the boat boatmen boatmen men who thronged about our ship In Inthe Inthe inthe the harbor of Piraeus The physician who came aboard to examine the pas passengers passengers passengers gave us 18 even a better illustration illustration tion of action although his gestures were more forcible than graceful gr pos possibly possibly possibly sibly because he addressed himself to the captain ca of the ship instead of to the multitude On the shore of the Aegean sea be between between tween Athens and the harbor at a place where Demosthenes may have tested his voice against the tumult of ot the waves I gathered some pebbles I cannot prove that they are the identical identical i ical cal ones used by him to overcome the I Impediment In his speech but they ore fire I at least a reminder of the toilsome struggle through which he passed be before before before fore his name was known to fame It was a disappointment to find so little to mark the site of the academy where Socrates and Plato met their disciples These philosophers her have ha hamade made such an impression upon the thought of the world that I had bad hoped to find some spot clearly identified as the place where they taught An Anold Anold Anold old house stands now on a treeless tract over which they are ae said to have walked In their daily dally discussions but it is a modern one A gate admits to the grounds although a no wall them It is much easier to picture Demosthenes speaking from the ros rostrum rostrum rostrum trum which still sUll remains than to imagine Socrates propounding here his questions and elaborating the method of reasoning to which his name has bean been given There Is an old cemetery within the limits of the present city where re ye recent recent cent excavation has brought to light numerous tombs ornamented with sculpture Some of or the groups of statuary and urns have nave been left lett where they were found while others have been given a place in the muse museum museum um urn These are additional proof of the number of those who handled the chisel In i the tho days daS of Phidias No spot Is Identified with Herodotus the Father of History or with Thuey dides who with Herodotus has been the instructor of later chroniclers Ex Except Except the remains of the theatres there is nothing to the tragedies of Euripides Aeschylus and anil m 1 Sophocles or orthe orthe orthe the comedies of and no place Is pointed point d out as the site of the studio of of though the lessons which they taught the world have not been forgotten While the guide does not pretend to know the house In which Homer lived or where he hI wrote his deathless songs the tray trav traveler eler who Jasses through the can see the plains of Troy and during his stay In Greece his memory runs over the heroes of the Iliad and the There are no physical evidences of the life lite work of Lycurgus and Solon yet the laws which they promulgated are the heritage of ot mankind ind Salamis remains and if it the naval battle won von had hod had no other ef effect effect feet than to furnish Pericles with a atheme l atheme theme for his great funeral orations It would still have havo been worthy of re remembrance remembrance remembrance The of Mar Marathon Marathon Marathon athon which gives Miltiades a place among the worlds I generals Is un unchanged unchanged unchanged changed It Is about miles from Athens and the story told in marble pf Qt the Greek who carried the th news of the victory to Athens and died from exhaustion amid the shouts of ot his countrymen has led to the inc then tion of ot a mile race In the athletic cam games eg when they are held at Athens In 1896 the race was won on by bya a Greek much to the satisfaction o othe of the audience who made the run fro Marathon to the city in two hours ant and minutes The pas at Thermopylae Is also to tobe tobe tobe be seen and the tho heroism of the Spartans who under he leadership of Leonidas LeonId s offered up their T there for their |