HERODOTUS. CLIO. I. To rescue from oblivion the memory of former incidents, and to render a just tribute of renown to the many great and wonderful actions, both of Greeks and Barbarians, Herodotus of Halicarnassus produces this historical essay.' 2 Among other things, it will be necessary to investigate the sources of the hostilities which The more subsisted between these people. learned of the Persians assert the Phoenicians to have been the original exciters of contention. This nation migrated from the borders of the 1 The simplicity with which Herodotus commences Red Sea to the place of their present settlehis history, and enters immediately on his subject, has been much and deservedly admired, and exhibits a strik-ment, and soon distinguished themselves by ing contrast to the elaborate introductions of modern their long and enterprising voyages. They writers. It is not, however, peculiar to Herodotus; it was the beautiful distinction of almost all the more an. cient authors.-T. 2 Barbarians.]-As this word so frequently occurs in the progress of our work, it may be necessary, once for all, to advertise the English reader, that the ancients used it in a much milder sense than we do. Much as has been said of the pride of the old Romans, the word in question may tend to prove, that they were in some instances less tenacious of their national dignity than the Greeks. The appellation of Barbarians was given by the Greeks to all the world but themselves; the Romans gave it to all the world but the Greeks.-T. 3 Herodotus.]-It has been suggested as a doubt, by many of the learned, whether it ought not to be written Erodotus. For my own part, as I am able to remember no proper name terminating in dorus and dotus, as Diodorus, Diodotus, Heliodorus, &c. which is not derived from the name of a divinity, I have no scruple in asserting my belief, that it must be Herodotus, compounded of dotus and the Greek name of Juno.-T. There is hardly any author, ancient or modern, who has been more warmly commended or more vehemently censured than this eminent historian; but even the severe Dionysius declares, he is one of those enchanting writers, whom you peruse to the last syllable with pleasure, and still wish for more. Plutarch himself, who has made the most violent attack on his veracity, allows him all the merit of beautiful composition.-Hayley. 4 In my version, as it now stands, I have not satisfied a friend, whose opinion I respect no less than I value his esteem. This gentleman considers the expression of "historical essay," as not conveying an adequate explanation of the original Greek. He approves of the criticism in Jortin's Remarks on Ecclesiastical History, vol. i. p. 59, to which I refer the reader. History, in the Greek, is derived from a verb, signify ing to enquire minutely; and it is the opinion of Kuster, as well as of other eminent critics, that the word history itself, in its original sense, implies accurate enquiry, and stands properly for what the author's own researches 6 demonstrated to him, and what he learned by the information of others. According to this interpretation, the first words of Herodotus might be rendered thus: "Herodotus of Halicarnassus produces this work, the result both of his own researches, and of the enquiries made by him of others." This is certainly paraphrastical, but the criticism is ingenious, and appears to be well founded. The material point to be established from it is, that in the time of Her. odotus, irrogin did not signify history, the word then used in that sense was συγγραφη.Τ. 5 From the borders of the Red Sea.]-When Herodotus speaks, for the first time, of any people, he always goes to their original source. Some authors make the Phoenicians to have originated from the Persian Gulf; which opinion, though reported, is not believed by Strabo. Voltaire, taking it for granted that they migrated by sea, ridicules the idea of their coming from the Red Sea to Phoenicia ; as well he might. Larcher proves, in the most satisfactory manner, that his misconception arose from his ignorance of Greek. It is evident from another passage in Herodotus (Book vii. chap. 89.) that the Phoenicians, when they changed their place of resi. dence, passed over by land.-Larcher (principally) 6 Long and enterprising voyages.]-The first among the Greeks who undertook long voyages were the Io. nians. Upon this people, Mr Wood, in his Essay on Homer, has the following remark: "From the general character by which Homer constantly distinguishes the Phoenicians, as a commercial and seafaring people, it has been naturally supposed, that he was indebted to that nation for much of his information with regard to distant voyages. I think we cannot be at a loss to account for the poet's acquiring, at home, all the knowledge of this kind which we meet with in his works. We know the Ionians were amongst the earliest navigators, particularly the Phocæans and Milesians. The former are ex pressly called the discoverers of Adria, Iberia, Tuscany, and Tartessus."