ious procession of brave men and fair women. The images
of the gods to be placed in the temples called forth the artist's
highest skill; even when the rude old god was retained, a fine work
of art could also find place. It is the ideal gods of poetry that are
coming to be worshipped; the conception of the poet is expressed in
marble. Sculpture, however, came to its highest point in Greece
somewhat later than architecture. And offerings were made to the
temples of just such rare and costly things as men loved then and
love still to store up in their houses,--bowls and cups wrought
curiously in precious metals, statues and tapestries and all kinds of
treasure.

Festivals and Games.--The temple for which so much was done, formed
the centre of the city where it stood. In it the town deposited its
treasure and its documents; there oaths and agreements were ratified.
There also at certain times, such as the annual festival of the god
or the anniversary of some happy event in the history of the
town,--and as time went on such occasions tended to multiply,--the
town kept holiday. Women escaped from their monotonous confinement
and joined the procession to the holy place, perhaps carrying a new
dress for the deity. A sacrifice was offered, the god received his
share of the victim or victims, and the worshippers feasted on what
remained. But before this part of the proceedings arrived there was a
pause, which was filled up with various exercises all connected with
the act of worship, but tending also in a high degree to the delight
of those taking part in it. Dancing formed a part of every rite,
accompanied of course with music, and consisting not of a careless
exercise of the limbs, but of a measured and carefully trained set of
movements expressive of the emotions connected with the occasion.
This part of the religious act is obviously capable of great
expansion. We find the art of poetry also making its contributions to
religious art; poems are recited bearing on the history of the god.
The sacrifice is followed by contests of various kinds; the singers
compete for a prize, and athletic sports also take place, the
competitors for which have long been in training for them. The
winners are crowned with a wreath or branch of the plant sacred to
the god. The games of Greece, which thus arose out of acts of
worship, and some of which became so famous and attracted competitors
from every Greek-speaking land, are a notable sign of t