Sexual life in ancient Greece : with thirty-two full-page plates

INTRODUCTION

man who acts in such a way is ignorant of the character and needs of human nature. Hence it was a very intelligent act on the part of the Persians to reward those who had invented any new kind of pleasure. Indeed, that was the only reason why the Persians had deprived the Medes of their empire, that, as their power was enlarged and _ their prosperity increased, they might also be able to widen the scope of their sensual pleasures.

Although these views of Polyarchus are certainly exaggerated, yet it must be admitted that they contain a kernel of truth, as is clear from these introductory remarks. In any case the reader will now have learnt enough of the Greek gospel of Hedone (sensual pleasure) to be able to consider in the following chapters the most important manifestations of Greek culture from this point of view. He will then make the acquaintance of a people which, certainly like no other, made sensuality the basis of life, but which knew also how to combine this sensuality with higher ethics and thereby created a culture of life which mankind will admire until the end of all time.