File:Stories of persons and places in Europe (1887) (14783853055).jpg

Identifier: storiesofpersons00bene (find matches)
Title: Stories of persons and places in Europe
Year: 1887 (1880s)
Authors: Benedict, E. L. (from old catalog)
Subjects:
Publisher: New York, London, G. Routledge and sons
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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re of their bodies, but little over their toilets. Their modeof life has been very vividly described by an English student of the ancientGreeks. Of the Athenians he says : They were very early risers, and thefirst business of the man of the house, after performing a very simple toilet,was to go out to the market-place to hear the news, to transact business,and to make his purchases for the day. If he was expecting to entertainsome friends in the evening there was no time to be lost. By seven in themorning the plumpest of the blackbirds, the whitest of the celery, and thefirmest of the great eels from the Theban stewponds, would have beenbought up; and he would be forced to content himself with a string of leanthrushes and a cuttle-fish whose freshness might be called in question.Perhaps, while he was counting out his purchase money, he might hear be-hind him a sudden rush of people, and, looking around, would see twoScythian policemen sweeping the square with a rope besmeared with red
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418 Persons and Places in Europe. chalk. Then he would know that a general assembly was to be held toattend to some business matters, and he would hurry off to secure a goodplace. And there he would sit, as an old Athenian describes himself,groaning, yawning, stretching, jotting down notes and waiting for the ap-pearance of the president and the committee to open the meeting. After a while the committee would come bustling in; treading on oneanothers toes, and jostling for a good place. And then the crier would pro-claim : Who wishes to speak about the Spartan treaty? and the callwould be for Pericles ; and Pericles would rise, with his right hand thrustin his bosom, and say something that is still worth reading. When the public business was concluded, after a light-breakfast, thecitizen would return to his ship or counting house until the first hour afternoon, and then he would saunter down to his favorite gymnasium, andthence to his bath. The old Greek had a high regard for his body

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