第7章
加入书架 A- A+
点击下载App,搜索"A History of Science",免费读到尾

  Subsequentgenerations,however,putthisinterpretationuponthetheory,conceivingthevariousspheresasactualcrystallinebodies。Itisdifficulttoimaginejusthowthevariousepicyclesweresupposedtorevolvewithoutinterferingwiththemajorspheres,butperhapsthisisnogreaterdifficultythanispresentedbytheallegedpropertiesoftheether,whichphysicistsofto-dayacceptasatleastaworkinghypothesis。Weshallseelateronhowfirmlytheconceptionofconcentriccrystallinesphereswasheldto,andthatnorealchallengewasevergiventhattheoryuntilthediscoverywasmadethatcometshaveanorbitthatmustnecessarilyintersectthespheresofthevariousplanets。

  Ptolemy’ssystemofgeographyineightbooks,foundedonthatofMarinusofTyre,wasscarcelylesscelebratedthroughouttheMiddleAgesthantheAlmagest。Itcontainedlittle,however,thatneedconcernushere,beingratheranelaborationofthedoctrinestowhichwehavealreadysufficientlyreferred。NoneofPtolemy’soriginalmanuscriptshascomedowntous,butthereisanallegedfifth-centurymanuscriptattributedtoAgathadamonofAlexandriawhichhaspeculiarinterestbecauseitcontainsaseriesoftwenty-sevenelaboratelycoloredmapsthataresupposedtobederivedfrommapsdrawnupbyPtolemyhimself。Inthesemapstheseaiscoloredgreen,themountainsredordarkyellow,andthelandwhite。Ptolemyassumedthatadegreeattheequatorwas500stadiainsteadof604stadiainlength。Wearenotinformedastothegroundsonwhichthisassumptionwasmade,butithasbeensuggestedthattheerrorwasatleastpartiallyinstrumentalinleadingtooneverycuriousresult。\"TakingtheparallelofRhodes,\"saysDonaldson,[5]\"hecalculatedthelongitudesfromtheFortunateIslandstoCattigaraorthewestcoastofBorneoat180degrees,conceivingthistobeone-halfthecircumferenceoftheglobe。Therealdistanceisonly125

  degreesor127degrees,sothathismeasurementiswrongbyonethirdofthewhole,one-sixthfortheerrorinthemeasurementofadegreeandone-sixthfortheerrorsinmeasuringthedistancegeometrically。Theseerrors,owingtotheauthorityattributedtothegeographyofPtolemyintheMiddleAges,producedaconsequenceofthegreatestimportance。TheyreallyledtothediscoveryofAmerica。ForthedesignofColumbustosailfromthewestofEuropetotheeastofAsiawasfoundedonthesuppositionthatthedistancewaslessbyonethirdthanitreallywas。\"Thisviewisperhapsatriflefanciful,sincethereisnothingtosuggestthatthecourageofColumbuswouldhavebalkedatthegreaterdistance,andsincetheprotestsofthesailors,whichnearlythwartedhisefforts,weremadelongbeforethedistanceasestimatedbyPtolemyhadbeencovered;neverthelessitisinterestingtorecallthatthegreatgeographicaldoctrines,uponwhichColumbusmustchieflyhavebasedhisarguments,hadbeenbeforetheworldinanauthoritativeformpracticallyunheededformorethantwelvehundredyears,awaitingachampionwithcourageenoughtoputthemtothetest。

  Thereisoneotherfieldofscientificinvestigationtowhichwemustgivebriefattentionbeforeleavingtheantiqueworld。Thisisthefieldofphysiologyandmedicine。InconsideringitweshallhavetodowiththeverylastgreatscientistoftheAlexandrianschool。ThiswasClaudiusGalenus,commonlyknownasGalen,amanwhosefamewasdestinedtoeclipsethatofallotherphysiciansofantiquityexceptHippocrates,andwhosedoctrinesweretohavethesameforceintheirfieldthroughouttheMiddleAgesthatthedoctrinesofAristotlehadforphysicalscience。

  ButbeforewetakeupGalen’sspecificlabors,itwillbewelltoinquirebrieflyastothestateofmedicalartandscienceintheRomanworldatthetimewhenthelastgreatphysicianofantiquitycameuponthescene。

  TheRomans,itwouldappear,haddonelittleinthewayofscientificdiscoveriesinthefieldofmedicine,but,nevertheless,withtheirpracticalityofmind,theyhadturnedtobetteraccountmanymoreofthescientificdiscoveriesoftheGreeksthandidthediscoverersthemselves。ThepractisingphysiciansinearlyRomeweremostlymenofGreekorigin,whocametothecapitalaftertheoverthrowoftheGreeksbytheRomans。Manyofthemwereslaves,asearningmoneybyeitherbodilyormentallaborwasconsideredbeneaththedignityofaRomancitizen。ThewealthyRomans,whoownedlargeestatesandnumerousslaves,wereinthehabitofpurchasingsomeoftheseslavedoctors,andthussavingmedicalfeesbyhavingthemattendtothehealthoftheirfamilies。

  BythebeginningoftheChristianeramedicineasaprofessionhadsadlydegenerated,andinplaceofaclassofphysicianswhopractisedmedicinealongrationalorlegitimatelines,inthefootstepsofthegreatHippocrates,thereappearedgreatnumbersof\"specialists,\"mostofthemcharlatans,whopretendedtopossesssupernaturalinsightinthemethodsoftreatingcertainformsofdisease。ThesephysiciansrightlyearnedthecontemptofthebetterclassofRomans,andweremadetheobjectofmanyattacksbythesatiristsofthetime。Suchspecialiststravelledaboutfromplacetoplaceinmuchthesamemannerastheitinerant\"Indiandoctors\"and\"lightningtooth-extractors\"doto-day。Eye-doctorsseemtohavebeenparticularlynumerous,andtheseweredividedintotwoclasses,eye-surgeonsandeye-doctorsproper。Theeye-surgeonperformedsuchoperationsascauterizingforingrowingeyelashesandoperatingupongrowthsabouttheeyes;whiletheeye-doctorsdependedentirelyuponsalvesandlotions。Theseeye-salveswerefrequentlystampedwiththesealofthephysicianwhocompoundedthem,somethingliketwohundredofthesesealsbeingstillinexistence。Therewerebesidesthesequacks,however,reputableeye-doctorswhomusthavepossessedconsiderableskillinthetreatmentofcertainophthalmias。AmongsomeRomansurgicalinstrumentsdiscoveredatRheimswerefoundalsosomedrugsemployedbyophthalmicsurgeons,andananalysisoftheseshowthattheycontained,amongotheringredients,somethatarestillemployedinthetreatmentofcertainaffectionsoftheeye。

  OneofthefirststepstakeninrecognitionoftheservicesofphysicianswasbyJuliusCaesar,whograntedcitizenshiptoallphysicianspractisinginRome。ThiswasaboutfiftyyearsbeforetheChristianera,andfromthattimeontherewasagradualimprovementintheattitudeoftheRomanstowardsthemembersofthemedicalprofession。AstheRomansdegeneratedfromaraceofsturdywarriorsandbecamemoreandmoredepravedphysically,thenecessityforphysiciansmadeitselfmoreevident。Courtphysicians,andphysicians-in-ordinary,werecreatedbytheemperors,aswerealsocityanddistrictphysicians。Intheyear133A。D。Hadriangrantedimmunityfromtaxesandmilitaryservicetophysiciansinrecognitionoftheirpublicservices。

  Thecityanddistrictphysicians,knownasthearchiatripopulaires,treatedandcaredforthepoorwithoutremuneration,havingapositionandsalaryfixedbylawandpaidthemsemi-annually。Thesewerehonorablepositions,andthearchiatriwereobligedtogiveinstructioninmedicine,withoutpay,tothepoorstudents。Theywereallowedtoreceivefeesanddonationsfromtheirpatients,butnot,however,untilthedangerfromthemaladywaspast。Speciallawswereenactedtoprotectthem,andanypersonsubjectingthemtoaninsultwasliabletoafine\"notexceedingonethousandpounds。\"

  AnexampleofRomanpracticalityisshowninthemethodoftreatinghemorrhage,asdescribedbyAulusCorneliusCelsus53

