At twenty-five the youth was considered a man and he took his place as a citizen of the state and he continued in service till his fiftieth year. Girls received no education other than that of domestic training, such as was needed in the care of the home, the rearing of the little children, and the other duties that would come to the women. Women held a higher place in the family than was granted to them, for the most part, in other oriental countries. There was no educational system in Persia. There was no real method of instruction. Perhaps no other nation gave more care to the moral and physical training of the young than did ancient Persia, yet this was to the almost entire neglect of intellectual training. The moral training came through the mingling of the young with their elders and the military training through imitation of the men at the various courts. "We know, however, from Strabo and the general evidence of antiquity that the boys of the higher classes were brought up together under men of gravity and reputation at the court of the great king, and also at the lesser courts of the great nobles and provincial governors."[142] Persian life and education tended toward individuality. Caste with its repressive influence did not exist in ancient Persia. The national feeling was intense. The government was despotic. The ethical aim was high and the individual was encouraged to high standards of courage, truthfulness, and purity. But in spite of this,(the education was faulty in that the individual was trained so strongly in warfare as to overshadow the ethical side.) As long as Persia was struggling the ethical standards were maintained alongside the standards of war so that the individual and the nation could keep right. But when conquests came, bringing wealth and power and the lower ethical standards of other nations, the Persians were unable to bear the strain and so degeneration went forward fast and the nation found itself unable to withstand the more vigorous peoples that came against it under Alexander and so the empire fell, leaving but little impress on civilization. LITERATURE 1. Benjamin, S. G. W., Persia and the Persians. 2. Dean, Amos, The history of civilization. 3. Fraser, James B., Historical and descriptive account of Persia. 4. Graves, Frank Pierrepont, A history of education, Before the middle ages. 5. Jackson, A. V. Williams, Persia, past and present. 6. Laurie, S. S., Historical survey of pre-Christian education. 7. Letourneau, Ch., The evolution of marriage. 8. McLennan, J. G., Studies in ancient history. 9. Rawlinson, George, The seven great monarchies. 10. Vaux, W. S. W., Persia from the earliest period. CHAPTER VIII THE CHILD IN JUDEA