no humbug, the world as it is. It must, therefore, be
cynical and ruthless to all conventions. It shows the meanness of
greatness, the other side of virtue, the weakness of heroes. No doubt it
is great fun to pour scorn and ridicule on all who assume to be better
than we are, and to look down on us. The easiest way to do it is to show
up their weaknesses, follies, and sins. Here is another task for the
satirists. Satire in comedy may be a gratification of envy. The role of
Pierrot is dangerous to him who exercises it. In fact no man is fit for
it. Where does any one get a charter to be censor of all the rest? He
will certainly become proud, arrogant, self-seeking, and tyrannical.
Each one satirizes follies which are not to his taste, or sins to which
he is not tempted. Satire to be artistic and permanently effective must
be marked by light and shade. It always exaggerates what it wants to
impress on the attention, but to do this artistically it must subdue
other elements. This is very difficult to accomplish when for popular
effect it must use big brushes and glaring colors.

+628. Popular exhibitions.+ From the time of Homer we can trace popular
exhibitions which accompanied the theatrical forms above described as an
inferior class of the same species. The popular exhibitions were marked
by the features which have been described (sec. 626), to which we may
add bloodshed and cruel rites.

+629. Ancient popular festivals.+ The _thargelia_ were ancient
sanguinary festivals celebrated in Greece in honor of Apollo and Diana.
Two men, or a man and a woman, were immolated in Attica, to expiate the
sins of the people. "The circular dances of the Greeks around the
victims, or later around the altar, can only be compared with the songs
and furious dances of the Iroquois and Brazilians around their
prisoners."[2026] At Athens also the _kronia_ were festivals of Saturn.
The notion that there was a period of original liberty and equality "at
the beginning" was entertained at that time, and this festival was held
to represent it. Also on Crete there were festivals of Mercury. In
Thessaly the _peloria_ were a festival, the name of which was derived
from Pelor, the man that brought news that an earthquake had drained the
valley of Tempe. The _sacea_ were a festival at Babylon similar to the
_saturnalia_. A slave in each house, including the palace of the king,
ruled as a house sovereign for five days. The leading idea was to
reverse