-Wood on Homer. A exported to Argos, amongst other places, the Greeks replied, that they should make no re paration in the present instance, as the violence formerly offered to Io* remained still unexpiated. III. In the age which followed, Alexander the son of Priam, encouraged by the memory of these events, determined on obtaining a wife from Greece, by means of similar violence; fully persuaded that this, like former wrongs, would never be avenged. Upon the loss of Helen, the Greeks at first employed messengers to demand her person, as well as a compensation for the affront. All the satisfaction they received was reproach for the injury which had been offered to Medea; and they were farther asked, how, under circumstances entirely alike, they could reasonably require, what they themselves had denied. IV. Hitherto the animosity betwixt the two nations extended no farther than to acts of personal and private violence. But at this period, continue the Persians, the Greeks certainly laid the foundation of subsequent contention : who, before the Persians ever invaded Europe, doubtless made military incursions into Asia. The Persians appear to be of opinion, that they who offer violence to women must be insensible to the impressions of humanity and justice, but that such provocations are as much beneath II. The relation of the Greeks differs essentially: but this, according to the Persians, was the cause of Io's arrival in Egypt, and the first act of violence which was committed. In process of time, certain Grecians, concerning whose country writers disagree, but who were really of Crete, are reported to have touched at Tyre, | and to have carried away Europa, the daughter of the prince. Thus far the Greeks had only re-revenge, as the women themselves are undetaliated: but they were certainly guilty of the second provocation. They made a voyage in a vessel of war to Ea, a city of Colchos, near the river Phasis; and, after having accomplished the more immediate object of their expedition, they forcibly carried off the king's daughter, Medea. The king of Colchos despatched a herald to demand satisfaction for the affront, and the restitution of the princess; but the 1 Greece.]-The region known by the name of Hellas or Greece, in the time of Herodotus, was, previous to the Trojan war, and indeed long afterwards, only discriminated by the names of its different inhabitants. Homer speaks of the Danaans, Argives, Achaians, &c. but never gives these people the general name of Greeks.-Larcher. 2 Thus far the Greeks had only retaliated.]-The editor is in possession of a translation of the two first books of Herodotus, published in London so early as the year 1584. It is in black letter, and may be considered as a great curiosity. The above passage is thus rendered: "It chaunced afterward, that certaine Greekes, whose names they knew not, taking shore and landing at Tyrus, in like manner made a rape of the kinges daughter, named Europa. These were the people of Crete, otherwise called the Cretenses. By which meanes yt was cardes and cardes betweene them, the one beyng full meete and quit with the other."-The first Booke of Clio, London, 1584. 3 In a vessel of war.]-Literally in a long vessel.-The long vessels were vessels of war, the round vessels, merchantmen and transports.-T. serving of regard: it being obvious, that all the females thus circumstanced must have been more or less accessary to the fact. They asserted also, that although women had been forcibly carried away from Asia, they had never 4 Violence formerly offered to Io.]-It may be urged that the king of Colchos had nothing to do with the violence offered to Io; she was carried off by the Phonicians. But, according to the Persians, all the nations of Asia composed but one body, of which they were the head. Any injury, therefore, offered to one of the members, was considered as an hostility against the whole. Thus, as we see in a succeeding paragraph, the Persians considered the Greeks as their enemies, from the time of the destruction of Troy.-Larcher. 5 More or less accessary, &c.]—Plutarch, who has writ. ten an essay expressly to convict Herodotus of malignity, introduces this as the first argument of the truth of his accusation. The Greeks, says he, unanimously affirm, that Io had divine honours paid her by the Barbarians; that many seas and capacious harbours were called after her name; that to her many illustrious families owe their original: yet this celebrated writer does not hesitate to say of her, that she suffered herself to be enjoyed by a Phoenician mariner, with whom she fled, from the fear of being disgraced by the publication of her crime. afterwards endeavours to throw an odium on the most illustrious actions of his countrymen, by intimating that the Trojan war was undertaken on account of a profli. gate woman. "For it is evident," says he, "that these women would have been never carried away except with their own consent."-Plutarch on the malignity of Hero. dotus. He resented the affront. The Greeks, on the contrary, to avenge the rape of a Lacedæmonian woman, had assembled a mighty fleet, entered Asia in a hostile manner, and had totally overthrown the empire of Priam. Since which event they had esteemed themselves justified in considering the Greeks as the public enemies of their nation. It is to be observed, that the Persians esteem Asia, with all its various and barbarous inhabitants, as their own peculiar possession, considering Europe and Greece as totally distinct and unconnected. 