. Whatever affected these chief
centres of Roman activity, necessarily influenced her; but, such is the
fate of the conquered, she must await their decisions. In the very
institutions by which she had once been glorified, success could only be
attained by a conformity to the manner of thinking fashionable in the
imperial metropolis, and the best that could be done was to seek
distinction in the path so marked out. Yet even with all this restraint
Alexandria asserted her intellectual power, leaving an indelible impress
on the new theology of her conquerors. During three centuries the
intellectual atmosphere of the Roman empire had been changing. Men were
unable to resist the steadily increasing pressure. Tranquillity could
only be secured by passiveness. Things had come to such a state that the
thinking of men was to be done for them by others, or, if they thought
at all, it must be in accordance with a prescribed formula or rule.
Greek intellect was passing into decrepitude, and the moral condition of
the European world was in antagonism to scientific progress.

CHAPTER VII.

THE GREEK AGE OF INTELLECTUAL DECREPITUDE.

THE DEATH OF GREEK PHILOSOPHY.

_Decline of Greek Philosophy: it becomes Retrospective, and in
Philo the Jew and Apollonius of Tyana leans on Inspiration,
Mysticism, Miracles._

NEO-PLATONISM _founded by Ammonius Saccas, followed by
Plotinus, Porphyry, Iamblicus, Proclus.--The Alexandrian
Trinity.--Ecstasy.--Alliance with Magic, Necromancy._

_The Emperor Justinian closes the philosophical Schools._

_Summary of Greek Philosophy.--Its four Problems: 1. Origin of
the World; 2. Nature of the Soul; 3. Existence of God; 4.
Criterion of Truth.--Solution of these Problems in the Age of
Inquiry--in that of Faith--in that of Reason--in that of
Decrepitude._

_Determination of the Law of Variation of Greek Opinion.--The
Development of National Intellect is the same as that of
Individual._

_Determination of the final Conclusions of Greek Philosophy as
to God, the World, the Soul, the Criterion of
Truth.--Illustrations and Criticisms on each of these Points._

[Sidenote: Decline of Greek philosophy.]

In this chapter it is a melancholy picture that I have to present--the
old age and death of Greek philosophy. The strong man of Aristotelism
and Stoicism is sinking into the superannuated dotard; he is settl