placards, inscriptions of laws, occasional epistles, commercial
documents, etc., is probably, for many Athenians, reading enough.
The great poets he will learn by ear rather than by eye; and he
may go through a long and respected life and never be compelled to
read a really sizable volume from end to end. So the teaching of
reading is along very simple lines. It is perhaps simultaneous
with the learning of writing. The twenty-four letters are learned
by sheer power of memory; then the master sets lines upon the
tablets to be copied. As soon as possible the boy is put to learning
and writing down passages from the great poets. Progress in mere
literacy is very rapid. There is no waste of time on history,
geography, or physical science; and between the concentration on a
singly main subject and the impetus given by the master's rod the
Athenian schoolboy soon becomes adept with his letters. Possibly
a little arithmetic is taught him, but only a little. In later life,
if he does not become a trader or banker, he will not be ashamed
to reckon simple sums upon his fingers or by means of pebbles;
although if his father is ambitious to have him become a philosopher,
he may have him taught something of geometry.

Once more we see the total absence of "vocational studies" in this
Athenian education. The whole effort is to develop a fair, noble,
free, and lofty character, not to earn a living. To set a boy
to study with an eye to learning some profitable trade is counted
illiberal to the last degree. It is for this reason that practical
arithmetic is discouraged, yet a little knowledge of the art
of outline drawing is allowed; for though no gentleman intends to
train his son to be a great artist, the study will enable him to
appreciate good sculpture and painting. Above all the schoolmaster,
who, despite his brutal austerity, ought to be a clear-sighted