8. When two consonants like _mn_, _nm_, etc., occur at the beginning of a
word, they are to be pronounced with the first consonant mute.
* * * * *
P. 9.—“Voltaire,” vol-têrˈ (1694-1778). French author.
P. 11.—“Mycenæ.” A city of Argos (see map in History of Greece), said to
have been the leading city of Greece during the time of the Trojan war.
Its remains are most interesting. The walls and the “gate of lions,”
supposed to belong to the ancient acropolis, and two immense subterranean
chambers, the walls of which contain some of the largest blocks found in
the walls of buildings, are among its antiquities.
“Cyclopean.” Pertaining to a class of giants, who had but one eye in
the middle of the forehead. They were said to inhabit Sicily, and to be
assistants in the workshops of Vulcan, fabled to be under Mt. Etna.
“Schliemann.” A German antiquarian and traveler, who claims to have
discovered the genuine home of Ulysses, and also to have unearthed
ancient Troy. The latter he locates on the plateau of Hisarlik.
“Arcadia,” ar-caˈdi-a. The central country of the Peloponnesus. It
received its name of “the Switzerland of Greece” from the mountains which
surround it on all sides, and traverse its surface in every direction.
P. 13.—“Laconisms,” lăcˈo-nĭsms. A laconism; a brief pointed sentence; an
expression in the laconic brief style of a Lacedæmonian or Spartan. The
word is derived from Laconia, the name of the country.
“Pelopidas.” A Theban noble of great fortune. He was a firm friend of
Epaminondas, assisting him in driving the Spartans from Thebes and being
present at the battle of Leuctra. Many important civil and military
affairs were entrusted to him. In 364 Pelopidas was sent to assist the
Thessalonians against Alexander, but at the battle of Cynoscephalæ, (see
“History of Greece,” p. 162,) he was slain while pursuing Alexander,
whose army he had driven from the battle field.
“Miltiades.” In early life Miltiades had been made tyrant of the
Chersonesus. He had engaged in many wars and taken from the Persians some
of their possessions. These later conquests brought on him the hostility
of Darius of Persia, and Miltiades was obliged to flee to Athens, where,
on the approach of the Persians, he was made one of the ten generals
who commanded the Athenian army. After the battle he obtained seventy
ships, ostensibly to continue hostilities, but in reality he used them to
satisfy a private enmity against the island of Paros. He was unsuccessful
in this and wounded. On his return he was tried and cast into prison
where he died from the effects of his wounds.
P. 16.—“Ichthyologist,” ĭchˌthy-ŏlˈo-gist. One who understands the
classification of fishes.
P. 19.—“Longinus.” (213?-273.) The most distinguished adherent of the
Platonic philosophy in the third century. His learning was so great that
he was called “a living library.” He taught many years at Athens, but
at last left to go to Palmyra, as the teacher of Zenobia. When she was
afterward defeated by the Romans and captured, Longinus was put to death.
P. 20.—“Chrysostom.” (347-407.) The “golden mouthed,” so called because
of his eloquence. In 397 he was made Bishop of Constantinople.
“Isocrates.” (436-338 B. C.) One of the ten Attic orators. His style was
artificial and labored, but exercised immense influence upon oratory at
Athens.
“Renascence,” re-nāsˈcence. A springing up. A becoming alive again.
P. 35.—“Academe,” aˈca-deˌme. Originally the name of a public pleasure
ground situate in the Ceramicus, said to have belonged in the time of
the Trojan war to Academus, a local hero. In the fifth century B. C.
this land belonged to Cimon, who on his death gave it to the citizens
as a public pleasure ground. Here Socrates talked, and Plato taught his
philosophy until his school was named the Academic, and the Platonists
the Academists. A school started by one of these philosophers was called
an Academy.
“Hymettus,” hy-metˈtus. A mountain about three miles south of Athens
famous for its honey and its marble.
P. 36.—“Ilissus,” i-lisˈsus. A river of Attica rising on Mount Hymettus,
flowing through the eastern part of the city, and disappearing in the
marshy plains outside.
“Lyceum.” The principal gymnasium of Athens. It received the name
_Lyceum_ from its nearness to the temple of Apollo _Lyceios_, or Apollo
the wolf slayer. Here Aristotle (to whom reference is made in the
preceding line of the verse) taught his philosophy. See p. 64 of “Brief
History of Greece.”
“Stoa.” The _stoa_, or portico, was a place enclosed by a colonnade
or arcade, and used for walking in. There were several in Athens.
The _Encyclopædia Britannica_ says: “It is probable that some of the
porticoes in the Agora were built by Cimon; at all events the most
beautiful one among them was reared by Pisianax, his brother-in-law,
and the paintings with which Polygnotus, his sister’s lover, adorned it
(representing scenes from the military history of Athens, legendary and
historical), made it ever famous as the ‘painted portico.’”
“Melesigenes,” melˌe-sigˈe-nes. Meles-born. A name sometimes given to
Homer. One of the traditions of his birthplace is that he was born on the
banks of the Meles, in Ionia.
“Phœbus.” The bright or pure. An epithet given to Apollo (see “History of
Greece,” p. 72) by Homer. When Apollo became connected with the sun this
name was given to him as the sun-god.
P. 38.—“Memorabilia,” mĕmˌo-ra-bĭlˈi-a. Things to be remembered.
P. 39.—“Planudes.” A Byzantine monk of the fourteenth century. He was
the editor of the Greek Anthology, the author of works on theology and
natural history, as well as the collector of the fables mentioned here,
and the author of Æsop’s biography.
