Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 5.djvu/744

 728 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

a later period to explain the origin of Rome and of the other cities of Italy.

The rise of Athens furnishes one of the best instances of the influence of environmental conditions upon urban growth. The city is situated in the center of a plain surrounded by mountains on all sides except to the south, where it approaches the sea. This protected position offered a resting place for the more advanced clans and tribes, especially those who were prepared for the settled pursuits of agriculture. The introduc- tion of the olive, which requires great care and attention, served to strengthen the attachment to the soil and thus assure a rela- tively stable population.

In the immediate vicinity of Athens, furthermore, the great- est variety of soil and climate was to be found.' Within a com- paratively short radius of the Acropolis the grape, the olive, and the staple agricultural products were raised with comparatively little difficulty. Mineral resources of considerable importance were within easy reach, clay pottery offered employment to a large number, while close proximity to the sea opened the sea- faring careers to the population. Another important element in the situation of Athens was the abundance of water due to the proximity of the mountain ranges. The early deification of these springs and the important position ascribed to the water nymphs, such as Agrauleon, Nysa, and Krene, are indications of an early appreciation of the necessity of husbanding these resources with the greatest care. The fact that the early settlement of the native tribes was not made immediately on the seacoast is not surprising when we bear in mind the constant exposure to inroads of marauding pirates which such situation involves. In ancient times the seacoast was the haunt of robber bands rather than a place for permanent settlement.

With the combination of physical and economic conditions described above, the rapid growth of Athens is readily explained. In fact, the country districts of Greece never developed a dis- tinctive life of their own. Citizenship itself meant membership in the body corporate of some one of the "city-states." Not

■ Cf. CURTIUS, Stadtgeschichte -von Aiken, Berlin, 1891.