of
individual life under benevolent institutions of government.

So the Greek government, the democracy with all of its great promises
and glorious prospects, declined certainly from the height which was
great in contrast to the Oriental despotisms. It declined at a time
when, as we look back from the present, it ought apparently to have
gone on to the completion of the modern representative government.
Probably, had the Greeks adopted the representative principle and
enlarged their citizenship, their government would have been more
lasting. It is quite evident, also, that had they adopted the
principle of federation and, instead of allowing the operation of
government to cease when one small state had been perfected, united
{245} these small states into a great nation throbbing with patriotism
for the entire country, Greece might have withstood the warlike shocks
of foreign nations. But, thus unprepared alike to resist internal
dissension and foreign oppression, the Greek states, notwithstanding
all of their valuable contributions to government and society, were
forced to yield their position of establishing a permanent government
for the people.

Some attempts were made to unify and organize Greek national life, not
entirely without good results. The first instance of this arose out of
temple worship, where members of different states met about a common
shrine erected to a special deity. This led to temporary organization
and mutual aid. Important among these centres was the shrine of Apollo
at Delphi. This assemblage was governed by a council of general
representation. Important customs were established, such as the
keeping of roads in repair which led to the shrine, and providing that
pilgrims should have safe conduct and be free from tolls and taxes on
their way to and from the shrine. The members of the league were sworn
not to destroy a city member or to cut off running water from the city.
This latter rule was the foundation of the law of riparian rights--one
of the oldest and most continuous in Western civilization. The
inspiration for the great national Olympic Games came from these early
assemblages about shrines.[2]

Also the Aetolian and Achaean leagues, which occurred in the later
development of Greece, after the Macedonian conquest, were serious
attempts for federal unity. Although they were meritorious and
partially successful, they came too late to make a unified nation of
Greece. In fo