Schools of Hellas An Essay on the Practice and Theory of Ancient Greek Education from 600 to 300 B. C. — A Closer Reading

Swimming as a Common Accomplishment

The excerpts reveal a sustained interest in swimming as a practical skill in maritime Greek states. Freeman cites multiple ancient sources: a law at Athens that every boy be taught reading, writing, and swimming; the proverb for an utter dunce as 'he knows neither his letters nor how to swim'; Herodotos' implication that all Hellenes could swim, contrasting with barbarians at Salamis; and the escape of crews by swimming during the Peloponnesian War. He notes that Plato twice uses a metaphor drawn from swimming on his back, and that Sokrates intervenes in a debate to give a boy a rest, 'since he saw that he was getting a severe ducking.' The evidence is drawn from Herodotos, Athenaeus, and Plato, among others, and Freeman concludes that swimming must have been taught to most boys likely to serve in a fleet.

Rowing and Naval Training

Freeman argues that in maritime states a large proportion of boys, especially from lower classes, were taught to row, since each trireme required a crew of 200. He cites Aristophanes' Wasps for the idea that in 'the good old days' the main object was to be a good oar, and that rowing-blisters were a sign of patriotism. He notes that in an emergency, Athenians could make the whole citizen force under a certain age embark and win a victory, implying widespread rowing knowledge. Even the Hippeis (cavalry) embarked on occasion, with Aristophanes jesting that horses tried to row. Boat-races are attested: a client of Lusias claims to have won a race with a trireme off Cape Sounion, and two crews of epheboi raced in sacred triremes. The excerpt also mentions a fragment of Plato the comic poet referring to 'galleons race.'

Cavalry Processions and Recruiting

A brief but specific passage discusses cavalry processions as a means of recruiting. Freeman writes that 'this and kindred processions must have made recruiting for the cavalry easy.' The context is a description of a riding-school, illustrated by a kylix by Euphronios. The excerpt does not elaborate on the processions' details, but the observation links visual spectacle to military recruitment. This section exemplifies Freeman's method of drawing inferences from scattered ancient references, though the brevity of the excerpt leaves the full argument unclear.

Freeman's work is best approached as a reference collection of ancient evidence on Greek education, organized by topic and supported by direct citations. Readers should note that the author died before completing the dissertation, so some sections may be less developed. The preface suggests that Freeman intended practical applications, but the excerpts focus on historical reconstruction. The book's value lies in its compilation of sources rather than in overarching argument.

The rain slipped down the window as I turned the last page of Schools of Hellas, its careful notes on discipline and youthful exertion lingering. That quiet rigor reminded me, unexpectedly, of another kind of schooling—not Athenian gymnasia, but a founding father’s formative years. By evening, I had drifted into The Student's Life of Washington; Condensed from the Larger Work of Washington Irving For Young Persons and for the Use of Schools — Reading Notes, and found a similar earnestness, worn comfortably by time.