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PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS

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Mr. Rawlinson is one of the fairest critics of the great historian, and says that the figures he gives are accurate; they contain no arithmetical errors, but he challenges the correctness of the results. Yet neither Mr. Grote nor Canon Rawlinson have advanced any facts, or produced any evidence whatever to sustain their conclusions.

Dogmatic denial, without more, amounts to nothing, except the personal views of the individual making the denial. When the historian presents facts in chronological sequence, and supports his narrative with abundant corroborative details, he has made a prima facie case. When the critic says I don't credit the story, his declaration proves nothing. It is a mere conclusion without evidence to support it. In order to discredit history, evidence must be produced to warrant the conclusion that the narrative is incorrect or without foundation. It is true that the writings of Herodotus are interspersed with legend and fable, and stories current in his time. But he is always careful to discriminate as to the facts of history, as distinguished from matters which deal with gossip and legend. For example, he tells a story of how Scyllias of Scyone, described as the best diver of his time, deserted the Persians and joined the Greeks at Artemisium. How he escaped, he says, he cannot certainly affirm, and wondered whether the account concerning it was true, because it was said "that having plunged into the sea at Aphetæ, he never rose until he reached Artemisium, having passed this distance through the sea, as near as can be, eighty stadia (more than seven miles). Many other things are related of this man that are very like falsehood, and some that are true. If, however, I may give my opinion of this matter, it is that he came to Artemisium in a boat." 1 Yet some

1 Herod. viii, 8.

who delight to indulge in caustic criticism, do not give Herodotus credit for his frank avowal that he does not believe the story.

In reaching a just conclusion as to the accuracy of the strength of the army of Xerxes certain facts must be taken into consideration. In this connection we may ask what was the population of the vast domain over which Xerxes exercised absolute authority. His empire was the most extensive the world had ever seen. Over all the inhabitants within its borders his jurisIdiction was supreme. His power extended to their property not only, but to their lives. Without exception, there was not a free man in his dominions. In one sense, they were not subjects, they were abject bondmen, chattels, slaves.

If we could estimate the total population of the Persian Empire in that age, we would be able more readily to appreciate the truth as to the number of fighting men, recruited from forty-six nations in Asia

and Africa.

The population of these countries including Europe was calculated in 1890 by Wagner, a celebrated German geographer, as follows: Asia, 875,000,000; Africa, 170,000,000; Europe, 392,000,000. In all, 1,437,000,000.

According to the book of Esther, the kingdom of Ahasuerus embraced one hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India to Ethiopia. Herodotus does not give the number of provinces in the empire of Xerxes, but refers to the forces drawn from forty-six nations within his realm.1

The form of government of the Spartan oligarchy, as revealed in the rhetra of Lycurgus, the constitution of Solon and the modification of his laws by Clisthenes,

1 For a discussion as to the numerical strength of the army of Xerxes, see Chapter XVII, page 274.

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who established the ten Attic tribes, are interesting features and necessary to an understanding of the character of the Hellenic people. They derived their military ideals from the poems of Homer, whose works are discussed. Homer was endeared to the Greeks, as the poetical books of the Old Testament were to the Israelites. In this connection the chapter on Biblical and Homeric Literature will interest. From Homer, also, Alexander the Great, who believed himself to be a direct lineal descendant of Achilles, derived the inspiration which prompted him to conquer the world.

Sketches of the eminent men who contributed to make Athens the most interesting city of antiquity are necessary, also, to a study of the Military Annals of Greece. WM. L. SNYDER.

New York, November, 1914.

MILITARY ANNALS

OF GREECE

CHAPTER I

GEOGRAPHY OF ANCIENT HELLAS AND ADJACENT

COUNTRIES

XTENDING from the southern rim of Europe three peninsulas project into the Mediterranean. The Iberian, the most westerly, embracing Spain and Portugal; the middle, Italy; and the most easterly and smallest of the three, Greece, known to the ancients as Hellas. One thing which impresses itself upon the mind of the student is the narrow limits embraced in the geographical outlines of this land, which has filled the world with its fame.

In

If the Hellenic peninsula, excluding Thessaly and Epirus, were projected on a horizontal plane, between parallel lines, without regard to its indented coast and crooked shore line, it would rest within almost a perfect square, which would measure one hundred and fiftyfive miles across from east to west, and one hundred and eighty-five miles in length from north to south. other words the territory embracing the confines of ancient Hellas could be placed within a parallelogram, one hundred and fifty-five miles in breadth, and one hundred and eighty-five miles in length on either side. Hellas, thus defined, includes the country south of Thessaly and Epirus, including the peninsula, south of

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