The Oscillation between Christianity and Antiquity.
Pg.133. The explanation of this spiritlessness and of why all moral energy is at such a low ebb is difficult and involved; but no one who considers the influence victorious Christianity had on the morality of our ancient world can overlook the reaction of declining Christianity upon our own time. Through the exaltedness of its ideal, Christianity excelled the moral systems of antiquity and the naturalism that resided in them to such a degree that this naturalism came to excite apathy and disgust; but later on, when these better and higher ideals, though now known, proved unattainable, it was no longer possible to return to what was good and high in antique virtue, however much one might want to. It is in this oscillation between Christianity and antiquity, between an imitated or hypocritical Christian morality and an equally despondent and timid revival of antiquity, that modern man lives, and does not live very happily; the fear of what is natural he has inherited and the renewed attraction of this naturalness, the desire for a firm footing somewhere, the impotence of his knowledge that reels back and forth between the good and the better, all this engenders a restlessness, a disorder in the modern soul which condemns it to a joyless unfruitfulness.

One point which I'm currently endeavouring to understand is Nietzsche's view of "modern" day morals. First, there was the moral systems of antiquity. Then Christianity came along, and made these morals into lofty unattainable ideals. The word that I'm struggling to understand here is 'naturalism', but it caused apathy and disgust.

I think naturalism either means: "Definition 1. in literature, a method of depicting life that reflects a philosophy of determinism", or "Definition 3. in theology, the doctrine that religious truth derives from nature rather than from revelation. "

So when people became sick and tired of Christianity, they were left with either a washed down version of Christian morals, or some lousy antique moral system, which led to 'joyless unfruitfulness'.

So now, what is Nietzsche's solution to this problem? I long to find out...