a smaller history of greece-第2章

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w　up　in　solitary　independence。　　But　at　the　same　time　it　had　ready　and　easy　access　to　the　sea；　and　Arcadia　was　almost　the　only　political　division　that　did　not　possess　some　territory　upon　the　coast。　　Thus　shut　out　from　their　neighbours　by　mountains；　the　Greeks　were　naturally　attracted　to　the　sea；　and　became　a　maritime　people。　　Hence　they　possessed　the　love　of　freedom　and　the　spirit　of　adventure；　which　have　always　characterised；　more　or　less　the　inhabitants　of　maritime　districts。



CHAPTER　II。

ORIGIN　OF　THE　GREEKS　AND　THE　HEROIC　AGE。

No　nation　possesses　a　history　till　events　are　recorded　in　written　documents；　and　it　was　not　till　the　epoch　known　by　the　name　of　the　First　Olympiad；　corresponding　to　the　year　776　B。C。；　that　the　Greeks　began　to　employ　writing　as　a　means　for　perpetuating　the　memory　of　any　historical　facts。　　Before　that　period　everything　is　vague　and　uncertain；　and　the　exploits　of　the　heroes　related　by　the　poets　must　not　be　regarded　as　historical　facts。

The　PELASGIANS　are　universally　represented　as　the　most　ancient　inhabitants　of　Greece。　　They　were　spread　over　the　Italian　as　well　as　the　Grecian　peninsula；　and　the　Pelasgic　language　thus　formed　the　basis　of　the　Latin　as　well　as　of　the　Greek。　　They　were　divided　into　several　tribes；　of　which　the　Hellenes　were　probably　one：　　at　any　rate；　this　people；　who　originally　dwelt　in　the　south　of　Thessaly；　gradually　spread　over　the　rest　of　Greece。　　The　Pelasgians　disappeared　before　them；　or　were　incorporated　with　them；　and　their　dialect　became　the　language　of　Greece。　　The　Hellenes　considered　themselves　the　descendants　of　one　common　ancestor；　Hellen；　the　son　of　Deucalion　and　Pyrrha。　　To　Hellen　were　ascribed　three　sons；　Dorus；　Xuthus；　and　AEolus。　　Of　these　Dorus　and　AEolus　gave　their　names　to　the　DORIANS　and　AEOLIANS；　and　Xuthus；　through　his　two　sons　Ion　and　Achaeus；　became　the　forefather　of　the　IONIANS　and　ACHAEANS。　　Thus　the　Greeks　accounted　for　the　origin　of　the　four　great　divisions　of　their　race。　　The　descent　of　the　Hellenes　from　a　common　ancestor；　Hellen；　was　a　fundamental　article　in　the　popular　faith。　　It　was　a　general　practice　in　antiquity　to　invent　fictitious　persons　for　the　purpose　of　explaining　names　of　which　the　origin　was　buried　in　obscurity。　　It　was　in　this　way　that　Hellen　and　his　sons　came　into　being；　but　though　they　never　had　any　real　existence；　the　tales　about　them　may　be　regarded　as　the　traditional　history　of　the　races　to　whom　they　gave　their　names。

The　civilization　of　the　Greeks　and　the　development　of　their　language　bear　all　the　marks　of　home　growth；　and　probably　were　little　affected　by　foreign　influence。　　The　traditions；　however；　of　the　Greeks　would　point　to　a　contrary　conclusion。　　It　was　a　general　belief　among　them　that　the　Pelasgians　were　reclaimed　from　barbarism　by　Oriental　strangers；　who　settled　in　the　country　and　introduced　among　the　rude　inhabitants　the　first　elements　of　civilization。　　Attica　is　said　to　have　been　indebted　for　the　arts　of　civilized　life　to　Cecrops；　a　native　of　Sais　in　Egypt。　　To　him　is　ascribed　the　foundation　of　the　city　of　Athens；　the　institution　of　marriage；　and　the　introduction　of　religious　rites　and　ceremonies。　　Argos；　in　like　manner；　is　said　to　have　been　founded　by　the　Egyptian　Danaus；　who　fled　to　Greece　with　his　fifty　daughters；　to　escape　from　the　persecution　of　their　suitors；　the　fifty　sons　of　his　brother　AEgyptus。　　The　Egyptian　stranger　was　elected　king　by　the　natives；　and　from　him　the　tribe　of　the　Danai　derived　their　name；　which　Homer　frequently　uses　as　a　general　appellation　for　the　Greeks。　　Another　colony　was　the　one　led　from　Asia　by　Pelops；　from　whom　the　southern　peninsula　of　Greece　derived　its　name　of　Peloponnesus。　　Pelops　is　represented　as　a　Phrygian；　and　the　son　of　the　wealthy　king　Tantalus。　　He　became　king　of　Mycenae；　and　the　founder　of　a　powerful　dynasty；　one　of　the　most　renowned　in　the　Heroic　age　of　Greece。　　From　him　was　descended　Agamemnon；　who　led　the　Grecian　host　against　Troy。

