Professor Seymour's Lecture on "Life in Homeric Times."

Professor T. D. Seymour, Professor of Greek at Yale University, delivered a very interesting lecture last night, under the auspices of the Harvard Classical Club, upon "Life in Homeric Times." Professor Seymour was introduced by the president of the club, Professor J. H. Wright, who announced, at the same time, a lecture by Professor Hale, of Cornell, for the 23rd of April.

Professor Seymour began his lecture with an account of the Homeric idea of the heavenly bodies, as the sun, moon, and stars; of their navigation, and of their political life. The ideas of the Greeks of Homer's time, regarding the gods was, in one way, a reflection of their own social life. Their gods were not highly idealized, nor were they free from mortal passons and weaknesses. They feasted, hunted, and made long voyages after the custom of people on the earth.

Their ideas, also, concerning Hades and the after life, are very different from those in later times. The existance of the dead was a neutral state, neither very blessed nor unhappy; nor do they seem to meet any punishment for "deeds done in the body." Oracles were scarce, only two being mentioned in all of Homer.

The government of the people was not at all intricate, consisting of a king, who was more a "father of the people" than an oppressor, a number of minor princes, and a council of the elders. The king interfered very little in the affairs of the people, but rather took the part of a champion of the weak against the strong.

The position of women in the noble families was rather more "accidental" than it was like that of the women of Attic and Spartan times. They spent most of their time in weaving, spinning and other household work.

On turning to the structure of Homeric houses, we are surprised to find them very simple, and even rade in their construction. This is due, for the most part, to the fact that these houses were merely places of shelter from rain and storm. since so much of the time was spent out of doors. The great hall, in the centre of the house was used as the dining room. As there were no chimneys, the roof was smoky and black. The chairs, which were very massive and heavy, were arranged around the walls of the room, and the table was set before them. Their bill of fare was also very simple, consisting mostly of cheese, bread, meat and wine. They were hearty eaters, but through the restraint of their out-door life and exercise they seldom drank to excess.

Their temperate life admirably fitted them for their mode of warfare-the hand to hand fight. Their battles were won, not by strategic movement, but by their individual efforts. Their armor was two curved pieces of bronze for the chest and back and greayes for the legs, and the chariots which they used were light and very low.

Naturally, after their warfare, we should be interested in the funerals of great heroes, which were very imposing and extensive. After burning the bodies on large funeral pyres covered with offerings of all sorts, the ashes were collected in a golden urn for preservation. Then followed athletic contests of all sorts, with which the ceremonies closed.