  B。C。to7A。D。。HippocratesandHippocraticwriterstreatedhemorrhagebyapplicationofcold,pressure,styptics,andsometimesbyactualcauterizing;buttheyknewnothingofthesimplemethodofstoppingahemorrhagebyaligaturetiedaroundthebleedingvessel。Celsusnotonlyrecommendedtyingtheendoftheinjuredvessel,butdescribesthemethodofapplyingtwoligaturesbeforethearteryisdividedbythesurgeon——acommonpracticeamongsurgeonsatthepresenttime。Thecutismadebetweenthesetwo,andthushemorrhageisavoidedfromeitherendofthedividedvessel。

  AnotherRomansurgeon,Heliodorus,notonlydescribestheuseoftheligatureinstoppinghemorrhage,butalsothepracticeoftorsion——twistingsmallervessels,whichcausestheirliningmembranetocontractinamannerthatproducescoagulationandstopshemorrhage。Itisremarkablethatsosimpleandpracticalamethodastheuseoftheligatureinstoppinghemorrhagecouldhavegoneoutofuse,onceithadbeendiscovered;butduringtheMiddleAgesitwasalmostentirelylostsightof,andwasnotreintroduceduntilthetimeofAmbroisePare,inthesixteenthcentury。

  EvenataveryearlyperiodtheRomansrecognizedtheadvantageofsurgicalmethodsonthefieldofbattle。Eachsoldierwassuppliedwithbandages,andwasprobablyinstructedinapplyingthem,somethinginthesamemannerasisdonenowinallmodernarmies。TheRomansalsomadeuseofmilitaryhospitalsandhadestablishedarudebutverypracticalfield-ambulanceservice。

  \"Ineverytrooporbandonoftwoorfourhundredmen,eightortenstoutfellowsweredeputedtorideimmediatelybehindthefighting-linetopickupandrescuethewounded,forwhichpurposetheirsaddleshadtwostirrupsontheleftside,whiletheythemselveswereprovidedwithwater-flasks,andperhapsappliedtemporarybandages。Theywereencouragedbyarewardofapieceofgoldforeachmantheyrescued。’Noscomi’weremalenursesattachedtothemilitaryhospitals,butnotinscribed’onstrength’ofthelegions,andwereprobablyforthemostpartoftheservileclass。\"[6]

  FromthetimeoftheearlyAlexandrians,HerophilusandErasistratus,whoseworkwehavealreadyexamined,therehadbeenvariousanatomistsofsomeimportanceintheAlexandrianschool,thoughnonequiteequaltotheseearlierworkers。Thebest-knownnamesarethoseofCelsusofwhomwehavealreadyspoken,whocontinuedtheworkofanatomicalinvestigation,andMarinus,wholivedduringthereignofNero,andRufusofEphesus。ProbablyallofthesewouldhavebeenbetterrememberedbysucceedinggenerationshadtheireffortsnotbeeneclipsedbythoseofGalen。ThisgreatestofancientanatomistswasbornatPergamusofGreekparents。Hisfather,Nicon,wasanarchitectandamanofconsiderableability。UntilhisfifteenthyeartheyouthfulGalenwasinstructedathome,chieflybyhisfather;butafterthattimehewasplacedundersuitableteachersforinstructioninthephilosophicalsystemsinvogueatthatperiod。Shortlyafterthis,however,thesuperstitiousNicon,followingtheinterpretationsofadream,decidedthathissonshouldtakeupthestudyofmedicine,andplacedhimundertheinstructionofseverallearnedphysicians。

  Galenwasatirelessworker,makinglongtoursintoAsiaMinorandPalestinetoimprovehimselfinpharmacology,andstudyinganatomyforsometimeatAlexandria。Heappearstohavebeenfullofthesuperstitionsoftheage,however,andearlyinhiscareermadeanextendedtourintowesternAsiainsearchofthechimerical\"jet-stone\"——astonepossessingthepeculiarqualitiesof\"burningwithabituminousodorandsupposedtopossessgreatpotencyincuringsuchdiseasesasepilepsy,hysteria,andgout。\"

  Bythetimehehadreachedhistwenty-eighthyearhehadperfectedhiseducationinmedicineandreturnedtohishomeinPergamus。Evenatthattimehehadacquiredconsiderablefameasasurgeon,andhisfellow-citizensshowedtheirconfidenceinhisabilitybychoosinghimassurgeontothewoundedgladiatorsshortlyafterhisreturntohisnativecity。Inthesedutieshisknowledgeofanatomyaidedhimgreatly,andheissaidtohavehealedcertainkindsofwoundsthathadpreviouslybaffledthesurgeons。

  InthetimeofGalendissectionsofthehumanbodywereforbiddenbylaw,andhewasobligedtoconfinehimselftodissectionsoftheloweranimals。Hehadtheadvantage,however,oftheanatomicalworksofHerophilusandErasistratus,andhemusthavedependedupontheminperfectinghiscomparisonbetweentheanatomyofmenandtheloweranimals。Itispossiblethathedidmakehumandissectionssurreptitiously,butofthiswehavenoproof。

  Hewasfamiliarwiththecomplicatedstructureofthebonesofthecranium。Hedescribedthevertebraeclearly,dividedthemintogroups,andnamedthemafterthemannerofanatomistsofto-day。Hewaslessaccurateinhisdescriptionofthemuscles,althoughalargenumberoftheseweredescribedbyhim。LikeallanatomistsbeforethetimeofHarvey,hehadaveryerroneousconceptionofthecirculation,althoughheunderstoodthattheheartwasanorganforthepropulsionofblood,andheshowedthatthearteriesofthelivinganimalsdidnotcontainairalone,aswastaughtbymanyanatomists。Heknew,also,thattheheartwasmadeupoflayersoffibresthatranincertainfixeddirections——thatis,longitudinal,transverse,andoblique;buthedidnotrecognizetheheartasamuscularorgan。Inproofofthishepointedoutthatallmusclesrequirerest,andastheheartdidnotrestitcouldnotbecomposedofmusculartissue。

  Manyofhisphysiologicalexperimentswereconducteduponscientificprinciples。Thusheprovedthatcertainmuscleswereunderthecontrolofdefinitesetsofnervesbycuttingthesenervesinlivinganimals,andobservingthatthemusclessuppliedbythemwererendereduseless。Hepointedoutalsothatnerveshavenopowerinthemselves,butmerelyconductimpulsestoandfromthebrainandspinal-cord。Heturnedthispeculiarknowledgetoaccountinthecaseofacelebratedsophist,Pausanias,whohadbeenunderthetreatmentofvariousphysiciansforanumbnessinthefourthandfifthfingersofhislefthand。Thesephysicianshadbeentreatingthisconditionbyapplicationsofpoulticestothehanditself。Galen,beingcalledinconsultation,pointedoutthattheinjurywasprobablynotinthehanditself,butintheulnernerve,whichcontrolssensationinthefourthandfifthfingers。Surmisingthatthenervemusthavebeeninjuredinsomeway,hemadecarefulinquiriesofthepatient,whorecalledthathehadbeenthrownfromhischariotsometimebefore,strikingandinjuringhisback。Actinguponthisinformation,Galenappliedstimulatingremediestothesourceofthenerveitself——thatis,tothebundleofnerve-trunksknownasthebrachialplexus,intheshoulder。Tothesurpriseandconfusionofhisfellow-physicians,thismethodoftreatmentprovedeffectiveandthepatientrecoveredcompletelyinashorttime。

  AlthoughthefunctionsoftheorgansinthechestwerenotwellunderstoodbyGalen,hewaswellacquaintedwiththeiranatomy。

  Heknewthatthelungswerecoveredbythinmembrane,andthattheheartwassurroundedbyasacofverysimilartissue。Hemadeconstantcomparisonsalsobetweentheseorgansindifferentanimals,ashisdissectionswereperformeduponbeastsranginginsizefromamousetoanelephant。Theminutenessofhisobservationsisshownbythefactthathehadnotedanddescribedtheringofbonefoundintheheartsofcertainanimals,suchasthehorse,althoughnotfoundinthehumanheartorinmostanimals。

  Hisdescriptionoftheabdominalorganswasingeneralaccurate。

  Hehadnotedthattheabdominalcavitywaslinedwithapeculiarsaclikemembrane,theperitoneum,whichalsosurroundedmostoftheorganscontainedinthecavity,andhemadespecialnotethatthismembranealsoenvelopedtheliverinapeculiarmanner。Theexactnessofthelastobservationseemsthemorewonderfulwhenwereflectthatevento-daythemedical,studentfindsacorrectunderstandingofthepositionofthefoldsoftheperitoneumoneofthemostdifficultsubjectsinanatomy。

