Apparently, the Greeks were not blinded by science. At least, not in the secondary school system. According to Marrou, they knew of its importance, but regarded it as more of a specialized discipline. However, mathematics was used as a means to train the mind.
As proof of this Marrou mentions the Greek love of geometry and the staying power of Euclid, noting that his book Elements was used (in translation) as a textbook almost until his own present (roughly 1950). Though, Marrou does go on to point out that the Greeks were much better geometers than they were arithmeticians.
Marrou explains this disparity by way of the Greeks lacking symbols that would let them express abstract numbers, or even partial numbers. They used fractions, but not decimals, and, theoretically, their way of writing out numbers could bring them up to 999,999 but not any further. Add to that the Hellenistic Greeks' fear of infinity and near obsession with 1, 3, 4, and 7.
In short, they weren't well-outfitted to get into abstract mathematics aside from those areas that were geometrical in nature. Not to mention the fact that the study of literature still dominated secondary school education, and so anything mathematical would be picked up when students moved onto their post-secondary learning.
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