Hertzberg and Freeman on the Achæan question 190
The advocates of complete independence 192
Money considerations 193 acted upon both extremes 194
The Separatists would not tolerate separation from themselves 195
Modern analogies forced upon us 195 and not to be set aside 196
The history of Greece is essentially modern 196 therefore modern parallels are surely admissible, if justly drawn 197
The spiritual history not closed with the Roman conquest 197
The great bequests of the Roman period 199
The Anthology, Lucian, Julian, Plotinus 200
Have the Greeks no share in our religion? 201
The language of the New Testament exclusively Greek 202
The Epicurean dependence upon friends 206
Greek political history almost the private property of the English writers, 207 who have themselves lived in practical politics 208
Not so in artistic or literary history 208 where the French and Germans are superior 209 especially in art 209
Modern revivals of ancient styles,--Gothic, Renaissance 210
Greek art only recently understood. Winckelmann, Penrose, Dörpfeld 212
Its effect upon modern art when properly appreciated 212 and upon every detail of our life 212
Greek literature hardly noticed in this Essay 213
Demands a good knowledge and study of the language 213
Other languages must be content to give way to this pursuit 214
The nature and quality of Roman imitations 215
Theocritus only a late flower in the Greek garden of poetry 216
On the Authenticity of the Olympian Register 217
[Sidenote: Definite and indefinite problems.]
§ 1. There are scientific problems and literary tasks which can be worked out once for all, or which, at least, admit of final solution, to the lasting fame of him that finds that solution, as well as to the permanent benefit of civilized man. There are others, more numerous and far more interesting, which are ever being solved, finally perhaps in the opinion of the discoverer, and even of his generation, but ever arising again, and offering fresh difficulties and fresh attractions to other minds and to newer generations of men.
[Sidenote: Examples in theology and metaphysics.]
I will cite the largest instances, as the most obvious illustration of this second class. The deep mysteries of Religion, the dark problems of Knowing and Being, which have occupied the theologian and the metaphysician for thousands of years, are still unsettled, and there is hardly an age of thinking men which does not attack these questions afresh, and offer new systems and new solutions for the acceptance of the human race. Nor can we say that in these cases new facts have been discovered, or new evidence adduced; it is rather that mankind feels there is more in the mystery than is contained in the once accepted explanation, and endeavours by some new manipulation of the old arguments to satisfy the eternal craving for that mental rest which will never be attained till we know things face to face.