CHAPTER III.

THE PROFESSORS OF RHETORIC.

PAGE

53

.

.

The Sophists or Professors of Rhetoric.

The public professors and private lecturers generally aliens,

often men of wealth and rank

54

The story of Hippodromus to illustrate the knight errantry

of the Sophists .

56

The story of Marcus of Byzantium

57

Popular enthusiasm for the Sophists. Their vanity and

ostentation

58

Their professional gains

60

Their immunities from civil burdens

61

Examples of imperial caprice in the treatment of the Sophists 62

The interests of learning suffered from the whims of Caracalla 63

And in the third century from war and faction

64

Athens stormed by the Goths, who were routed by Dexippus 65

The fourth century a brilliant age for the University of

Athens

65

The endowed Chairs, and influence of the Provincial Governor 67

Official salaries varying like tithe rent charge. Lecture-

68

Jealousies of rival Sophists illustrated from Eunapius . 69

Another illustration of their bitter feeling and rhetorical

skill

71

The three great Sophists rather Asiatic than Hellenic in race 73

The general character of their educational influence

The personal ties between teacher and student were very

close, and desertion keenly felt by the lecturer

75

The evils of rivalry sometimes avoided by special unions 76

The position of the sub-professors in these is not attractive 77

Libanius called to account for neglect of professorial work 78

The Sophists' pride in the number of their pupils

79

The solemn language of Himerius to the freshmen

80

The course consisted of the study of the Classics, together

with the rules of rhetoric

81

Original compositions were required, and exercises in logic

and elocution,

83

rooms

74

.

PAGE

84

.

.

The Sophists professed to aim at more than rhetoric.

But the course of study was more imposing than profound . 85

The evidence remaining in the works of Professors like

Himerius

86

The difficulty of doing justice to the rhetorical beauties of

Greek style

87

Themistius, though a philosopher, is as rhetorical as the

Sophists .

89

As moral preachers the Sophists were surpassed by Christian

doctors

90

The dwindling numbers and reputation of the Schools 91

Illustrations from Libanius of the poverty of Professors 93

CHAPTER IV.

STUDENT LIFE.

.

Our knowledge mainly drawn from writers of the fourth

century.

96

Few students were of Attic race

96

Commonly they were very young and had pedagogues often 97

Each attached himself specially to a Professor.

98

The students touting for their own Professors.-Experience

of Libanius

99

The practical jokes which few freshmen escaped

100

National differences seem to have been marked by social

clubs.

102

The factious spirit of these illustrated by Eunapius . 103

Effect of such students' brawls on the fancy of the young

Libanius

105

Town and gown riots

. 106

Attacks upon the pedagogues

. 107

No discipline exerted by the University or by city police . 108

Very different provisions at Rome

. 109

The students at Lecture

.

.

PAGE

Himerius relied on love, but Libanius used the rod, though

he shrank from expulsion

115

Students often would not pay the fees .

116

Many of them were very poor, and there were no exhibitions 118

They often remained long, and left the University with

regret

119

.

CHAPTER V.

CHRISTIAN INFLUENCES ON THE SCHOOLS OF ATHENS.

.

The early Sophists were freethinkers, the later conservative

in religion

120

The later philosophers were devout and claimed powers over

the spirit world

121

The Christian alarm and dislike of the schools of rhetoric . 122

The complaints of Libanius of the discouragement to study 123

Brighter times came in with Julian, but were not lasting . 124

His death was followed by edicts and riots against Paganism 126

The bitter resentment of Eunapius and Libanius.

127

The schools of Athens suffered from the downfall of Pagan-

ism, and from the spread of legal and Latin studies 129

Synesius tells us of pilgrims attracted to Athens .

· 130

But he speaks with contempt of the studies carried on there 131

The schools of rhetoric disappeared .

132

These were closed by the edict of Justinian

133

À few philosophers retired to Persia, but only to be dis-

appointed of their hopes .

134

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE.

.

B.C. The death of Socrates .

399 Plato in the Academy

388 Antisthenes the Cynic.

f. 366 Speusippus, Head of the Academy

347-339 Xenocrates succeeded Speusippus

339 Isocrates wrote the Panegyr. 380

died † 338 Aristotle in the Lyceum

335 Crates the Cynic

A. 328 Theophrastus succeeded Aristotle in the Lyceum

322 Demetrius Phalereus, Governor of Athens

318 Polemon succeeded Xenocrates

315 Epicurus at Athens.

306 Straton succeeded Theophrastus .

about 287 Antigonus Gonatas

283-239 Zenon in the Porch

f. 278 Lycon succeeded Straton

272 Cleanthes succeeded Zenon

263 Chrysippus succeeded Cleanthes

born 280 + 207 Carneades, Ambassador of Athens

155 Siege of Athens by Sulla

87 Cicero at Athens

79 Horace at the University

A.D. Athens declined in reputation Dion Chrysostom

A. about 97 Epictetus

ft.

104 Plutarch.

115

.

47