| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Agesilaus by Xenophon: independence of the Hellenic cities in Asia. And Agesilaus took a
counter oath: without fraud or covin to observe the armistice during
the three months[7] necessary to that transaction. But the compact was
scarcely made when Tissaphernes gave the lie to the solemn undertaking
he had sworn to. So far from effecting peace, he begged the King to
send him a large armament in addition to that which he already had. As
to Agesilaus, though he was well aware of these proceedings, he
adhered loyally to the armistice.
[7] See Grote, "H. G." x. 359; "Hell." III. iv. 5.
And for myself, I look upon this as the first glorious achievement of
the Spartan. By displaying the perjury of Tissaphernes he robbed him
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The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from Statesman by Plato: sequel of the tale is; after the return of age to youth, follows the return
of the dead, who are lying in the earth, to life; simultaneously with the
reversal of the world the wheel of their generation has been turned back,
and they are put together and rise and live in the opposite order, unless
God has carried any of them away to some other lot. According to this
tradition they of necessity sprang from the earth and have the name of
earth-born, and so the above legend clings to them.
YOUNG SOCRATES: Certainly that is quite consistent with what has preceded;
but tell me, was the life which you said existed in the reign of Cronos in
that cycle of the world, or in this? For the change in the course of the
stars and the sun must have occurred in both.
 Statesman |