  AsapracticalphysicianhewasheldinthehighestesteembytheRomans。TheEmperorMarcusAureliuscalledhimtoRomeandappointedhimphysician-inordinarytohissonCommodus,andonspecialoccasionsMarcusAureliushimselfcalledinGalenashismedicaladviser。Ononeoccasion,thethreearmysurgeonsinattendanceupontheemperordeclaredthathewasabouttobeattackedbyafever。Galenrelateshow\"onspecialcommandIfelthispulse,andfindingitquitenormal,consideringhisageandthetimeofday,Ideclareditwasnofeverbutadigestivedisorder,duetothefoodhehadeaten,whichmustbeconvertedintophlegmbeforebeingexcreted。Thentheemperorrepeatedthreetimes,’That’stheverything,’andaskedwhatwastobedone。IansweredthatIusuallygaveaglassofwinewithpeppersprinkledonit,butforyoukingsweonlyusethesafestremedies,anditwillsufficetoapplywoolsoakedinhotnardointmentlocally。Theemperororderedthewool,wine,etc。,tobebrought,andIlefttheroom。Hisfeetwerewarmedbyrubbingwithhothands,andafterdrinkingthepepperedwine,hesaidtoPitholaushisson’stutor,’Wehaveonlyonedoctor,andthatanhonestone,’andwentontodescribemeasthefirstofphysiciansandtheonlyphilosopher,forhehadtriedmanybeforewhowerenotonlyloversofmoney,butalsocontentious,ambitious,envious,andmalignant。\"[7]

  ItwillbeseenfromthisthatGalenhadafullappreciationofhisownabilitiesasaphysician,butinasmuchassucceedinggenerationsforathousandyearsconcurredintheallegedstatementmadebyMarcusAureliusastohisability,heisperhapsexcusableforhisopenavowalofhisbeliefinhispowers。Hisfaithinhisaccuracyindiagnosisandprognosiswasshownwhenacolleagueoncesaidtohim,\"IhaveusedtheprognosticsofHippocratesaswellasyou。WhycanInotprognosticateaswellasyou?\"TothisGalenreplied,\"ByGod’shelpIhaveneverbeendeceivedinmyprognosis。\"[8]Itisprobablethatthisstatementwasmadeintheheatofargument,anditishardlytobesupposedthathemeantitliterally。

  Hissystemsoftreatmentwerefarinadvanceofhistheoriesregardingthefunctionsoforgans,causesofdisease,etc。,andsomeofthemarestillfirstprincipleswithphysicians。LikeHippocrates,helaidgreatstressoncorrectdiet,exercise,andrelianceuponnature。\"Natureistheoverseerbywhomhealthissuppliedtothesick,\"hesays。\"Naturelendsheraidonallsides,shedecidesandcuresdiseases。Noonecanbesavedunlessnatureconquersthedisease,andnoonediesunlessnaturesuccumbs。\"

  FromthepicturethusdrawnofGalenasananatomistandphysician,onemightinferthatheshouldrankveryhighasascientificexponentofmedicine,evenincomparisonwithmodernphysicians。Thereis,however,anothersidetothepicture。Hisknowledgeofanatomywascertainlyveryconsiderable,butmanyofhisdeductionsandtheoriesastothefunctionsoforgans,thecauseofdiseases,andhismethodsoftreatingthem,wouldberecognizedasabsurdbyamodernschool-boyofaverageintelligence。Hisgreatnessmustbejudgedincomparisonwithancient,notwithmodern,scientists。Hemaintained,forexample,thatrespirationandthepulse-beatwereforoneandthesamepurpose——thatofthereceptionofairintothearteriesofthebody。Tohimtheactofbreathingwasforthepurposeofadmittingairintothelungs,whenceitfounditswayintotheheart,andfromtherewasdistributedthroughoutthebodybymeansofthearteries。Theskinalsoplayedanimportantpartinsupplyingthebodywithair,theporesabsorbingtheairanddistributingitthroughthearteries。But,asweknowthathewasawareofthefactthatthearteriesalsocontainedblood,hemusthavebelievedthatthesevesselscontainedamixtureofthetwo。

  Modernanatomistsknowthattheheartisdividedintotwoapproximatelyequalpartsbyanimpermeableseptumoftoughfibres。Yet,Galen,whodissectedtheheartsofavastnumberoftheloweranimalsaccordingtohisownaccount,maintainedthatthisseptumwaspermeable,andthattheair,enteringonesideoftheheartfromthelungs,passedthroughitintotheoppositesideandwasthentransferredtothearteries。

  Hewasequallyatfault,althoughperhapsmoreexcusablyso,inhisexplanationoftheactionofthenerves。Hehadrightlypointedoutthatnervesweremerelyconnectionsbetweenthebrainandspinal-cordanddistantmusclesandorgans,andhadrecognizedthatthereweretwokindsofnerves,buthisexplanationoftheactionofthesenerveswasthat\"nervousspirits\"werecarriedtothecavitiesofthebrainbyblood-vessels,andfromtheretransmittedthroughthebodyalongthenerve-trunks。

  Inthehumanskull,overlyingthenasalcavity,therearetwothinplatesofboneperforatedwithnumeroussmallapertures。

  Theseaperturesallowthepassageofnumerousnerve-filamentswhichextendfromagroupofcellsinthebraintothedelicatemembranesinthenasalcavity。Theseperforationsinthebone,therefore,aresimplytoallowthepassageofthenerves。ButGalengaveaverydifferentexplanation。Hebelievedthatimpure\"animalspirits\"werecarriedtothecavitiesofthebrainbythearteriesintheneckandfromthereweresiftedoutthroughtheseperforatedbones,andsoexpelledfromthebody。

  Hehadobservedthattheskinplayedanimportantpartincoolingthebody,butheseemstohavebelievedthattheheartwasequallyactiveinoverheatingit。Theskin,therefore,absorbedairforthepurposeof\"coolingtheheart,\"andthiscoolingprocesswasaidedbythebrain,whosesecretionsaidedalsointhecoolingprocess。Theheartitselfwastheseatofcourage;

  thebraintheseatoftherationalsoul;andthelivertheseatoflove。

  ThegreatnessofGalen’steachingslayinhisknowledgeofanatomyoftheorgans;hisweaknesswasinhisinterpretationsoftheirfunctions。Unfortunately,succeedinggenerationsofphysiciansforsomethinglikeathousandyearsrejectedtheformerbutclungtothelatter,sothattheadvanceshehadmadewerecompletelyovershadowedbythemistakesofhisteachings。

  XI。ARETROSPECTIVEGLANCEATCLASSICALSCIENCE

  Itisafavoritetenetofthemodernhistorianthathistoryisacontinuousstream。Thecontentionhasfullestwarrant。Sharplinesofdemarcationareanevidenceofman’sanalyticalpropensityratherthantheworkofnature。Neverthelessitwouldbeabsurdtodenythatthestreamofhistorypresentsanever-varyingcurrent。Therearetimeswhenitseemstorushrapidlyon;timeswhenitspreadsoutintoabroad——seeminglystatic——current;timeswhenitscatastrophicchangesremindusofnothingbutagiganticcataract。Rapidsandwhirlpools,broadestuariesandtumultuouscataractsareindeedpartofthesamestream,buttheyarepartsthatvaryonefromanotherintheirsalientfeaturesinsuchawayastoforcethemindtoclassifythemasthingsapartandgivethemindividualnames。

  Soitiswiththestreamofhistory;howeverstronglyweinsistonitscontinuitywearenonethelessforcedtorecognizeitsperiodicity。Itmaynotbedesirabletofixonspecificdatesasturning-pointstotheextentthatourpredecessorswerewonttodo。Wemaynot,forexample,bedisposedtoadmitthattheRomanEmpirecametoanysuchcataclysmicfinishastheyear476A。D。,whencitedinconnectionwiththeoverthrowofthelastRomanEmpireoftheWest,mightseemtoindicate。But,ontheotherhand,nostudentoftheperiodcanfailtorealizethatagreatchangecameovertheaspectofthehistoricalstreamtowardsthecloseoftheRomanepoch。

  ThespanfromThalestoGalenhascompassedabouteighthundredyears——letussaythirtygenerations。Throughoutthisperiodthereisscarcelyagenerationthathasnotproducedgreatscientificthinkers——menwhohaveputtheirmarkupontheprogressofcivilization;butweshallsee,aswelookforwardforacorrespondingperiod,thattheensuingthirtygenerationsproducedscarcelyasinglescientificthinkerofthefirstrank。

