alexandria and her schools-第3节

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the　freedom　and　national　life　of　half　the　world。



LECTURE　ITHE　PTOLEMAIC　ERA



Before　I　begin　to　lecture　upon　the　Physical　and　Metaphysical　schools　of　Alexandria；　it　may　be　better；　perhaps；　to　define　the　meaning　of　these　two　epithets。　　Physical；　we　shall　all　agree；　means　that　which　belongs　to　＇Greek　text：　　phusis＇；　natura；　nature；　that　which　＇Greek　text：　phuetai＇；　nascitur；　grows；　by　an　organic　life；　and　therefore　decays　again；　which　has　a　beginning；　and　therefore；　I　presume；　an　end。　　And　Metaphysical　means　that　which　we　learn　to　think　of　after　we　think　of　nature；　that　which　is　supernatural；　in　fact；　having　neither　beginning　nor　end；　imperishable；　immovable；　and　eternal；　which　does　not　become；　but　always　is。　　These；　at　least；　are　the　wisest　definitions　of　these　two　terms　for　us　just　now；　for　they　are　those　which　were　received　by　the　whole　Alexandrian　school；　even　by　those　commentators　who　say　that　Aristotle；　the　inventor　of　the　term　Metaphysics；　named　his　treatise　so　only　on　account　of　its　following　in　philosophic　sequence　his　book　on　Physics。

But；　according　to　these　definitions；　the　whole　history　of　Alexandria　might　be　to　us；　from　one　point　of　view；　a　physical　school；　for　Alexandria；　its　society　and　its　philosophy；　were　born；　and　grew；　and　fed；　and　reached　their　vigour；　and　had　their　old　age；　their　death；　even　as　a　plant　or　an　animal　has；　and　after　they　were　dead　and　dissolved；　the　atoms　of　them　formed　food　for　new　creations；　entered　into　new　organisations；　just　as　the　atoms　of　a　dead　plant　or　animal　might　do。　Was　Alexandria　then；　from　beginning　to　end；　merely　a　natural　and　physical　phenomenon？

It　may　have　been。　　And　yet　we　cannot　deny　that　Alexandria　was　also　a　metaphysical　phenomenon；　vast　and　deep　enough；　seeing　that　it　held　for　some　eighteen　hundred　years　a　population　of　several　hundred　thousand　souls；　each　of　whom；　at　least　according　to　the　Alexandrian　philosophy；　stood　in　a　very　intimate　relation　to　those　metaphysic　things　which　are　imperishable　and　immovable　and　eternal；　and　indeed；　contained　them　more　or　less；　each　man；　woman；　and　child　of　them　in　themselves；　having　wills；　reasons；　consciences；　affections；　relations　to　each　other；　being　parents；　children；　helpmates；　bound　together　by　laws　concerning　right　and　wrong；　and　numberless　other　unseen　and　spiritual　relations。

Surely　such　a　body　was　not　merely　natural；　any　more　than　any　other　nation；　society；　or　scientific　school；　made　up　of　men　and　of　the　spirits；　thoughts；　affections　of　men。　　It；　like　them；　was　surely　spiritual；　and　could　be　only　living　and　healthy；　in　as　far　as　it　was　in　harmony　with　certain　spiritual；　unseen；　and　everlasting　laws　of　God；　perhaps；　as　certain　Alexandrian　philosophers　would　have　held；　in　as　far　as　it　was　a　pattern　of　that　ideal　constitution　and　polity　after　which　man　was　created；　the　city　of　God　which　is　eternal　in　the　Heavens。　　If　so；　may　we　not　suspect　of　this　Alexandria　that　it　was　its　own　fault　if　it　became　a　merely　physical　phenomenon；　and　that　it　stooped　to　become　a　part　of　nature；　and　took　its　place　among　the　things　which　are　born　to　die；　only　by　breaking　the　law　which　God　had　appointed　for　it；　so　fulfilling；　in　its　own　case；　St。　Paul's　great　words；　that　death　entered　into　the　world　by　sin；　and　that　sin　is　the　transgression　of　the　law？

Be　that　as　it　may；　there　must　have　been　metaphysic　enough　to　be　learnt　in　that；　or　any　city　of　three　hundred　thousand　inhabitants；　even　though　it　had　never　contained　lecture…room　or　philosopher's　chair；　and　had　never　heard　the　names　of　Aristotle　and　Plato。　　Metaphysic　enough；　indeed；　to　be　learnt　there；　could　we　but　enter　into　the　heart　of　even　the　most　brutish　negro　slave　who　ever　was　brought　down　the　Nile　out　of　the　desert　by　Nubian　merchants；　to　build　piers　and　docks　in　whose　commerce　he　did　not　share；　temples　whose　worship　he　did　not　comprehend；　libraries　and　theatres　whose　learning　and　civilisation　were　to　him　as　much　a　sealed　book　as　they　were　to　his　countryman；　and　fellow…slave；　and　only　friend；　the　ape。　　There　was　metaphysic　enough　in　him　truly；　and　things　eternal　and　immutable；　though　his　dark…skinned　descendants　were　three　hundred　years　in　discovering　the　fact；　and　in　proving　it　satisfactorily　to　all　mankind　for　ever。　　You　must　pardon　me　if　I　seem　obscure；　I　cannot　help　looking　at　the　question　with　a　somewhat　Alexandrian　eye；　and　talking　of　the　poor　negro　dock…worker　as　certain　Alexandrian　philosophers　would　have　talked；　of　whom　I　shall　have　to　speak　hereafter。

