P. 35.—“Academe,” aˈca-deˌme. Originally the name of a public pleasure ground situate in the Ceramicus, said to have belonged in the time of the Trojan war to Academus, a local hero. In the fifth century B. C. this land belonged to Cimon, who on his death gave it to the citizens as a public pleasure ground. Here Socrates talked, and Plato taught his philosophy until his school was named the Academic, and the Platonists the Academists. A school started by one of these philosophers was called an Academy.
“Hymettus,” hy-metˈtus. A mountain about three miles south of Athens famous for its honey and its marble.
P. 36.—“Ilissus,” i-lisˈsus. A river of Attica rising on Mount Hymettus, flowing through the eastern part of the city, and disappearing in the marshy plains outside.
“Lyceum.” The principal gymnasium of Athens. It received the name Lyceum from its nearness to the temple of Apollo Lyceios, or Apollo the wolf slayer. Here Aristotle (to whom reference is made in the preceding line of the verse) taught his philosophy. See p. 64 of “Brief History of Greece.”
“Stoa.” The stoa, or portico, was a place enclosed by a colonnade or arcade, and used for walking in. There were several in Athens. The Encyclopædia Britannica says: “It is probable that some of the porticoes in the Agora were built by Cimon; at all events the most beautiful one among them was reared by Pisianax, his brother-in-law, and the paintings with which Polygnotus, his sister’s lover, adorned it (representing scenes from the military history of Athens, legendary and historical), made it ever famous as the ‘painted portico.’”
“Melesigenes,” melˌe-sigˈe-nes. Meles-born. A name sometimes given to Homer. One of the traditions of his birthplace is that he was born on the banks of the Meles, in Ionia.
“Phœbus.” The bright or pure. An epithet given to Apollo (see “History of Greece,” p. 72) by Homer. When Apollo became connected with the sun this name was given to him as the sun-god.
P. 38.—“Memorabilia,” mĕmˌo-ra-bĭlˈi-a. Things to be remembered.
P. 39.—“Planudes.” A Byzantine monk of the fourteenth century. He was the editor of the Greek Anthology, the author of works on theology and natural history, as well as the collector of the fables mentioned here, and the author of Æsop’s biography.
P. 40.—“Pessimism,” pesˈsi-mism. The doctrine of those who believe everything to be at the worst.