  Eighthundredyearsofintellectualactivity——thirtygenerationsofgreatness;theneighthundredyearsofstasis——thirtygenerationsofmediocrity;suchseemstobetherecordasviewedinperspective。Doubtlessitseemedfardifferenttothecontemporaryobserver;itisonlyinreasonableperspectivethatanyscenecanbeviewedfairly。Butforus,lookingbackwithoutprejudiceacrossthestageofyears,itseemsindisputablethatagreatepochcametoacloseataboutthetimewhenthebarbariannationsofEuropebegantosweepdownintoGreeceandItaly。Weareforcedtofeelthatwehavereachedthelimitsofprogressofwhathistoriansarepleasedtocalltheancientworld。ForabouteighthundredyearsGreekthoughthasbeendominant,butintheensuingperioditistoplayaquitesubordinatepart,exceptinsofarasitinfluencesthethoughtofanalienrace。Asweleavethisclassicalepoch,then,wemaywellrecapitulateinbriefitstriumphs。Afewwordswillsufficetosummarizeastorythedetailsofwhichhavemadeupourrecentchapters。

  Inthefieldofcosmology,Greekgeniushasdemonstratedthattheearthisspheroidal,thatthemoonisearthlikeinstructureandmuchsmallerthanourglobe,andthatthesunisvastlylargerandmanytimesmoredistantthanthemoon。Theactualsizeoftheearthandtheangleofitsaxiswiththeecliptichavebeenmeasuredwithapproximateaccuracy。Ithasbeenshownthatthesunandmoonpresentinequalitiesofmotionwhichmaybetheoreticallyexplainedbysupposingthattheearthisnotsituatedpreciselyatthecentreoftheirorbits。Asystemofeccentricsandepicycleshasbeenelaboratedwhichservestoexplaintheapparentmotionsoftheheavenlybodiesinamannerthatmaybecalledscientificeventhoughitisbased,aswenowknow,uponafalsehypothesis。Thetruehypothesis,whichplacesthesunatthecentreoftheplanetarysystemandpostulatestheorbitalandaxialmotionsofourearthinexplanationofthemotionsoftheheavenlybodies,hasbeenputforwardandardentlychampioned,but,unfortunately,isnotacceptedbythedominantthinkersatthecloseofourepoch。Inthisregard,therefore,avastrevolutionaryworkremainsforthethinkersofalaterperiod。Moreover,suchobservationsastheprecessionoftheequinoxesandthemoon’sevectionareasyetunexplained,andmeasurementsoftheearth’ssize,andofthesun’ssizeanddistance,aresocrudeandimperfectastobeinonecaseonlyanapproximation,andintheotheranabsurdlyinadequatesuggestion。Butwithallthesedefects,thetotalachievementoftheGreekastronomersisstupendous。TohaveclearlygraspedtheideathattheearthisroundisinitselfanachievementthatmarksofftheclassicalfromtheOrientalperiodasbyagreatgulf。

  Inthephysicalscienceswehaveseenatleastthebeginningsofgreatthings。Dynamicsandhydrostaticsmaynow,forthefirsttime,claimaplaceamongthesciences。Geometryhasbeenperfectedandtrigonometryhasmadeasurebeginning。Theconceptionthattherearefourelementarysubstances,earth,water,air,andfire,maynotappearasecurefoundationforchemistry,yetitmarksatleastanattemptintherightdirection。Similarly,theconceptionthatallmatterismadeupofindivisibleparticlesandthatthesehaveadjustedthemselvesandareperhapsheldinplacebyawhirlingmotion,whileitisscarcelymorethanascientificdream,is,afterall,adreamofmarvellousinsight。

  Inthefieldofbiologicalscienceprogresshasnotbeensomarked,yettheelaborategarneringoffactsregardinganatomy,physiology,andthezoologicalsciencesisatleastavaluablepreparationforthegeneralizationsofalatertime。

  Ifwithamapbeforeusweglanceattheportionoftheglobewhichwasknowntotheworkersoftheperiodnowinquestion,bearinginmindatthesametimewhatwehavelearnedastotheseatoflaborsofthevariousgreatscientificthinkersfromThalestoGalen,wecannotfailtobestruckwitharatherstartlingfact,intimationsofwhichhavebeengivenfromtimetotime——thefact,namely,thatmostofthegreatGreekthinkersdidnotliveinGreeceitself。AsoureyefallsuponAsiaMinoranditsoutlyingislands,wereflectthatherewerebornsuchmenasThales,Anaximander,Anaximenes,Heraclitus,Pythagoras,Anaxagoras,Socrates,Aristarchus,Hipparchus,Eudoxus,Philolaus,andGalen。FromthenorthernshoresoftheaegeancameLucippus,Democritus,andAristotle。Italy,offtothewest,isthehomeofPythagorasandXenophanesintheirlateryears,andofParmenidesandEmpedocles,Zeno,andArchimedes。NorthernAfricacanclaim,bybirthorbyadoption,suchnamesasEuclid,ApolloniusofPerga,Herophilus,Erasistratus,Aristippus,Eratosthenes,Ctesibius,Hero,Strabo,andPtolemy。Thisisbutrunningoverthelistofgreatmenwhosediscoverieshaveclaimedourattention。Werewetoextendthelisttoincludeahostofworkersofthesecondrank,weshouldbutemphasizethesamefact。

  AllalongwearespeakingofGreeks,or,astheycallthemselves,Hellenes,andwemeanbythesewordsthepeoplewhosehomewasasmalljaggedpeninsulajuttingintotheMediterraneanatthesoutheasternextremityofEurope。WethinkofthispeninsulaasthehomeofGreekculture,yetofallthegreatthinkerswehavejustnamed,notonewasbornonthispeninsula,andperhapsnotoneinfiveeversetfootuponit。Inpointoffact,oneGreekthinkeroftheveryfirstrank,andoneonly,wasborninGreeceproper;thatone,however,wasPlato,perhapsthegreatestofthemall。Withthisonebrilliantexceptionandevenhewasbornofparentswhocamefromtheprovinces,allthegreatthinkersofGreecehadtheiroriginatthecircumferenceratherthanthecentreoftheempire。AndifwereflectthatthiscircumferenceoftheGreekworldwasinthenatureofthecasethewidelycirclingregioninwhichtheGreekcameincontactwithothernations,weshallseeatoncethattherecouldbenomorestrikingillustrationinallhistorythanthatfurnishedushereofthevalueofracialminglingasastimulustointellectualprogress。

  Butthereisoneotherfeatureofthematterthatmustnotbeoverlooked。Racialminglinggivesvitality,buttoproducethebesteffecttheminglingmustbethatofracesallofwhichareatarelativelyhighplaneofcivilization。InAsiaMinortheGreekmingledwiththeSemite,whohadtheheritageofcenturiesofculture;andinItalywiththeUmbrians,Oscans,andEtruscans,who,littleasweknowoftheirantecedents,haveleftusmonumentstotestifytotheirhighdevelopment。ThechiefreasonwhytheracialminglingofalaterdaydidnotavailatoncetogivenewlifetoRomanthoughtwasthattheraceswhichsweptdownfromthenorthwerebarbarians。Itwasnomorepossiblethattheyshouldspringtotheheightsofclassicalculturethanitwould,forexample,bepossibleintwoorthreegenerationstoproducearacerfromastockofdraughthorses。

  Evolutiondoesnotproceedbysuchvaultsasthiswouldimply。

  Celt,Goth,Hun,andSlavmustundergoprogressivedevelopmentformanygenerationsbeforethepopulationofnorthernEuropecancatchstepwiththeclassicalGreekandpreparetomarchforward。

  That,perhaps,isonereasonwhywecometoaperiodofstasisorretrogressionwhenthetimeofclassicalactivityisover。But,atbest,itisonlyonereasonofseveral。