P. 40.—“Pessimism,” pesˈsi-mism. The doctrine of those who believe
everything to be at the worst.
P. 42.—“Parmenio.” A general of Philip and Alexander. He was second in
command in Alexander’s Persian campaign, and did much to secure the great
victories. His son being accused of being privy to a plot against the
king’s life in 330 B. C., confessed himself guilty, and involved his
father. Both were put to death.
P. 43.—“Lucan.” (39?-65.) A Roman poet.
P. 44.—“Lyttelton.” Lord George. (1709-1773.) An Englishman of noble
family. He held various official positions, and in 1756 was raised to the
peerage. The last ten years of his life were spent in literary pursuits.
Beside his “Dialogues of the Dead,” he wrote a history of Henry II., and
a work on St. Paul.
“Fenelon,” faˌneh-lonˈ. (1651-1715.) A French prelate and author.
His most famous works, “Dialogues of the Dead,” “Directions for the
Conscience of a King,” and “The Adventures of Telemachus,” were written
for the use of the grandsons of Louis XIV., of whom he had been appointed
preceptor.
“Landor.” (1775-1864.) An English author. His works were very voluminous,
including poems, satires, dramas, etc. The work here referred to was
called “Imaginary Conversations,” being a series of dialogues between
persons of past and present times. It was said to have greatly increased
the author’s literary reputation.
“Erasmus,” e-răzˈmŭs. (1467-1536.) A Dutch classical scholar of wide
reputation. At the time that Luther advanced the tenets of the reformers
Erasmus would not adopt these extreme views. Luther ridiculed and
denounced the scholar, and Erasmus retorted by turning his wit against
the monastic habits and scholastic dignity.
P. 45.—“Phidias,” phidˈi-as. (B. C. 490?-432.) The greatest of Grecian
sculptors. His chief works were the Athene of the Acropolis, the Zeus at
Olympus, and the decorations of the Parthenon, in which he was assisted
by his pupils.
“Alcamenes,” al-camˈe-nes. (B. C. 444-400.) A pupil of Phidias. His
greatest work was a statue of Venus.
“Myron.” A Bœotian sculptor, born about 480 B. C. His masterpieces were
all in bronze. The Quoit-player and the Cow are most famous. Myron
excelled in animals and figures in action.
“Euphranor.” A sculptor and painter of Athens who flourished about 360 B.
C. His finest statue was a Paris, and his best paintings adorned a porch
in the Ceramicus. He also wrote on proportion and colors.
P. 46.—“Polycleitus,” polˈy-cleiˌtus. A Greek sculptor who lived about
430 B. C. His statues of men are said to have surpassed those of Phidias.
The Spear-bearer was a statue so perfectly proportioned that it was
called the canon or rule.
“Bendis,” benˈdis; “Atthis,” atˈthis; “Men.” Local deities among the
Egyptians.
“Anubis.” One of the Egyptian deities, the son of Osiris. He was
represented in the form of a man with a dog’s head, or as a dog. His name
meant gilded, and his images were of solid gold.
“Lysippus.” The favorite sculptor of Alexander the Great. His statues
were all in bronze, and it is said reached the number of 1,500.
“Pentelicus.” A mount in Attica celebrated for its marble.
“Praxiteles.” Born at Athens B. C. 392. He worked in both marble and
bronze. About fifty different works by him are mentioned. First in fame
stands the Cnidian Venus, “one of the most famous art creations of
antiquity.” Apollo as the lizard-killer, his Faun, and a representation
of Eros are probably best known.
P. 47.—“Colossus of Rhodes.” A bronze statue of the sun which stood at
the entrance of the harbor of Rhodes. It was one hundred and five feet in
height, cost three hundred talents, and was twelve years in erecting. The
Colossus was designed by Chares.
“Pnyx,” nĭks. The place of public assembly in Athens.
P. 48.—“Philippics.” The orations delivered by Demosthenes against Philip
of Macedon.
P. 50.—“Paley,” William. (1743-1805.) An English theologian. The author
of several valuable works. In the “Natural Theology” here referred to he
attempts to demonstrate the existence and perfect character of God from
the evidences of design in nature.
P. 51.—“Helvetius,” hĕl-veeˈshĭ-us. Claude Adrien. (1715-1771.) A French
philosopher. The author of a famous work on the materialistic philosophy.
“Mellanippides,” melˌa-nipˈpi-des. A celebrated poet of Melos who lived
about B. C. 440.
“Zeuxis.” A painter who lived in the latter part of the fifth century
B. C. Part of his life was spent in the practice of his art in
Macedonia, thence he went to Magna Græca, where at Croton he painted his
masterpiece, a Helen. Zeuxis made a great fortune by his painting.
P. 61.—“Diogenes.” He came from Laërte, in Cilicia, and probably lived
in the second century A. D. He is the author of “The Lives of the
Philosophers,” a work in ten books. Almost nothing is known of his life.
P. 62.—“Tacitus,” tacˈi-tus. (A. D. 55-117.) A Roman historian. His
histories of the condition and customs of the Britains and Germans are
trustworthy accounts, written in a clear and concise style. A history of
Rome is his most ambitious work. The “Germania” mentioned was a history
of the origin, customs, situation and peoples of Germany.
P. 70.—“Darics,” dărˈic. The word is derived from Darius, and applied to
an ancient Persian coin weighing about 128 grains, and bearing on one
side the figure of an archer.