This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1868 Excerpt: ... and the institutions of Solon tended to form his fellow-citizens for the enjoyment of civil happiness. It was a punishable crime at Athens to be idle, and every citizen was compelled to industry, and to the utmost exertion of his talents. It was not enough that each should choose himself a particular profession. The ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1868 Excerpt: ... and the institutions of Solon tended to form his fellow-citizens for the enjoyment of civil happiness. It was a punishable crime at Athens to be idle, and every citizen was compelled to industry, and to the utmost exertion of his talents. It was not enough that each should choose himself a particular profession. The court of Areopagus inquired into and ascertained the extent of his funds, the amount of his expenditure, and consequently the measure of his industry and economy. The sciences were in contempt at Sparta; but dependent on the arts, and essential to the highest and most rational enjoyment of life, they were held at Athens in the greatest honour and esteem. Luxury was the characteristic of the Athenian, as frugality of the Spartan. They were equally jealous of their liber; because liberty was equally necessary to each, for e enjoyment of his favourite scheme of life. In the best times of both republics, their military charactei was nearly equal. The bravery of the Spartan sprang from a fostered hardihood, and constitutional ferocity; the courage of the Athenian was derived from the principle of honour. The character of the individual at Athens was humane, polite, equitable, and social; but from a faulty constitution, the character of the public was fickle, inconstant, frivolous, cruel, and ungrateful. The revenue of the territory of Attica has admitted of various estimations by different authors. The Athenians, at the commencement of their first war with Lacedaemon, before proceeding to vote the necessary supplies for the armament, made a general esti. mate, as Polybius informs us, of their lanas, their houses, and their whole property, which did not quite amount to 6000 talents; a sum equivalent to $5,161,500. Demosthenes, in one of his orations ...
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