  Theinfluenceofthebarbariannationswillclaimfurtherattentionasweproceed。Butnow,forthemoment,wemustturnoureyesintheotherdirectionandgiveattentiontocertainphasesofGreekandofOrientalthoughtwhichweredestinedtoplayamostimportantpartinthedevelopmentoftheWesternmind——amoreimportantpart,indeed,intheearlymediaevalperiodthanthatplayedbythoseimportantinductionsofsciencewhichhavechieflyclaimedourattentioninrecentchapters。Thesubjectinquestionistheoldfamiliaroneoffalseinductionsorpseudoscience。IndealingwiththeearlydevelopmentofthoughtandwithOrientalscience,wehadoccasiontoemphasizethefactthatsuchfalseinductionsledeverywheretotheprevalenceofsuperstition。IndealingwithGreekscience,wehavelargelyignoredthissubject,confiningattentionchieflytotheprogressivephasesofthought;butitmustnotbeinferredfromthisthatGreekscience,withallitssecureinductions,wasentirelyfreefromsuperstition。Onthecontrary,themostcasualacquaintancewithGreekliteraturewouldsufficetoshowtheincorrectnessofsuchasupposition。True,thegreatthinkersofGreecewereprobablyfreerfromthisthraldom。offalseinductionsthananyoftheirpredecessors。EvenataveryearlydaysuchmenasXenophanes,Empedocles,Anaxagoras,andPlatoattainedtoasingularlyrationalisticconceptionoftheuniverse。

  Wesawthat\"thefatherofmedicine,\"Hippocrates,banisheddemonologyandconceiveddiseaseasduetonaturalcauses。Ataslightlylaterdaythesophistschallengedallknowledge,andPyrrhonismbecameasynonymforscepticisminrecognitionoftheleadershipofamasterdoubter。TheentireschoolofAlexandriansmusthavebeenrelativelyfreefromsuperstition,elsetheycouldnothavereasonedwithsucheffectivelogicalityfromtheirobservationsofnature。ItisalmostinconceivablethatmenlikeEuclidandArchimedes,andAristarchusandEratosthenes,andHipparchusandHero,couldhavebeenthevictimsofsuchillusionsregardingoccultforcesofnatureaswereconstantlypostulatedbyOrientalscience。HerophilusandErasistratusandGalenwouldhardlyhavepursuedtheiranatomicalstudieswithequanimityhadtheybelievedthatghostlyapparitionswatchedoverlivinganddeadalike,andexercisedatwillamaligninfluence。

  DoubtlesstheEgyptianoftheperiodconsideredthework,ofthePtolemaicanatomistsanunspeakableprofanation,and,indeed,itwasnothinglessthanrevolutionary——sorevolutionarythatitcouldnotbesustainedinsubsequentgenerations。WehaveseenthatthegreatGalen,atRome,fivecenturiesafterthetimeofHerophilus,wasprohibitedfromdissectingthehumansubject。ThefactspeaksvolumesfortheattitudeoftheRomanmindtowardsscience。Vastaudiencesmadeupofeverystratumofsocietythrongedtheamphitheatre,andwatchedexultinglywhilemanslewhisfellow-maninsingleorinmultiplecombat。Shoutsoffrenziedjoyburstfromahundredthousandthroatswhenthedeath-strokewasgiventoanewvictim。Thebodiesoftheslain,byscores,evenbyhundreds,weredraggedruthlesslyfromthearenaandhurledintoaditchascontemptuouslyasifpitywereyetunbornandhumanlifethemerestbauble。Yetthesameeyesthatwitnessedthesesceneswithecstaticapprovalwouldhavebeenavertedinpioushorrorhadananatomistdaredtoapproachoneofthemutilatedbodieswiththescalpelofscience。Itwassporttoseethebladeofthegladiatorenterthequivering,livingfleshofhisfellow-gladiator;itwasjoytoseethewarmbloodspurtforthfromthewrithingvictimwhilehestilllived;

  butitweresacrilegioustoapproachthatbodywiththeknifeoftheanatomist,onceithadceasedtopulsatewithlife。Lifeitselfwasheldutterlyincontempt,butabouttherealmofdeathhoveredthethreateningghostsofsuperstition。Andsuch,beitunderstood,wastheattitudeoftheRomanpopulaceintheearlyandthemostbrilliantepochoftheempire,beforetheWesternworldcameundertheinfluenceofthatOrientalphilosophywhichwaspresentlytoencompassit。

  InthisregardtheAlexandrianworldwas,asjustintimated,farmoreadvancedthantheRoman,yeteventherewemustsupposethattheleadersofthoughtwerewidelyatvariancewiththepopularconceptions。Afewillustrations,drawnfromGreekliteratureatvariousages,willsuggestthepopularattitude。Inthefirstinstance,considerthepoemsofHomerandofHesiod。Forthesewriters,anddoubtlessforthevastmajorityoftheirreaders,notmerelyoftheirownbutofmanysubsequentgenerations,theworldispeopledwithamultitudeofinvisibleapparitions,which,undertitleofgods,areheldtodominatetheaffairsofman。ItissometimesdifficulttodiscriminateastowheretheGreekimaginationdrewthelinebetweenfactandallegory;norneedweattempttoanalysetheearlypoeticnarrativestothisend。Itwillbetterserveourpresentpurposetocitethreeorfourinstanceswhichillustratethetangibilityofbeliefsbaseduponpseudo-scientificinductions。

  Letuscite,forexample,theaccountwhichHerodotusgivesusoftheactionsoftheGreeksatPlataea,whentheirarmyconfrontedtheremnantofthearmyofXerxes,intheyear479B。C。Hereweseeeachsidehesitatingtoattacktheother,merelybecausetheoraclehaddeclaredthatwhicheversidestruckthefirstblowwouldlosetheconflict。EvenafterthePersiansoldiers,whoseeminglywereajotlesssuperstitiousorashademoreimpatientthantheiropponents,hadbeguntheattack,wearetoldthattheGreeksdarednotrespondatfirst,thoughtheywerefallingbeforethejavelinsoftheenemy,because,forsooth,theentrailsofafowldidnotpresentanauspiciousappearance。AndthesewereGreeksofthesamegenerationwithEmpedoclesandAnaxagorasandaeschylus;ofthesameepochwithPericlesandSophoclesandEuripidesandPhidias。Suchwasthescientificstatusoftheaveragemind——nay,ofthebestminds——withhereandtherearareexception,inthegoldenageofGrecianculture。

  WerewetofollowdownthepagesofGreekhistory,weshouldbutrepeatthesamestoryoverandover。Weshould,forexample,seeAlexandertheGreatbalkedatthebanksoftheHyphasis,andforcedtoturnbackbecauseofinauspiciousauguriesbasedasbeforeuponthedissectionofafowl。Alexanderhimself,tobesure,wouldhavescornedtheaugury;hadhebeenthepreyofsuchpettysuperstitionshewouldneverhaveconqueredAsia。WeknowhowhecompelledtheoracleatDelphitoyieldtohiswishes;howhecuttheGordianknot;howhemadehisdominatingpersonalityfeltatthetempleofAmmoninEgypt。Weknow,inaword,thatheyieldedtosuperstitionsonlyinsofarastheyservedhispurpose。Lefttohisowndevices,hewouldnothaveconsultedanoracleatthebanksoftheHyphasis;or,consulting,wouldhaveforcedfromtheoracleafavorableanswer。Buthissubordinatesweremutinousandhehadnochoice。Sufficeitforourpresentpurposethattheoraclewasconsulted,andthatitsanswerturnedtheconquerorback。

  OneortwoinstancesfromRomanhistorymaycompletethepicture。

  PassingoverallthosemythicalnarrativeswhichvirtuallyconstitutetheearlyhistoryofRome,aspreservedtousbysuchhistoriansasLivyandDionysius,wefindsologicalanhistorianasTacitusrecordingamiraculousachievementofVespasianwithoutadversecomment。\"DuringthemonthswhenVespasianwaswaitingatAlexandriafortheperiodicalseasonofthesummerwinds,andasafenavigation,manymiraclesoccurredbywhichthefavorofHeavenandasortofbiasinthepowersabovetowardsVespasianweremanifested。\"Tacitusthendescribesindetailthecureofvariousmaladiesbytheemperor,andrelatesthattheemperoronvisitingatemplewasmetthere,inthespirit,byaprominentEgyptianwhowasprovedtobeatthesametimesomeeightymilesdistantfromAlexandria。

