AWAY down in a Southern sunny corner on the other side of Europe there rises from the blue waters of the Mediterranean the land which we call Greece.

Greece

AWAY down in a Southern sunny corner on the other side of Europe there rises from the blue waters of the Mediterranean the land which we call Greece.

You already know this country as a wonderland that used to be the home of a noble race of heroes. The Heroic Age lasted for about two hundred years, and this is the once-upon-a-time epoch to which you owe some of your favourite stories. Then it was that Perseus slew the gorgon, Hercules performed his twelve famous labours, Theseus killed the Minotaur, Jason led the Argonauts in the Golden Fleece adventure, and Ulysses took Troy by the wooden horse stratagem.

The Trojan War marks the end of the Heroic Age. And now we come to a time, about three thousand years ago, when men began to rule over Greece. Four great tribes Achaeans, Dorians, lonians, and Eolians entered into a struggle for supremacy, and so rampant was the spirit of rivalry for possession of the land that the prin cipal competitors not only fought against each other, but were divided against themselves. In spite of this political strife, all the tribes were gradually drawn together, so that they became one people, while at the same time they formed many independent States. Even under the disruptive conditions of clashing ambitions and inter-State jealousies this union of the tribes into a nation is not surprising, for, as they all traced their descent to one father, Hellen, they naturally looked on one another as brothers. Moreover, they spoke the same language and worshipped the same gods. Hence there were three very strong ties to knit them together.

The time came when all these people began to call themselves by a national name Hellenes ; and to em phasize their homogeneity still further, they spoke of all other nations collectively as " barbarians. >: Their native land was also given a name which proclaimed their pride of race Hellas and they were soon using this name to signify any and every district inhabited by Hellenes. As the Hellenes were daring adventurers and enterpris ing colonists, Hellas grew to embrace numerous islands off the homeland coast and in neighbouring waters, great cities in Asia Minor and on the shores of the Black Sea, extensive districts in Italy and Sicily, part of the north coast of Africa, together with a trading-centre in Egypt, and settlements as far west even as France and Spain.

The most formidable foreign enemies to challenge the power of Hellas were the Persians, and in the course of checking their invasions the Hellenes won two of the most famous battles in the world's history the Battle of Marathon (490 B.C.), and the naval Battle of Salamis (480 B.C.). About a century and a half later Alexander the Great, as supreme General of Hellas, completely turned the tables by challenging the Persian Power. En route to the enemy's camp he brought Egypt to his feet, and founded the famous city of Alexandria, which was named after him ; then, having subdued the Persians, he extended his conquests to Northern India. But on his death in 323 B.C. Alexander's great Empire was split up. Meanwhile a new authority was asserting itself in the West. Rome was fast growing strong enough to dispute with Hellas for the position of supreme European Power. After considerably undermining the colonial strength of Hellas, the Romans succeeded in making the mother-country a Roman province in 146 B.C., and they altered her name to Greece.

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