Other plays of this period show marks of the same great wave of love for Athens. The lost plays _Aigeus_, _Theseus_, _Erechtheus_, all on Attic subjects, can be dated in the first years of the war; the _Hippolytus_ is built on an old legend of the Acropolis and a poetic love of Athens shines through the story. The _Andromache_ especially is a curious document, the meaning of which is discussed later on (p. 112). But the two plays we have described at length, _The Children of Heracles_ and the _Suppliant Women_, give the best idea of what patriotism meant to our poet. With most men patriotism is a matter of association and custom. They stick to their country because it is theirs; to their own habits and prejudices and even neighbours for the same reason. But with Euripides his ideals came before his actual surroundings. He loved Athens because Athens meant certain things, and if the real Athens should cease to mean those things he would cast her out of his heart. At least he would try to do so; in point of fact that is always a very difficult thing to do. But if ever Athens should be false, it was pretty certain that Euripides would find hatred mingling with his betrayed love. There were signs of this even in the _Medea_ and the _Hecuba_. But before dealing with that subject we must dwell for a few moments upon another fine play, which marks in more than one sense the end of a period. The _Heracles_, written about the year 423, shows Theseus in the same rôle of Athenian hero. In the _Suppliant Women_ he had helped Adrastus and the Argive mothers and shown them the path of true Hellenism; in the _Heracles_ he comes to the rescue of Heracles in his fall. That hero has been mad and slain his own children; he has recovered and awakes to find himself bound to a pillar, with dead bodies that he cannot recognize round about him. He rages to be set free. He compels those who know to tell him the whole truth. Frantic with shame and horror, he wishes to curse God and die, when he sees Theseus approaching. Theseus has been his friend in many hard days and Heracles dares not face him nor speak to him. The touch of one so blood-guilty, the sound of his voice, the sight of his face, would bring pollution. He shrouds himself in his mantle and silently waves Theseus away. In a moment his friend's arms are round him, and the shrouding mantle is drawn off. There is no such thing as pollution; no deed of man can stain the immortal sunlight, and a friend's love does not fear the infection of blood. Heracles is touched: he thanks Theseus and is now ready to die. God has tempted him too far, and he will defy God. Theseus reminds him of what he is: the helper of man, the powerful friend of the oppressed; the Heracles who dared all and endured all; and now, like a common, weak-hearted man, he speaks of suicide! "Hellas will not suffer you to die in your blindness!" (1254). The great adventurer is softened