  ItmustbeadmittedthatTacitus,inrelatingthatVespasiancausedtheblindtoseeandthelametowalk,qualifieshisnarrativebyassertingthat\"personswhoarepresentattestthetruthofthetransactionwhenthereisnothingtobegainedbyfalsehood。\"Normustweoverlookthefactthatasimilarbeliefinthepowerofroyaltyhaspersistedalmosttoourownday。ButnosuchsavorofscepticismattachestoanarrativewhichDionCassiusgivesusofanincidentinthelifeofMarcusAurelius——anincidentthathasbecomefamousastheepisodeofTheThunderingLegion。XiphilinushaspreservedtheaccountofDion,addingcertainpicturesqueinterpretationsofhisown。Theoriginalnarrative,ascited,assertsthatduringoneofthenortherncampaignsofMarcusAurelius,theemperorandhisarmyweresurroundedbythehostileQuadi,whohadeveryadvantageofpositionandwhopresentlyceasedhostilitiesinthehopethatheatandthirstwoulddelivertheiradversariesintotheirhandswithoutthetroubleoffurtherfighting。\"Now,\"saysDion,\"whiletheRomans,unableeithertocombatortoretreat,andreducedtothelastextremitybywounds,fatigue,heat,andthirst,werestandinghelplesslyattheirposts,cloudssuddenlygatheredingreatnumberandraindescendedinfloods——certainlynotwithoutdivineintervention,sincetheEgyptianMaegeArnulphis,whowaswithMarcusAntoninus,issaidtohaveinvokedseveralgeniibytheaerialmercurybyenchantment,andthusthroughthemhadbroughtdownrain。\"

  Here,itwillbeobserved,asupernaturalexplanationisgivenofanaturalphenomenon。Butthenarratordoesnotstopwiththis。

  IfwearetoaccepttheaccountofXiphilinus,Dionbringsforwardsomestrikingproofsofdivineinterference。Xiphilinusgivestheseproofsinthefollowingremarkableparagraph:

  \"Dionaddsthatwhentherainbegantofalleverysoldierliftedhisheadtowardsheaventoreceivethewaterinhismouth;butafterwardsothersholdouttheirshieldsortheirhelmetstocatchthewaterforthemselvesandfortheirhorses。Beingsetuponbythebarbarians……whileoccupiedindrinking,theywouldhavebeenseriouslyincommodedhadnotheavyhailandnumerousthunderboltsthrownconsternationintotheranksoftheenemy。Fireandwaterwereseentomingleastheylefttheheavens。Thefire,however,didnotreachtheRomans,butifitdidbychancetouchoneofthemitwasimmediatelyextinguished,whileatthesametimetherain,insteadofcomfortingthebarbarians,seemedmerelytoexcitelikeoilthefirewithwhichtheywerebeingconsumed。Somebarbariansinflictedwoundsuponthemselvesasthoughtheirbloodhadpowertoextinguishflames,whilemanyrushedovertothesideoftheRomans,hopingthattherewatermightsavethem。\"

  WecannotbettercompletetheseillustrationsofpagancredulitythanbyaddingthecommentofXiphilinushimself。ThatwriterwasaChristian,livingsomegenerationslaterthanDion。Heneverthoughtofquestioningthefacts,buthefeltthatDion’sinterpretationofthesefactsmustnotgounchallenged。Asheinterpretsthematter,itwasnopaganmagicianthatwroughtthemiracle。HeeveninclinestothebeliefthatDionhimselfwasawarethatChristianinterference,andnotthatofanEgyptian,savedtheday。\"Dionknew,\"hedeclares,\"thatthereexistedalegioncalledTheThunderingLegion,whichnamewasgivenitfornootherreasonthanforwhatcametopassinthiswar,\"andthatthislegionwascomposedofsoldiersfromMilitenewhowereallprofessedChristians。\"Duringthebattle,\"continuesXiphilinus,\"thechiefofthePretonians,hadsetatMarcusAntoninus,whowasingreatperplexityattheturneventsweretaking,representingtohimthattherewasnothingthepeoplecalledChristianscouldnotobtainbytheirprayers,andthatamonghisforceswasatroopcomposedwhollyoffollowersofthatreligion。

  Rejoicedatthisnews,MarcusAntoninusdemandedofthesesoldiersthattheyshouldpraytotheirgod,whograntedtheirpetitionontheinstant,sentlightningamongtheenemyandconsoledtheRomanswithrain。Struckbythiswonderfulsuccess,theemperorhonoredtheChristiansinanedictandnamedtheirlegionTheThundering。ItisevenassertedthataletterexistedbyMarcusAntoninusonthissubject。ThepaganswellknewthatthecompanywascalledTheThunderers,havingattestedthefactthemselves,buttheyrevealednothingoftheoccasiononwhichtheleaderreceivedthename。\"[1]

  Peculiarinterestattachestothisnarrativeasillustratingbothcredulousnessastomattersoffactandpseudo-scientificexplanationofallegedfacts。ThemoderninterpretermaysupposethataviolentthunderstormcameupduringthecourseofabattlebetweentheRomansandtheso-calledbarbarians,andthatowingtothelocalcharacterofthestorm,orachancedischargeoflightning,thebarbarianssufferedmorethantheiropponents。Wemaywellquestionwhetherthephilosophicalemperorhimselfputanyotherinterpretationthanthisupontheincident。But,ontheotherhand,weneednotdoubtthatthemajorpartofhissoldierswouldveryreadilyacceptsuchanexplanationasthatgivenbyDionCassius,justasmostreadersofafewcenturieslaterwouldaccepttheexplanationofXiphilinus。Itiswelltobearthisthoughtinmindinconsideringthestaticperiodofscienceuponwhichweareentering。Weshallperhapsbestunderstandthisperiod,anditsseemingretrogressions,ifwesupposethattheaveragemanoftheMiddleAgeswasnomorecredulous,nomoresuperstitious,thantheaverageRomanofanearlierperiodorthantheaverageGreek;thoughtheprecisecomplexionofhiscredulityhadchangedundertheinfluenceofOrientalideas,aswehavejustseenillustratedbythenarrativeofXiphilinus。

  APPENDIX

  REFERENCELIST,NOTES,ANDBIBLIOGRAPHIES

  CHAPTERI。PREHISTORICSCIENCE

  LengthofthePrehistoricPeriod——Itisofcoursequiteimpossibletoreducetheprehistoricperiodtoanydefinitenumberofyears。Thereare,however,numerousbitsofevidencethatenableananthropologisttomakeroughestimatesastotherelativelengthsofthedifferentperiodsintowhichprehistorictimeisdivided。GabrieldeMortillet,oneofthemostindustriousstudentsofprehistoricarchaeology,venturedtogiveatentativeestimateastothenumbersofyearsinvolvedineachperiod。Heofcourseclaimedforthisnothingmorethanthevalueofascientificguess。Itis,however,aguessbasedonaverycarefulstudyofalldataatpresentavailable。Mortilletdividestheprehistoricperiod,asawhole,intofourepochs。Thefirstoftheseisthepreglacial,whichheestimatesascomprisingseventy-eightthousandyears;thesecondistheglacial,coveringonehundredthousandyears;thenfollowswhathetermstheSolutreen,whichnumberseleventhousandyears;and,finally,theMagdalenien,comprisingthirty-threethousandyears。Thisgives,fortheprehistoricperiodproper,atermofabouttwohundredandtwenty-twothousandyears。AddtothisperhapstwelvethousandyearsusheringinthecivilizationofEgypt,andthesixthousandyearsofstable,surechronologyofthehistoricalperiod,andwehavesomethingliketwohundredandthirtythousandortwohundredandfortythousandyearsastheageofman。

  \"Thesefigures,\"saysMortillet,\"arecertainlynotexaggerated。

  Itisevenprobablethattheyarebelowthetruth。Constantlynewdiscoveriesarebeingmadethattendtoremovefartherbackthedateofman’sappearance。\"Wesee,then,accordingtothisestimate,thataboutaquarterofamillionyearshaveelapsedsincemanevolvedtoastatethatcouldproperlybecalledhuman。

  Thisguessisasgoodasanother,anditmayadvantageouslybekeptinmind,asitwillenableusallalongtounderstandbetterthanwemightotherwisebeabletodothetremendousforceofcertainprejudicesandpreconceptionswhichrecentmaninheritedfromhisprehistoricancestor。Ideaswhichhadpassedcurrentasunquestionedtruthsforonehundredthousandyearsorsoarenoteasilycastaside。

  Ingoingback,inimagination,tothebeginningoftheprehistoricperiod,wemustofcoursereflect,inaccordancewithmodernideasonthesubject,thattherewasnoyear,nomillenniumeven,whenitcouldbesaidexpressly:\"Thisbeingwashithertoaprimate,heisnowaman。\"Thetransitionperiodmusthavebeenenormouslylong,andthechangesfromgenerationtogeneration,evenfromcenturytocentury,musthavebeenveryslight。Inspeakingoftheextentoftheageofmanthismustbeborneinmind:itmustberecalledthat,eveniftheperiodwerenotvagueforotherreasons,thevaguenessofitsbeginningmustmakeitindeterminate。

