Yermah was as good as his word. In the Temple of the Sun, on the following day, he made an eloquent plea for compensation for Ildiko, since Alcamayn had stolen away her senses by drugging the wine she drank in honor of the state. The councilors by vote exculpated her from all blame in Orondo’s death, and allowed her the living usually given the widow of a Grand Servitor. It was a foregone conclusion that they would fix the death penalty on Alcamayn for depriving the Azes of their rightful ruler.
The unit of ancient society was the community or gens; of modern society, the individual. Since the first ten great laws were compiled and graven on tablets of stone, there have been but two forms of civilization. One exemplifies the principles of brotherhood; the other, crystallizes around individualism. Both ideals have had many variations and degrees of success in racial and national expression.
The Egyptians thought their laws were given them by Menes, the Greek Hermes; the Hindus believed that Menes received his laws direct from Krishna.
The Lacedæmonians claimed that Apollyon inspired Lycurgus to write them wise and just laws for their guidance.
Many branches of the Aryan race look to Zoroaster as the man to whom the Good Spirit communicates the first rules of government.
The Toltecs say it was Mexi; the Quiches ascribe it to Votan; while, through the Jews, we claim Moses as the great law-giver.
But from whatever source, the principal rules are the same. In none is property held to be of greater value than human life. The precepts of Christianity do not contradict this teaching, but actual practice is often quite another matter.
The legislation known as labor laws would be difficult to explain were precept and practical Christian civilization the same thing.
The first step inspired by selfishness was to substitute the family for the tribe, making it a corporation sole, so that co-ownership was the original law of property.[[21]]