i never saw so many greeks before ; i stood listening to a group of athenians arguing about philosophy , which was very funny to me but i enjoyed watching it , and of course i wandered near the persian court and was allowed entrance both to the temple and the palace , apparently because of my clothing and demeanor and i wandered in these newly constructed citadels of my old world , and then back out to the temples of the greek gods , and rather liked their openness and the whiteness , and the whole stamina of the greek people , which i think is more different from the babylonians than i ever supposed . '