  BibliographicalNotes——Agreatmassofliteraturehasbeenproducedinrecentyearsdealingwithvariousphasesofthehistoryofprehistoricman。Nosingleworkknowntothewriterdealscomprehensivelywiththescientificattainmentsofearlyman;indeed,thesubjectisusuallyignored,exceptwherepracticalphasesofthemechanicalartsareinquestion。Butofcourseanyattempttoconsidertheconditionofprimitivemantaliesintoaccount,byinferenceatleast,hisknowledgeandattainments。Therefore,mostworksonanthropology,ethnology,andprimitiveculturemaybeexpectedtothrowsomelightonourpresentsubject。Worksdealingwiththesocialandmentalconditionsofexistingsavagesarealsoofimportance,sinceitisnowanacceptedbeliefthattheancestorsofcivilizedracesevolvedalongsimilarlinesandpassedthroughcorrespondingstagesofnascentculture。HerbertSpencer’sDescriptiveSociologypresentsanunequalledmassoffactsregardingexistingprimitiveraces,but,unfortunately,itsinartisticmethodofarrangementmakesitrepellenttothegeneralreader。E。B。

  Tyler’sPrimitiveCultureandAnthropology;LordAvebury’sPrehistoricTimes,TheOriginofCivilization,andThePrimitiveConditionofMan;W。BoydDawkin’sCave-HuntingandEarlyManinBritain;andEdwardClodd’sChildhoodoftheWorldandStoryofPrimitiveManaredeservedlypopular。PaulTopinard’sElementsd’AnthropologieGeneraleisoneofthebest-knownandmostcomprehensiveFrenchworksonthetechnicalphasesofanthropology;butMortillet’sLePrehistoriquehasamorepopularinterest,owingtoitschaptersonprimitiveindustries,thoughthisworkalsocontainsmuchthatisrathertechnical。Amongperiodicals,theRevuedel’Ecoled’AnthropologiedeParis,publishedbytheprofessors,treatsofallphasesofanthropology,andtheAmericanAnthropologist,editedbyF。W。

  HodgefortheAmericanAnthropologicalAssociation,andintendedas\"amediumofcommunicationbetweenstudentsofallbranchesofanthropology,\"containsmuchthatisofinterestfromthepresentstand-point。Thelast-namedjournaldevotesagooddealofspacetoIndianlanguages。

  CHAPTERII。EGYPTIANSCIENCE

  1p。34。SirJ。NormanLockyer,TheDawnofAstronomy;astudyofthetempleworshipandmythologyoftheancientEgyptians,London,1894。

  2p。43。G。Maspero,HistoireAncie-nnedesPeuplesdel’OrientClassique,Paris,1895。Translatedas1TheDawnofCivilization,2TheStruggleoftheNations,3ThePassingoftheEmpires,3vols。,LondonandNewYork,1894-1900。ProfessorMasperoisoneofthemostfamousoflivingOrientalists。HismostimportantspecialstudieshavetodowithEgyptology,buthiswritingscovertheentirefieldofOrientalantiquity。Heisanotablestylist,andhisworksareatoncereadableandauthoritative。

  3p。44。AdolfErman,LifeinAncientEgypt,London,1894,p。

  352。TranslatedfromtheoriginalGermanworkentitledAegyptenundaegyptischesLebeninAlterthum,Tilbigen,1887。Analtogetheradmirablework,fullofinterestforthegeneralreader,thoughbasedonthemosteruditestudies。

  4p。47。Erman,op。cit。,pp。356,357。

  5p。48。Erman,op。cit。,p。357。TheworkonEgyptianmedicineherereferredtoisGeorgEbers’editionofanEgyptiandocumentdiscoveredbytheexplorerwhosenameitbears。ItremainsthemostimportantsourceofourknowledgeofEgyptianmedicine。Asmentionedinthetext,thisdocumentdatesfromtheeighteenthdynasty——thatistosay,fromaboutthefifteenthorsixteenthcentury,B。C。,arelativelylateperiodofEgyptianhistory。

  6p。49。Erman,op。cit。,p。357。

  7p。50。TheHistoryofHerodotus,pp。85-90。Therearenumeroustranslationsofthefamousworkofthe\"fatherofhistory,\"oneofthemostrecentandauthoritativebeingthatofG。C。Macaulay,M。A。,intwovolumes,Macmillan&Co。,LondonandNewYork,1890。

  8p。50。TheHistoricalLibraryofDiodorustheSicilian,London,1700。ThismostfamousofancientworldhistoriesisdifficulttoobtaininanEnglishversion。ThemostrecentlypublishedtranslationknowntothewriteristhatofG。Booth,London,1814。

  9p。51。Erman,op。cit。,p。357。

  10p。52。ThePapyrusRhindisasortofmathematicalhand-bookoftheancientEgyptians;itwasmadeinthetimeoftheHyksosKingsabout2000B。C。,butisacopyofanolderbook。ItisnowpreservedintheBritishMuseum。

  ThemostaccessiblerecentsourcesofinformationastothesocialconditionsoftheancientEgyptiansaretheworksofMasperoandErman,abovementioned;andthevariouspublicationsofW。M。FlindersPetrie,ThePyramidsandTemplesofGizeh,London,1883;TanisI。,London,1885;TanisH。,Nebesheh,andDefe-nnel,London,1887;TenYears’Diggings,London,1892;SyriaandEgyptfromtheTel-el-Amar-naLetters,London,1898,etc。ThevariousworksofProfessorPetrie,recordinghisexplorationsfromyeartoyear,givethefullestavailableinsightintoEgyptianarchaeology。

  CHAPTERIII。SCIENCEOFBABYLONIAANDASSYRIA

  1p。57。TheMedes。Somedifferenceofopinionexistsamonghistoriansastotheexactethnicrelationsoftheconquerors;

  theprecisedateofthefallofNinevehisalsoindoubt。

  2p。57。Darius。ThefamiliarHebrewnarrativeascribesthefirstPersianconquestofBabylontoDarius,butinscriptionsofCyrusandofNabonidus,theBabylonianking,makeitcertainthatCyruswastherealconqueror。Theseinscriptionsarepreservedoncylindersofbakedclay,ofthetypemadefamiliarbytheexcavationofthepastfiftyyears,andtheyareinvaluablehistoricaldocuments。

  3p。58。Berosus。ThefragmentsofBerosushavebeentranslatedbyL。P。Cory,andincludedinhisAncientFragmentsofPhenician,Chaldean,Egyptian,andOtherWriters,London,1826,secondedition,1832。

  4p。58。Chaldeanlearning。RecentwritersreservethenameChaldeanforthelaterperiodofBabylonianhistory——thetimewhentheGreekscameincontactwiththeMesopotamians——incontradistinctiontotheearlierperiodswhicharerevealedtousbythearchaeologicalrecords。

  5p。59KingSargonofAgade。Thedategivenforthisearlykingmustnotbeacceptedasabsolute;butitisprobablyapproximatelycorrect。

  6p。59。Nippur。Seetheaccountoftheearlyexpeditionsasrecordedbythedirector,Dr。JohnP。Peters,Nippur,orexplorationsandadventures,etc。,NewYorkandLondon,1897。

  7p。62。FritzHommel,GeschichteBabyloniensundAssyriens,Berlin,1885。

  8p。63。R。CampbellThompson,ReportsoftheMagiciansandAstrologersofNinevehandBabylon,London,1900,p。xix。

  9p。64。GeorgeSmith,TheAssyrianCanon,p。21。

  10p。64。Thompson,op。cit。,p。xix。

  11p。65。Thompson,op。cit。,p。2。

  12p。67。Thompson,op。cit。,p。xvi。

  13p。68。SextusEmpiricus,authorofAdversusMathematicos,livedabout200A。D。

  14p。68。R。CampbellThompson,op。cit。,p。xxiv。

  15p。72。RecordsofthePasteditor,SamuelBirch,Vol。

  III。,p。139。

  16p。72。Ibid。,Vol。V。,p。16。

  17p。72。QuotedinRecordsofthePast,Vol。III。,p。143,fromtheTranslationsoftheSocietyofBiblicalArcheology,vol。

