ATHENS

"For it was at that time very dangerous to go by land on the road to Athens, no part of it being free from robbers and murderers. That age produced a sort of men, in force of hand, in swiftness of foot, and strength of body excelling the ordinary rate and wholly incapable of fatigue; making use, however, of these gifts of nature to no good or profitable purpose for mankind , but rejoicing and priding themselves in insolence, and taking the benefit of their superior strength in the exercise of inhumanity cruelty, and in seizing, forcing, and church committing all manner of outrages upon everything that fell into their hands; all respect for others, all justice , they thought, all equity and humanity, though naturally lauded by common people, either out of want of courage to commit injuries or fear to receive them, yet no way concerned those who were strong enough to win for themselves. Some of these, Hercules destroyed and cut off in his passage through these countries; but some escaping his notice while he was passing by, fled and hid themselves, or else were spared by his contempt of their abject submission: and after that Hercules fell into misfortune, having slain Iphitus, retired to Lydia, and for a long time there slave to Omphale, a punishment which he had imposed on himself for the murder: then, indeed, Lydia enjoyed high peace and security, but in Greece and the countries about it the like villainies again revived and broke out, there being none to repress or chastise them." P.5-6, "Theseus," PLUTARCH 'S LIVES (Modern Library , New York)