Between Heathenism and Christianity - College of Stoic Philosophers

Preface
world. Rome s conquests
have been exceeded in
rapidity. but they have m-ver been equalled in })ermanence.
The triumphs of Christianity and those of Roman
arms stand in a certain relation to each other, notwith
standing the fact that the latter were gained with
material, the former with spiritual, weapons. When
the conquests of the one wore ended, the other began.
When material forces had spent themselves, men
began to turn, reluctantly indeed, to spiritual agencies
and undertook to subdue the powers of darkness that
had so long held sway in the human breast. While the
arms of Rome were engaged in overcoming the mar
tial opposition of her enemies. Greece wr as occupied
with the effort to subjugate the passions of men by the
weapons of the intellect. By the time Roman con
quests had reached their limits it had been demon
strated that Greece, too. could go no farther. But
Greece did not fail because there were no more
worlds to it
conquer: was because men had learned
that her weapons were powerless to compass the end
in view. He that ruleth his own spirit is mightier
than he that taketh a city,"
was the lesson that tinbest
of the Greek philosophers strove to impress
upon men, but strove in vain.
It will always remain a matter of interest to study
the intellectual sphere in which the old doctrines and
the new faith conflict. What was the best that
Greek thought had to offer to the world, and for what
reasons did the world reject it?