ABSTRACT
In the Ancient Orient man first achieved literacy and civilization; the cultural heritage of the Mesopotamians and Egyptians was transmitted to others — Hebrews, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs — who in turn were to give their own distinctive contributions. The process of education was given its first major development by the Greeks who came to civilization quickly, during the Iron Age, demonstrating a remarkable vigour. While the Greeks were developing the ideational aspect of their culture, so too were their political forms taking on a distinctive cast. The mutual distrust of the Greek communities and their frequent forays had roots in the feudal past; in that period military and physical prowess were the greatest of skills, and their possession and display became dominant social values. The acquisition of the alphabet, perhaps in the eighth century, freed the Greeks from the encumbrances and associations of tradition that had so hampered previous oriental cultures.
