fick and decrepit, to fave them from the fangs of wild beafts. Men oppreffed by famine have agreed to facrifice a part of their number to preferve the remainder. But fuch inftances of defperate extremity afford no generally applicable exception to the obferved influence of focial fympathy. A fimilarity of inftitutions, having relation to circumftances common to all nations, might be expected to occur in each, even if facred writings, and common tradition, did not point to a common origin. A most ancient law of the Athenians commands* charity to strangers. It is referred to Buzyges, who first taught the use of the plough. The temple of the Eumenides, and that of Minerva, and another confecrated to Thefeus, afforded afylum to distressed ftrangers. In the market-place, was an altar to Mercy. It is noticed by Diodorus Siculus, in a fine fpeech of Nicolaus, an aged Syracufan, pleading against a propofal of Diocles to flaughter the Athenian generals their prifoners in cold blood, and contrary to the faith of their capitulation. The oration contains many pathetic paffages, recommending mercy towards the afflicted. "Let not this praise be 64 66 "denied to your country, O Syracufans! wherever "its glory fhall be recorded amongst mortals, that you have vanquished the Athenians not only by your arms, but by your clemency. It will thus appear, that they who boast their fuperiority in "civilization to all others, are especially beholden "to your benevolence; and that the nation which "firft confecrated an altar to mercy, found mercy "itfelf in this city of Syracufans." Diod. Sic. Bib. Hift. 1. xiii. p. 559. This altar is faid to have * Κοινωνείν κατα τον βιον ύδατος ή πυρος. S. Petiti, Leges Attica, p. 55. 557• † Αθηναίοις δε εν τη αγορα- και Ελεον βωμος. D been founded by the defcendants of Hercules. It is nobly defcribed by Statius, in lines which may be wished to have proceeded from the pen of Virgil, that they might be more familiarly known. Urbe fuit mediâ, nulli conceffa potentum, Moft facred mid the facred city ftands Wretches from wretches catch the cheering found, Here the diftreffed of various defcriptions, strangers and fugitive flaves, affembled, where facrifice was offered at the public expence, ιερα τα δημοτελή. The Athenian law was particularly indulgent to flaves. They might at any time become free, by paying a known ranfom: they might fue their maflers for cruelty, and compel them by law to part with them to others. Freed flaves were bound to affift their proftates, poslans or patron; who, on their failure, might fue them in an action, called Commentaries in Petit. Leges Atticos, p. 9. Ditto, p. 178.179. dien añosαciou. He, on his part, was bound to aid αποςασίου. them in distress. Hospitality to diftreffed ftrangers was the boast of Grecian cities at all periods; and no doubt was much abused by rambling mendicants. Even in the days of Homer, their tales were heard with distrust, but their wants were relieved with readiness. Small is the faith the Prince and Queen afcribe, For needy ftrangers ftill to flatt'ry fly, And want too oft betrays the tongue to lie. Od. b. xiv. 145. Antinöus, the fuitor, obferves, Enough of thefe our Court already grace, But Ulyffes replies, The Gods affert the poor. And fome of the Court obferve, What if, in this low difguife, Wander, perhaps, fome inmate of the fkies. They, curious oft of mortal actions, deign, In forms like thefe, to round the earth and main; Juft and unjuft recording in their mind, And with fure eyes infpecting all mankind.t b. xvii. 455. 5356 580. Maffinger, in the Virgin Martyr, probably without a thought of Homer, bas, "Look on the poor "With gentle eyes, for in fuch habits often • Ulyffes remarks, p. 18, Πτωχω βελτιον εςι καλα πολιν ηε και' a pes, ↑ Ovid introduces Jupiter declaring, Summo delabor Olympo, Et Deus humanâ lustro sub imagine terras. Metam. I. i.213. Eumæus fays, It never was our guife To flight the poor, or aught humane despise; B. xiv. 65. The ancient Greeks had temples to Zeus Xenius, Jupiter, the stranger's friend, and Apollo Theoxenius; and facred rights are mentioned, instituted by Caftor and Pollux Theoxenia, to fuftain hofpitality to ftrangers. Plato admonishes to protect ftrangers of all kinds, Tiμwles Eeviov Aia, in honour of Jove, the protector of all.* At Athens and Sparta, there were public officers, called proxeni and proftata, who provided proxenia for new comers. Xenophon, in his Anabafis, mentions feveral cities which fent xenia,‡ or provifions, for the retreating Greeks: 1. 5 and 6. Public eftablishments for the reception of strangers in Crete, called andreia or fyfitia, with fleeping apartments called onTngia, are mentioned by Athenæus; κοιμητηρια, and phyditia, and copides, and cela, of a fimilar nature, among the Lacedæmonians.t Paufanias mentions And wandering for the fame purpofe with Mercury; Immenfa eft finemq; potentia cœli Non habet. Jupiter huc fpecie mortali, cumque parente Mille domos adiere; locum requiemq; petentes, Προς γαρ Διος ειςιν απαιίες, Ξείνος τε, πτωχοί τε. Metam. 1. 8. 63. E. 38. Sce Gulielmi Stuckii Antiquitates Conviviales, l. i. p. 90. Και ξενία Διος πολλαι τιμαι και μεγάλαι. Plutarch de exilio + The public repafts were called by the Cretans andreia, but the Lacedemonians ftyled them phyditia, either from their ten the temple of Æfculapius at Epidaurus, as a kind of medical establishment, to which the fick reforted, apparently, indeed, rather for divine than human aid. But it feems that women who came pregnant, were not allowed to lie in there; nor was there any shelter, in which the dying might be received; and the grove of the God was not allowed to be polluted by death: but in the days of Paufanias,t one Antoninus, a man of fenatorial rank, raifed buildings there for these purposes. "The poor," faysMenander," are always deemed to be under the "special protection of the Gods." Stobæus has made a large collection of complaints on poverty, and of confolations under it, from numerous Greek writers. "A poor man," fays Di philus," is of all the happiest; no apprehension of change for the worfe can torment him." "O "wretched poverty," fays Theognis, Theognis, "why, fitting "on my shoulders, doft thou debafe my body and 66 my foul." He quotes Phintios, a daughter of Calli dency to friendship and mutual benevolence, phyditia being ufed inftead of philitia, or elfe from their teaching frugality and parfimony, which the word pheido fignifies. There were fifteen perfons to a table, or a few more or lefs. Each of them was obliged to contribute monthly about a bufhel of meal, eight gallons of wine, five pounds of cheese, two pounds and a half of figs, and a little money, to buy flesh and fifh. If any of them happened to offer a facrifice of firft-fruits, or to kill venifon, he fent a part of it to the public table. Plutarch, Life of Lycurgus. Πάσι τοις ελθασιν εν τη κοπίδι θοίνασθαι καλώς. † A. D. 170. Antoninus appears not to have been a christian, for he built temples to Hygeia, and to Æfculapius, and Apollo. Corinthiaca, lib. ii. p. 135. Δεν νομίζονθ' οἱ πένητες των θεων. Menander, in Stobæo, serm. 93 |