  II。,p。58。

  18p。73。RecordsofthePast,vol。L,p。131。

  19p。73。Ibid。,vol。V。,p。171。

  20p。74。Ibid。,vol。V。,p。169。

  21p。74。JoachimMenant,LaBibliothequeduPalaisdeNinive,Paris,188o。

  22p。76。CodeofKhamurabi。Thisfamousinscriptionisonablockofblackdioritenearlyeightfeetinheight。ItwasdiscoveredatSusabytheFrenchexpeditionunderM。deMorgan,inDecember,1902。WequotethetranslationgiveninTheHistorians’HistoryoftheWorld,editedbyHenrySmithWilliams,LondonandNewYork,1904,Vol。I,p。510。

  23p。77。TheHistoricalLibraryofDiodorusSiculus,p。519。

  24p。82。GeorgeS。Goodspeed,Ph。D。,HistoryoftheBabyloniansandAssyrians,NewYork,1902。

  25p。82。GeorgeRawlinson,GreatOrientalMonarchies,secondedition,London,1871,Vol。III。,pp。75ff。

  Ofthebooksmentionedabove,thatofHommelisparticularlyfullinreferencetoculturedevelopment;Goodspeed’ssmallvolumegivesanexcellentcondensedaccount;theoriginaldocumentsastranslatedinthevariousvolumesofRecordsofthePastarefullofinterest;andMenant’slittlebookisaltogetheradmirable。

  TheworkofexcavationisstillgoingoninoldBabylonia,andnewlydiscoveredtextsaddfromtimetotimetoourknowledge,butA。H。Layard’sNinevehanditsRemainsLondon,1849stillhasimportanceasarecordofthemostimportantearlydiscoveries。ThegeneralhistoriesofAntiquityofDuncker,Lenormant,Maspero,andMeyergivefulltreatmentofBabylonianandAssyriandevelopment。SpecialhistoriesofBabyloniaandAssyria,inadditiontothesenamedabove,areTiele’sBabylonisch-AssyrischeGeschichteZweiTiele,Gotha,1886-1888;

  Winckler’sGeschichteBabyloniensundAssyriensBerlin,1885-1888,andRogers’HistoryofBabyloniaandAssyria,NewYorkandLondon,1900,thelastofwhich,however,dealsalmostexclusivelywithpoliticalhistory。Certainphasesofscience,particularlywithreferencetochronologyandcosmology,aretreatedbyEdwardMeyerGeschichtedesAlterthum,Vol。I。,Stuttgart,1884,andbyP。JensenDieKosmologiederBabylonier,Strassburg,1890,butnocomprehensivespecifictreatmentofthesubjectinitsentiretyhasyetbeenattempted。

  CHAPTERIV。THEDEVELOPMENTOFTHEALPHABET

  1p。87。VicomteE。deRouge,Memoiresurl’OrigineEgyptiennedel’AlphabetPhinicien,Paris,1874。

  2p。88。SeethevariouspublicationsofMr。ArthurEvans。

  3p。80。AztecandMayawriting。Thesepictographsarestillinthemainundecipherable,andopinionsdifferastotheexactstageofdevelopmentwhichtheyrepresent。

  4p。90。E。A。WallaceBudge’sFirstStepsinEgyptian,London,1895,isanexcellentelementaryworkontheEgyptianwriting。

  ProfessorErman’sEgyptianGrammar,London,1894,istheworkofperhapstheforemostlivingEgyptologist。

  5P。93。ExtantexamplesofBabylonianandAssyrianwritinggiveopportunitytocompareearlierandlatersystems,sothefactofevolutionfromthepictorialtothephoneticsystemrestsonsomethingmorethanmeretheory。

  6p。96。FriedrichDelitzsch,AssyrischcLesestuckemitgrammatischenTabellenundvollstdndigemGlossareinfiihrungindieassyrischeundbabylonischeKeilschrift-litteraturbishinaufzuHammurabi,Leipzig,1900。

  7p。97。ItdoesnotappearthattheBabyloniansthcmselvesevergaveuptheoldsystemofwriting,solongastheyretainedpoliticalautonomy。

  8p。101。SeeIsaacTaylor’sHistoryoftheAlphabet;anAccountoftheoriginandDevelopmentofLetters,newedition,2

  vols。,London,1899。

  Forfacsimilesofthevariousscripts,seeHenrySmithWilliams’

  HistoryoftheArtOfWriting,4vols,NewYorkandLondon,1902-1903。

  CHAPTERV。THEBEGINNINGSOFGREEKSCIENCE

  1p。III。Anaximander,asrecordedbyPlutarch,vol。VIII。SeeArthurFairbanks’FirstPhilosophersofGreece:anEditionandTranslationoftheRemainingFragmentsofthePre-SocraticPhilosophers,togetherwithaTranslationofthemoreImportantAccountsoftheirOpinionsContainedintheEarlyEpitomcsoftheirWorks,London,1898。ThishighlyscholarlyandextremelyusefulbookcontainstheGreektextaswellastranslations。

  CHAPTERVI。THEEARLYGREEKPHILOSOPHERSINITALY

  1p。117。GeorgeHenryLewes,ABiographicalHistoryofPhilosophyfromitsOrigininGreecedowntothePresentDay,enlargededition,NewYork,1888,p。17。

  2p。121。DiogenesLaertius,TheLivesandOpinionsofEminentPhilosophers,C。D。Yonge’stranslation,London,1853,VIII。,p。

  153。

  3p。121。Alexander,SuccessionsofPhilosophers。

  4p。122。\"Alloveritscentre。\"Presumablythisisintendedtorefertotheentireequatorialregion。

  5p。125。Laertius,op。cit。,pp。348-351。

  6p。128。ArthurFairbanks,TheFirstPhilosophersofGreeceLondon,1898,pp。67-717。

  7p。129。Ibid。,p。838。

  8p。130。Ibid。,p。109。

  9p。130。HeinrichRitter,TheHistoryofAncientPhilosophy,translatedfromtheGermanbyA。J。W。Morrison,4vols。,London,1838,vol,I。,p。463。

  10p。131。Ibid。,p。465。

  11p。132。GeorgeHenryLewes,op。cit。,p。81。

  12p。135。Fairbanks,op。cit。,p。201。

  13p。136。Ibid。,P。234。

  14p。137。Ibid。,p。189。

  15p。137。Ibid。,P。220。

  16p。138。Ibid。,p。189。

  17p。138。Ibid。,p。191。

  CHAPTERVII。GREEKSCIENCEINTHEEARLYATTICPERIOD

  1p。150。TheodorGomperz,GreekThinkers:aHistoryofAncientPhilosophytranslatedfromtheGermanbyLaurieMagnes,NewYork,1901,pp。220,221。

  2p。153。Aristotle’sTreatiseonRespiration,ch。ii。

  3p。159。Fairbanks’translationofthefragmentsofAnaxagoras,inTheFirstPhilosophersofGreece,pp。239-243。

  CHAPTERVIII。POST-SOCRATICSCIENCEATATHENS

  1p。180。AlfredWilliamBern,ThePhilosophyofGreeceConsideredinRelationtotheCharacterandHistoryofitsPeople,London,1898,p。186。

  2p。183。Aristotle,quotedinWilliamWhewell’sHistoryoftheInductiveSciencessecondedition,London,1847,Vol。II。,p。

  161。

  CHAPTERIX。GREEKSCIENCEOFTHEALEXANDRIANORHELLENISTIC

  PERIOD

  1p。195。Tertullian’sApologeticus。

  2p。205。WequotethequaintoldtranslationofNorth,printedin1657。

  CHAPTERX。SCIENCEOFTHEROMANPERIOD

  1p。258。TheGeographyofStrabo,translatedbyH。C。HamiltonandW。Falconer,3vols。,London,1857,Vol。I,pp。19,20。

  2p。260。Ibid。,p。154。

  3p。263。Ibid。,pp。169,170。

  4p。264Ibid。,pp。166,167。

  5p。271。K。0。MillerandJohnW。Donaldson,TheHistoryoftheLiteratureofGreece,3vols。,London,Vol。III。,p。268。

  6p。276。E。T。Withington,MedicalHistoryfron。,theEarliestTimes,London,1894,p。118。

  7p。281。Ibid。

  8p。281。JohannHermannBass,HistoryofMedicine,NewYork,1889。

  CHAPTERXI。ARETROSPECTIVEGLANCEATCLASSICALSCIENCE

  p。298。DionCassius,aspreservedbyXiphilinus。OurextractisquotedfromthetranslationgiveninTheHistorians’HistoryoftheWorldeditedbyHenrySmithWilliams,25vols。,LondonandNewYork,1904,Vol。VI。,p。297ff。

  [Forfurtherbibliographicalnotes,thereaderisreferredtotheAppendixofvolumeV。]

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