I　should　have　been　glad；　therefore；　had　time　permitted　me；　instead　of　confining　myself　strictly　to　what　are　now　called　〃the　physic　and　metaphysic　schools〃　of　Alexandria；　to　have　tried　as　well　as　I　could　to　make　you　understand　how　the　whole　vast　phenomenon　grew　up；　and　supported　a　peculiar　life　of　its　own；　for　fifteen　hundred　years　and　more；　and　was　felt　to　be　the　third；　perhaps　the　second　city　of　the　known　world；　and　one　so　important　to　the　great　world…tyrant；　the　Caesar　of　Rome；　that　no　Roman　of　distinction　was　ever　sent　there　as　prefect；　but　the　Alexandrian　national　vanity　and　pride　of　race　was　allowed　to　the　last　to　pet　itself　by　having　its　tyrant　chosen　from　its　own　people。

But；　though　this　cannot　be；　we　may　find　human　elements　enough　in　the　schools　of　Alexandria；　strictly　so　called；　to　interest　us　for　a　few　evenings；　for　these　schools　were　schools　of　men；　what　was　discovered　and　taught　was　discovered　and　taught　by　men；　and　not　by　thinking…machines；　and　whether　they　would　have　been　inclined　to　confess　it　or　not；　their　own　personal　characters；　likes　and　dislikes；　hopes　and　fears；　strength　and　weakness；　beliefs　and　disbeliefs；　determined　their　metaphysics　and　their　physics　for　them；　quite　enough　to　enable　us　to　feel　for　them　as　men　of　like　passions　with　ourselves；　and　for　that　reason　only；　men　whose　thoughts　and　speculations　are　worthy　of　a　moment's　attention　from　us。　For　what　is　really　interesting　to　man；　save　men；　and　God；　the　Father　of　men？

In　the　year　331　B。C。　one　of　the　greatest　intellects　whose　influence　the　world　has　ever　felt；　saw；　with　his　eagle　glance；　the　unrivalled　advantage　of　the　spot　which　is　now　Alexandria；　and　conceived　the　mighty　project　of　making　it　the　point　of　union　of　two；　or　rather　of　three　worlds。　　In　a　new　city；　named　after　himself；　Europe；　Asia；　and　Africa　were　to　meet　and　to　hold　communion。　　A　glance　at　the　map　will　show　you　what　an　＇Greek　text：　　omphalosgees＇；　a　centre　of　the　world；　this　Alexandria　is；　and　perhaps　arouse　in　your　minds；　as　it　has　often　done　in　mine；　the　suspicion　that　it　has　not　yet　fulfilled　its　whole　destiny；　but　may　become　at　any　time　a　prize　for　contending　nations；　or　the　centre　of　some　world…wide　empire　to　come。　　Communicating　with　Europe　and　the　Levant　by　the　Mediterranean；　with　India　by　the　Red　Sea；　certain　of　boundless　supplies　of　food　from　the　desert…guarded　valley　of　the　Nile；　to　which　it　formed　the　only　key；　thus　keeping　all　Egypt；　as　it　were；　for　its　own　private　farm；　it　was　weak　only　on　one　side；　that　of　Judea。　　That　small　strip　of　fertile　mountain　land；　containing　innumerable　military　positions　from　which　an　enemy　might　annoy　Egypt；　being；　in　fact；　one　natural　chain　of　fortresses；　was　the　key　to　Phoenicia　and　Syria。　　It　was　an　eagle's　eyrie　by　the　side　of　a　pen　of　fowls。　　It　must　not　be　left　defenceless　for　a　single　year。　　Tyre　and　Gaza　had　been　taken；　so　no　danger　was　to　be　apprehended　from　the　seaboard：　　but　to　subdue　the　Judean　mountaineers；　a　race　whose　past　sufferings　had　hardened　them　in　a　dogged　fanaticism　of　courage　and　endurance；　would　be　a　long　and　sanguinary　task。　　It　was　better　to　make　terms　with　them；　to　employ　them　as　friendly　warders　of　their　own　mountain　walls。　　Their　very　fanaticism　and　isolation　made　them　sure　allies。　　There　was　no　fear　of　their　fraternising　with　the　Eastern　invaders。　　If　the　country　was　left　in　their　hands；　they　would　hold　it　against　all　comers。　　Terms　were　made　with　them；　and　for　several　centuries　they　fulfilled　their　trust。

This　I　apprehend　to　be　the　explanation　of　that　conciliatory　policy　of　Alexander's　toward　the　Jews；　which　was　pursued　steadily　by　the　Ptolemies；　by　Pompey；　and　by　the　Romans；　as　long　as　these　same　Jews　continued　to　be　endurable　upon　the　face　of　the　land。　　At　least；　we　shall　find　the　history　of　Alexandria　and　that　of　Judea　inextricably　united　for　more　than　three　hundred　years。

So　arose；　at　the　command　of　the　great　conqueror；　a　mighty　city；　around　those　two　harbours；　of　which　the　western　one　only　is　now　in　use。　　The　Pharos　was　then　an　island。　　It　was　connected　with　the　mainland　by　a　great　mole；　furnished　with　forts　and　drawbridges。　　On　the　ruins　of　that　mole　now　stands　the　greater　part　of　the　modern　city；　the　vast　site　of　the　ancient　one　is　a　wilderness。

But　Alexander　was　not　destined　to　carry　out　his　own　magnificent　project。　That　was　left　for　the　general　whom　he　most　esteemed；　and　to　whose　personal　prowess　he　had　once　owed　his　life；　a　man　than　whom　history　knows　few　greater；　Ptolemy；　the　son　of　Lagus。　　He　was　an　adventurer；　the　son　of　an　adventurer；　his　mother　a　cast…off　concubine　of　Philip　of　Macedon。　　There　were　those　who　said　that　he　was　in　reality　a　son　of　Philip　himself。　　However；　he　rose　at　court；　became　a　private　friend　of　young　Alexander；　and　at　last　his　Somatophylax；　some　sort　of　Colone