Page:Outlines of European History.djvu/170

 CI 130 Outlines of European History a government grows up slowly out of the old wandering life on the gi-asslands, when we recall that the transition had to be made without writing. There arose in some communities a " rememberer," whose duty it was to notice carefully the terms of a contract, the amount of a loan, or the conditions of a treacy with a neighboring people, that he might remember these and innumerable other things, which in a more civilized society are recorded in writing. Rise of the In course of time the 2:roup of villages forming the nucleus c;ity-state r •, or o & ot a tribe grew and merged at last into a city. This is the most important process in Greek political development ; for the organized city became the only nation which the Greeks knew. Each city-state was a sovereign power ; each had its own laws, its own army and gods, and each citizen felt a patriotic duty toward his own city and no other. Overlooking the city from the heights in its midst is the king's castle (Fig. 67), which we call the "citadel," or "acropolis," and around the houses and the market below extends the city wall. The king has now become a revered and powerful ruler of the city, and guardian of the worship of the city gods. King and Council sit all day in the market and adjust the business and the disputes between the people. These continuous sessions for the first time create a state and an uninterrupted government. To be sure it is crude, corrupt, and often unjust. Rise of the By fraud, oppression, unjust seizure of lands, union of fami- ''eupatrids" ^i^s in marriage, and many other influences, the strong man of ability and cleverness was able to enlarge his lands. Thus there arose a class of large landholders and men of wealth. Their fields stretched for some miles around the city and its neighbor- ing villages. In order to be near the king or secure member- ship in the Council and control the government, these men often left their lands and lived in the city. After a time they formed a class of hereditary nobles called " eupatrids." Such was the power of the eupatrids that the Council finally consisted only of men of this class. Wealthy enough to buy costly weapons, with