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36 ANCIENT GREECE. [CHAP, inpresent the Supreme Being in action she could do so;onlyby giving him as far as possible the attributes of men ;with.what success this has been attended, is known. It was invain to endeavour to deceive us with respect to the chasmwhich lay between our more sublime ideas of the Divinity,and the image under which he was represented. But thecase was altogetherdifferent in ancient Greece. The poetwas not only allowed, but compelled to introduce the godsin a manner consistent with popular belief, if he would notfail of producing the desired effect. The great characteristics of human nature were expressed in them ; they wereexhibited as so many definite archetypes.The poet mightrelate of them whatever he pleased, but he was never permitted to alter the originalcharacters ;whether he celebrated their own actions, or introduced them as participatingin the exploits of mortals. Although themselves immortal,they always preserved the human character, and excited acorresponding interest; with their weaknesses and faults,they stood nearer to man, than if they had been representedas possessing the perfection of moral excellence.Thus the popular religionof the Greeks was thoroughlypoetical.There is no need of a long argument to show,that it also decided the character of Grecian art, by Affording an inexhaustible supply of subjects.On this point a single remark only needs here be made.Among the nations of the East, the plastic art not onlynever created forms of ideal beauty, but was rather exercisedin producing hideous ones, Themonstrous figuresof theirof it.gods, which we have already mentioned, are proofsThe Grecian artist was secure against any thing similar tothis, now that their gods had become not merely physical,but human, moral beings.He never could have thoughtof representinga Jupiteror a Juno with ten arms; hewould have destroyed his own work, by offending the popular religiousnotions. Hence he was forced to remaintrue to the pure human figure, and was thus brought verynear the step,which was to raise him still higher, and giveideal beauty to his images. That step he would probablyhave taken without assistance ;but the previous labours ofthe poets made it more natural and more easy. Phidiasfound in Homer the idea of his Olympian Jupiter, and the