Page:The Ancient City- A Study on the Religion, Laws, and Institutions of Greece and Rome.djvu/279

 CHAP. XV, RELATIONS BETWEEN" THE CITIES. 273 tive of destroying a subdued city and occupying its territory, or of leaving it entirely independent. Tiiere was no middle course. Either the city ceased to exist, or it was a sovereign state. So long as it retained its Avorship, it retained its government; it lost the one only by losing the other; and then it existed no longer. This absolute independence of the ancient city could only cease when the belief on which it was founded had completely disajipeared. After these ideas had been transformed and several revolutions had passed over these antique societies, then men might come to have an idea of, and to establish, a larger state, gov- erned by other rules. But for this it was necessary that men should discover other principles and other social bonds than those of the ancient ages. CHAPTER XV. Helations between the Cities. "War. Peace. The Alli- ance of the Gods. This religion, which exercised so powerful an empire over the interior life of the city, intervened with the same authority in ajl the relations between cities. We may see this by observing how men of those ancient ages carried on war, how they concluded peace, and how they formed alliances. Two cities were two religious associations which had not the same gods. When they were at war it was not the men alone who fought — the gods also took part in the struggle. Let no one suppose that this was simply a poetical fiction. There was among the an- 18