Presbyterian College - Pac Sac Yearbook (Clinton, SC)

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24 THE COLLEGIAN men upon important subjects. They were taught to converse intelligently and agreeably. Although the system of Pytha- goras was somewhat aristocratic, we admire his teaching that Virtue and health and all good and God are in harmony. The Athenians were worshippers of culture and beauty. Their ideal conception of education was a beautiful soul in a beautiful body. Athens has produced some of the most bril- liant writers, the most profound thinkers, the wisest state- men and most heroic warriors, her civilization was the em- bodiment of beauty, culture and intellectuality. Even those who had no intellectual training received culture by mingling with their fellow citizens, from the beautiful works of art and from the magnificent Greek festivals. The Athenian youth was taught reading. writing. mathematics, poetry, rhetoric. music, philosophy. He was also given moral training. In their earliers days, the Romans were a very grave and serious people. They busied themselves in declaring war, in subduing nations, and in framing laws. Naturally their edu- cation was utilitarian. In Rome, woman was respected and loved. She it was who really controlled the household al- though her husband was nominally, unlimited master. In the Augustan age, when Rome sat upon the throne of im- perial power and fame and gave commands which were obeyed in the farthest parts of the civilized world, when she had gathered into her arms all the culture and intellectuality of Greece, there was provided for her youth an educational sys- tem which was in keeping with her splendor and magnificence. The Roman youth was taught Latin, Greek, poetry, oratory and philosophy. And afterwards if he wished, he could re- ceive professional training in almost any work which he should choose. We find that the study of Latin and Greek was neglected during the iirst period of Christian education. But in 1453 we see that enthusiasm for Latin and Greek learning is fanned into a brilliant flame. Dante, Petrarch and Bocaccio were the forerunners of this wonderful revival of learning. Li- ln-aries were founded and Greek and Latin manuscripts were

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THE COLLEGIAN 23 ly and logically. We must be fitted to confront and overcome great obstacles, to ponder important questions and render de- cisions with justice and impartialit.y. Plato has said: A good education is that which gives to the body and the soul all the beauty and perfection of which they are capable. Some of the greatest and most successful educators and the most bril- liant students of the different systems of education have em- phasized the importance of the study of the ancient languages. Such an education is called a Classical or Humanistic educa- tion. Classical education flourished in the time of Greece and Rome, when Leonidas with his handful of men defendtd Theomopylae, and Miltiades won the field of Marathong when learned students sat at the feet of Plato and Aristotle, and when the opinions of wise men and sages were moulded and shaped by the scholarly, impassioned eloquence of Demosthenes and Cicero. Here we find the real beginning of our wonder- ful civilization with all its culture and scholarship. These na- tions have produced the most inspiring works of literature and art, and the most learned works of philosophy. The edu- cational systems of Greece and Rome were a great deal more advanced than the systems of the Oriental nations. Personal freedom and individuality become more prominent in these nations. Here the subject does not toil with laborious tasks of memory Work, he is not confined within the narrow bounds of casteg he is neither crushed by the ponderous system of State education, nor is he swayed and held in awe by the sup- erstitious infiuence of priesthood. Woman is no longer re- quired to fall upon her knees before her husband and ask what he would have her do. The Greek was emotional, he worshipped culture and beautyg the Roman was practical and serious, he appreciated the useful. A union of these characters with the ennobling intiuence of Christianity would form an ideal manhood. The martial education of Sparta did not include a study of languages. No formal literary training was possessed but the boys listened to the speeches and conversations of the

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THE COLLEGIAN 25 zealously collected. The seeds of this learning, which had been carried into England, France and Germany, by great stu- dents, sprang up and yielded fruit which satisied many who hungered for knowledge. Greek and Latin classics were studied with great zeal. The popes lent their aid, estab- lished libraries and encouraged the study of these languages. Hebrew was also studied. New Testaments were published by learned men. Reuchlin was profoundly interested in the study of Latin and Greek and especially in the study of Hebrew. He pub- lished Hebrew grammars and lexicons. Erasmus was another Humanist who was an enthusiastic student of Greek and Latin. Painter says He recommend- ed the study of geography, history and natural science, not for their own sake, but as necessary adjuncts in understand- ing and explaining the classics. usfefl . The Hsms'nfl .iumtrlll ffifiando rb Luther, a great Protestant educator, emphasized the study of ancient languages because, as he says, Languages are the scabbard in which the Word of God is sheathed. They are the casket in which this jewel is enshrined, the cask in which this wine is kept, the chamber in which this food is stored. And. to borrow a figure from the Gospel itself, they are the baskets in which this bread and fish, and frag- ments are preserved. All subjects were subordinated to the study of Latin in the educational system of Melanchthon. The students are required to write and speak Latin correctly. This promi- nence of Latin continues throughout his higher educational training. All through this period of' education, since the rise of Protestantism, we find that a study of the ancient languages and classics occupies the foremost place in the educational sys- tem. They are the very foundations of training during this period. We find that Zwingli, Sturm and Francke advocated the study of Latin, Greek and Hebrew, as the best means of giving a student real intellectual training.