Page:The Classical Heritage of the Middle Ages.djvu/38

20 THE CLASSICAL HERITAGE [chap. neither artistic imagination nor the gift of abstract philosophic reason ; his mind is not filled with lofty deductions, it does not create philosophies ; it guides the feet and hands of Komans on, not to the empire of the spirit, but to the empire of the world. The Ro- man realizes life's circumstantial difiiculties ; he knows that weaker power cannot withstand the stronger, and he sees the practical dangers of battle and disease. He will take all the precautions of prudence against these, and will propitiate the gods most carefully. The Greek, as well as the Roman, was self-con- trolled. This with the Greek meant a self-proportion- ment akin to his artistic love of beauty in the visible world and in the world of spirit. His life should be fair and good, beautifully proportioned, each element cherished at its due worth. He would seek nothing excessively, nor anything excessive (fi-qSkv ayav), he would observe the glorious and beauty-giving prin- ciples of al8o)<Sj shame at all things shameful, reverence for all things to be revered ; thus rightly distinguish- ing between what to fear and what not to fear. So might his life and his life's close be beautified by fame. Intimately connected with the principles guiding Greek conduct were those defining the objects of Greek desire: beauty in all things, broad and lofty knowledge not sought merely as a guide of conduct, but desired as an element of human life. There was har- mony and union between the love of beauty and the love of knowledge. Due proportionment, right rela- tion of part to whole, and of the whole to other things — this was fundamental to the thought of beauty.