The　tale　of　the　Phoenician　colony；　conducted　by　Cadmus；　and　which　founded　Thebes　in　Boeotia；　rests　upon　a　different　basis。　　Whether　there　was　such　a　person　as　the　Phoenician　Cadmus；　and　whether　he　built　the　town　called　Cadmea；　which　afterwards　became　the　citadel　of　Thebes；　as　the　ancient　legends　relate；　cannot　be　determined；　but　it　is　certain　that　the　Greeks　were　indebted　to　the　Phoenicians　for　the　art　of　writing；　for　both　the　names　and　the　forms　of　the　letters　in　the　Greek　alphabet　are　evidently　derived　from　the　Phoenician。　　With　this　exception　the　Oriental　strangers　left　no　permanent　traces　of　their　settlements　in　Greece；　and　the　population　of　the　country　continued　to　be　essentially　Grecian；　uncontaminated　by　any　foreign　elements。

The　age　of　the　heroes；　from　the　first　appearance　of　the　Hellenes　in　Thessaly　to　the　return　of　the　Greeks　from　Troy；　was　supposed　to　be　a　period　of　about　two　hundred　years。　　These　heroes　were　believed　to　be　a　noble　race　of　beings；　possessing　a　superhuman　though　not　a　divine　nature；　and　superior　to　ordinary　men　in　strength　of　body　and　greatness　of　soul。

Among　the　heroes　three　stand　conspicuously　forth：　　Hercules；　the　national　hero　of　Greece；　Theseus；　the　hero　of　Attica；　and　Minos；　king　of　Crete；　the　principal　founder　of　Grecian　law　and　civilization。

Hercules　was　the　son　of　Zeus　（Jupiter）　and　Alcmena；　but　the　jealous　anger　of　Hera　（Juno）　raised　up　against　him　an　opponent　and　a　master　in　the　person　of　Eurystheus　at　whose　bidding　the　greatest　of　all　heroes　was　to　achieve　those　wonderful　labours　which　filled　the　whole　world　with　his　fame。　　In　these　are　realized；　on　a　magnificent　scale；　the　two　great　objects　of　ancient　heroism；　the　destruction　of　physical　and　moral　evil；　and　the　acquisition　of　wealth　and　power。　　Such；　for　instance；　are　the　labours　in　which　he　destroys　the　terrible　Nemean　lion　and　Lernean　hydra；　carries　off　the　girdle　of　Ares　from　Hippolyte；　queen　of　the　Amazons；　and　seizes　the　golden　apples　of　the　Hesperides；　guarded　by　a　hundred…headed　dragon。

Theseus　was　a　son　of　AEgeus；　king　of　Athens；　and　of　AEthra；　daughter　of　Pittheus；　king　of　Troezen。　　Among　his　many　memorable　achievements　the　most　famous　was　his　deliverance　of　Athens　from　the　frightful　tribute　imposed　upon　it　by　Minos　for　the　murder　of　his　son。　　This　consisted　of　seven　youths　and　seven　maidens　whom　the　Athenians　were　compelled　to　send　every　nine　years　to　Crete；　there　to　be　devoured　by　the　Minotaur；　a　monster　with　a　human　body　and　a　bull's　head；　which　Minos　kept　concealed　in　an　inextricable　labyrinth。　　The　third　ship　was　already　on　the　point　of　sailing　with　its　cargo　of　innocent　victims；　when　Theseus　offered　to　go　with　them；　hoping　to　put　an　end　for　ever　to　the　horrible　tribute。　Ariadne；　the　daughter　of　Minos；　became　enamoured　of　the　hero；　and　having　supplied　him　with　a　clue　to　trace　the　windings　of　the　labyrinth；　Theseus　succeeded　in　killing　the　monster；　and　in　tracking　his　way　out　of　the　mazy　lair。　　Theseus；　on　his　return；　became　king　of　Attica；　and　proceeded　to　lay　the　foundations　of　the　future　greatness　of　the　country。　　He　united　into　one　political　body　the　twelve　independent　states　into　which　Cecrops　had　divided　Attica；　and　made　Athens　the　capital　of　the　new　kingdom。　　He　then　divided　the　citizens　into　three　classes；　namely；　EUPATRIDAE；　or　nobles；　GEOMORI；　or　husbandmen；　and　DEMIURGI；　or　artisans。

Minos；　king　of　Crete；　whose　history　is　connected　with　that　of　Theseus；　appears；　like　him；　the　representative　of　an　historical　and　civil　state　of　life。　　Minos　is　said　to　have　received　the　laws　of　Crete　immediately　from　Zeus；　and　traditions　uniformly　present　him　as　king　of　the　sea。　　Possessing　a　numerous　fleet；　he　reduced　the　surrounding　islands；　especially　the　Cyclades；　under　his　dominion；　and　cleared　the　sea　of　pirates。

The　voyage　of　the　Argonauts　and　the　Trojan　war　were　the　most　memorable　enterprises　undertaken　by　collective　bodies　of　heroes。

The　Argonauts　derived　their　name　from　the　Argo；　a　ship　built　For　the　adventurers　by　Jason；　under　the　superintendence　of　Athena　（Minerva）。　　They　embarked　in　the　harbour　of　Iolcus　in　Thessaly　for　the　purpose　of　obtaining　the　golden　fleece　which　was　preserved　in　AEa　in　Colchis；　on　the　eastern　shores　of　the　Black　Sea；　under　the　guardianship　of　a　sleepless　dragon。　　The　most　renowned　heroes　of　the