IdonotmeantosaythattheAtheniansdidnotengageinbusiness。Theircitywasacommercialcity，andtheirshipscoveredtheMediterranean。TheyhadagenciesandfactoriesatMarseilles，ontheremotecoastsofSpain，andalongtheshoresoftheBlackSea。Theywereinmanyrespectsthegreatestcommercialpeopleofantiquity，anddoubtlessknew，aswellasotherpeople，thekeendelightsofacquisition。Butmypointis，thatwiththemtheacquiringofpropertyhadnotbecomethechieforonlyendoflife。Productionwascarriedonalmostentirelybyslave-labour；interchangeofcommoditieswasthebusinessofthemasters，andcommercewasinthosedayssimple。Banks，insurancecompanies，brokers’boards，——allthesecomplexinstrumentsofMammonwereasyetunthoughtof。TherewasnoWallStreetinancientAthens；therewerenogreatfailures，nocommercialpanics，noover-issuesofstock。Commerce，inshort，wasaquitesubordinatematter，andtheartofmoney-makingwasinitsinfancy。
Thetwenty-fivethousandAthenianfreementhusenjoyed，onthewhole，moreundisturbedleisure，morefreedomfrompettyharassingcares，thananyothercommunityknowntohistory。
Nowhereelsecanwefind，oncarefulstudy，solittleofthehurryandanxietywhichdestroystheeventenourofmodernlife，——nowhereelsesofewofthecircumstanceswhichtendtomakemeninsane，inebriate，orphthisical，orprematurelyold。
Thisbeinggranted，itremainsonlytostateandillustratetheobversefact。ItisnotonlytruethatAthenshasproducedandeducatedarelativelylargernumberofmenofthehighestcalibreandmostcompleteculturethananyothercommunityoflikedimensionswhichhaseverexisted；butitisalsotruethattherehasbeennoothercommunity，ofwhichthemembershave，asageneralrule，beensohighlycultivated，orhaveattainedindividuallysuchcompletenessoflife。InproofofthefirstassertionitwillbeenoughtomentionsuchnamesasthoseofSolon，Themistokles，Perikles，andDemosthenes；IsokratesandLysias；AristophanesandMenander；Aischylos，Sophokles，andEuripides；PheidiasandPraxiteles；SokratesandPlato；
ThukydidesandXenophon:rememberingthatthesemen，distinguishedforsuchdifferentkindsofachievement，butlikeeachotherinconsummatenessofculture，wereallproducedwithinonetowninthecourseofthreecenturies。Atnoothertimeandplaceinhumanhistoryhastherebeenevenanapproachtosuchafactasthis。