"
He went to the bed, and lay down.
Plato followed him, "Are you ill, Master?"
"No, I have been; but now I am getting well."
"Have you already...."
"I have already emptied the cup!"
"Our Wisest leaves us."
"No mortal is wise! But I thank the gods who gave me modesty and
conscience."
There was silence in the room.
"Socrates is dead!"
FLACCUS AND MARO
After the death of Socrates, the greatness of Athens was no more.
Sparta ruled for a time, and then came the turn of Thebes.
Subsequently the Macedonians invaded the country, and governed it
till the year 196 B.C., when the Romans conquered both Macedonia and
Greece, and completely destroyed Corinth, but spared Athens, which
was deprived of its fortifications under Sulla, on account of the
great memories which gathered round it.
Now, in Julius Caesar's time, it had become the fashion to send
youths to Athens to study Grammar, Rhetoric, and Philosophy there.
There was no great philosopher there, but they studied the history
of philosophy. There was also no religion, for no one believed on
the gods of the State, although, from old habit, they celebrated the
sacrificial feasts.
Athens was dead, and so was the whole of the ancient world--Egypt,
Syria, Asia Minor. In Rome they lived on the memories of the past of
Greece, and the greatest Roman, Cicero, when he wished to discuss
some philosophic theme, always commenced by citing the opinions of
the ancient Greeks on the subject; he also closed in the same way,
for he had no original opinion of his own on any subject, such as
the nature of the gods, &c.
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