6 V. The above is the Persian tradition; who date the cause and origin of their enmity to Greece from the destruction of Troy. What relates to Io is denied by the Phoenicians; who affirm that she was never forcibly carried into Egypt. They assert, that during their continuance at Argos, she had an illicit connection with the pilot of their vessel, and proving pregnant, she voluntarily accompanied them to Egypt, to avoid the detection of her crime and the indignation of her parents. Having now stated the different representations of the Persians and. Phœnicians, I shall not detain the reader by an investigation of the truth of either narrative. I shall commence with an account of that personage, of whose first attacks upon Greece there exists the most unquestionable testimony. I shall, as I proceed, describe with some minuteness the smaller cities and larger communities: for, many of these, at present possessed neither of opulence nor power, were formerly splendid and illustrious; others have, even within my remembrance, risen from humility to grandeur. From my conviction, therefore, of the precarious nature of human felicity," these shall all be respectively described. 6 Connection with the pilot of their vessel.]—I make no apology for inserting the following singular translation of the above passage:-With whose assertions the Phonices agree not aboute the lady Io; whom they flatly denye to have beene caryed by them into Egipt in manner of a rape: shewinge howe that in their abode at Argos, shee fortuned to close with the mayster of a shippe, and feelynge herselfe to bee spedde, fearynge and doubtinge greatlye the severitye and cruel tyrannie of her parentes, and the detection of her owne follye, shee willinglye toke shippe and fledde strayght awaye."-Clio. b. 1. 7 Precarious nature of human felicity.]-This moral reflection of Herodotus cannot fail of bringing to mind the consolatory letter written from Greece, by Sulpicius to Cicero, on the death of Tullia the orator's daughter. At the distance of more than four hundred years from the time of Herodotus, Sulpicius thus expresses himself on a similar occasion :-" On my return from Asia, as I was sailing from Ægina towards Megara, I could not help looking round on the circumjacent country. Behind me was Ægina, before me Megara, Piræus on my right hand, Corinth on my left; all which places, formerly VI. Croesus, by descent a Lydian, was the son of Alyattes, and sovereign of those countries which lie on this side of the river Halys. This stream, in its passage from the south" towards the north, passes through Syria and Paphlagonia " and finally empties itself into the Euxine. Croesus, we have reason to believe, was the first of the barbarian princes who exacted tribute from some nations of Greece, and entered into leagues of amity with others. Before his time, the Greeks were universally free: he, however, subdued the Æolians, the Ionians, with such of the Dorians as are situate in Asia, whilst he formed a friendly alliance with the Lacedæmonians. It appears that the incursion of the Cimmerians" into Ionia, was before the 8 This stream, in its passage from the south.]-There are different opinions concerning the course of this river. Arrian says, that it does not flow from the south, but from the east. This author having in his mind the place of the sun's rising in the winter, accuses Herodotus of a mistake in the passage before us. Wesseling had the same idea, who nevertheless has not solved the difficulty. The truth is, there were two rivers of this name, the one rising from the south, the other from the east. Herodotus speaks of the first, Arrian of the last. D'Anville is of the same opinion.-Larcher. 9 Syria.]-Syria was at that time the name of Cappa docia. See chapter lxxvi.-T. 10 Paphlagonia.]-It may appear matter of surprise to some, that Herodotus should make the Syrians border on the Paphlagonians. But by the Syrians, Herodotus here means the Cappadocians, called by the Greeks Leu co-or White-Syrians. This is obvious from Strabo, as well as from Herodotus himself, in his second book.— Palmerius. 11 Cimmerians.]-Strabo dates this incursion of the Cimmerians about the time of Homer, or somewhat before. Wesseling thinks, and with reason, the authority of the geographer of less weight than that of our historian, who supposes it to have been in the reign of Ardyis. See chap. xv. of this Book: and chap. xii. of Book IV. For my own part, I am of opinion that the two authors speak of two distinct incursions. Herodotus refers to the last. At the time of the first there were no Greek cities in Asia Minor; and it was his intention to intimate, that the last had no operation injurious to the liberties of Greece.-Larcher. Many learned men are of opinion, that the Cimmerians were the descendants of the scripture Gomer. The reasons alleged are of this nature. In the genealogical table of Moses, we are told that Gomer was the son of Japhet. The Scholiasts, and those of them too which are most authentic, say, that Cimmeris was the son of Japetus. Japetus is by Apollodorus said to be the son of Colum and Terra, that is of Noah, who was called Vir Terræ. On Cimmerian darkness, see book iv. c 1. n. The Greek Kugos, means a mist or darkness, and Cimmerius, the Latin derivative, is applied to any thing dark or black. Strabo says that the soil of their country was black, from excessive heat; but this could not be peculiar to the country of the Cimmerians, it was probably common to other lands affected by the same cause.-T. |