Page:Christian Greece and Living Greek.djvu/50

 2 8 CHRISTIAN GREECE AND LIVING GREEK. charest, everywhere numerous Greek schools were established and the old classical and new books were printed. All this kept up a most powerful enthusiasm for the old classical Greek everywhere. The old classics were studied with great zeal. The Greeks inspired themselves by thoughts of the glory of Athens and Sparta. They felt it an insult to be called Pu)ij.at6<s instead of "Ellr^^j. Vessels destined to form in some future time the national navy were given patriotic names like Athena, Themistocles, Epaminondas. A strong old Greek love for liberty and independence de- veloped in these generations. During a period of almost four centuries it kept the hearts of all Greeks inflamed, and culminated in deeds of heroism in the gigantic war for independence. It could not be otherwise but that this united people, although united under Turkish bondage, should want one common language. One party, in boundless love for all that pertained to old Hellas, desired the language in which the his- tory of the deeds of the old heroism, of the old love for liberty was transmitted; another party thought that such language was an impossibility, and wanted a modern language free from archaism as the best organ to educate and en-