An early task is to become familiar with the physical characteristics of the land. Nothing will help better than map-drawing. Relief maps are of great service as showing the mountainous nature and the effect of this on private and public life. Ancient Greece was about two hundred and fifty miles in length from north to south and one hundred and sixty-five miles at the most from east to west. It lies between the thirty-sixth and fortieth parallels of latitude, corresponding very closely in distance and latitude to our coast as it extends from the partition line of the Carolinas up as far as New York City. A comparison of the area of Greece with that of the pupil’s own State is desirable. For instance, while the area of New York State is about 48,000 square miles, Greece contained but 21,000. And very early in the course the fact should be brought out that this tiny territory, in the greatest days of its people, was never united politically, but divided into rival States, really nations, each only about as large as one of our counties. A wholesome corrective to our American boastfulness over size may be found in the slightness of area and population of this marvellous land, which has contributed so many more than its proportionate share of mighty men. Races and Migrations. Pelasgian, Mycenean, Achæan, Dorian,--such was the order of the peoples who made Greece. The Greeks, or Hellenes, in whom our interest is centered, belong to the two last of these groups. The Pelasgians concern us in the high schools only as much as the men of the stone age in British history. The Myceneans we know only from the ruins of their towns. That in some respects they were ahead of the earlier Achæans might be pointed out. The relationship of the historic Greeks to the other races of Europe and their kindred with ourselves are important. We feel strange toward Egyptian and Babylonian, but are cousins to the Greeks. The teacher who happens to know Greek might show the similarities of Greek and English speech in the common homely words of everyday life. Epic, Myth and Legend. Most of our pupils have heard in the lower schools something of Homer and his “Iliad” and “Odyssey”; and the stories of some of the gods and heroes are more or less familiar. When the teacher comes to the Homeric poems he will not be able to interest his young charges very much in their higher criticism; but he would do well, if time allow, to use the special topic and report method here. The story of the “Iliad,” the theme of the “Odyssey,” and certain characteristic episodes from each might be read to the class by pupils assigned to such duty. A similar course may be taken with regard to the legends of the heroes and gods. One interesting story read will be worth a week of mere recital of the twelve labors of Heracles, or the dry account of the fact that Perseus had something to do with Medusa, and Bellerophon with the Chimæra.