Between Heathenism and Christianity - College of Stoic Philosophers
Between Heathenism and Christianity - College of Stoic Philosophers
Between Heathenism and Christianity - College of Stoic Philosophers
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Plutarch <strong>and</strong> the Greece <strong>of</strong> His Age<br />
It was the evil destiny <strong>of</strong> the Greek polities that<br />
they could never be brought to act together for any<br />
length <strong>of</strong> time; nor did all <strong>of</strong> them ever act together<br />
in any common enterprise. And they learned noth<br />
The misfortunes resulting from<br />
ing from experience.<br />
this centripetal tendency were pointed<br />
out time <strong>and</strong><br />
again by writers <strong>and</strong> orators, but to no purpose.<br />
Local pride always outweighed the dictates <strong>of</strong> reason<br />
or even <strong>of</strong> common prudence. Had Greece presented<br />
a united front, under competent leadership, it would<br />
have been a hard task for even Rome to subdue it.<br />
But it was impossible for the different states to for<br />
get their reciprocal animosities: the increasing<br />
perity <strong>of</strong> one was usually the signal<br />
pros<br />
for others to<br />
turn their arms against<br />
it. In this way all <strong>of</strong> them<br />
were gradually weakened <strong>and</strong> thus became a com<br />
paratively easy prey to any strong foreign foe that<br />
might choose to attack them. Their subjugation by<br />
misfortune that ever<br />
Rome was by far the greatest<br />
befell them. Philip <strong>of</strong> Macedon <strong>and</strong> his successors<br />
were at least more than half Greeks, <strong>and</strong> had a good<br />
deal <strong>of</strong> sympathy with Greek ideas. The Romans<br />
had none whatever. Still, cruelly as they carried out<br />
the work <strong>of</strong> subjugation in certain localities, when<br />
their first animosity was appeased they seem not to<br />
have interfered systematically with existing muni<br />
cipal administrations. Yet the financial pressure be<br />
came harder as the people grew poorer, <strong>and</strong> matters<br />
went from bad to worse. The wickedness <strong>of</strong> Corinth,<br />
the most Roman <strong>of</strong> Greek cities after it had been re-<br />
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