COPYRIGHT, 1915, BY RICHARD G. BADGER All Rights Reserved AH 4459,150 HARVARD Y THE GORHAM PRESS, BOSTON, U. S. A. CHAPTER CONTENTS Homeric and Biblical Literature -- Was the Hellenic Bard Ignorant of the Sub- lime Poetry of the Old Testament? V. Sparta Lycurgus - The Achæan and Dorian Supremacy in the Peloponnesus VII. The Amphictyonic Council - Its Influence Among the Hellenese-Lack of Polit- ical Unity the Cause of the Downfall Greeks, their Games and Festivals VIII. Athenian Jurisprudence-Laws Strength of the Army of Xerxes XVIII. Second Persian War - Preparations in Greece to Receive the Army of XXII. Advance of Xerxes from Thermopyla Temple of Delphi - Fall of Athens PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS UR knowledge of the Persian Wars is derived chiefly from Herodotus. Fortunately for posterity the writings of the first great historian have escaped the ravages of time. After the lapse of centuries, we may read his charming account of the manners, customs and traditions of the nations of antiquity, and also concerning the wars and conquests embraced in their military annals. The attempt of Asia, under the control of a single individual, to reduce to slavery the free cities of Hellas, presents one of the most fascinating stories in recorded history. It is difficult to realize the extent of the power of Cyrus and Cambyses, of Darius and Xerxes, who ruled the eastern world, when we remember that without exception all within their vast dominions were abject slaves. At the request of Haman, Ahasuerus (Artaxerxes) issued a decree "to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish all Jews, both young and old, little children and women in one day." At the request of Queen Esther the decree was reversed, and at the king's command, Haman and the entire race of Agag perished. It is now reasonably certain, that the Amestris of Herodotus was the Vashti of Esther. The writings of Herodotus are the source from which, to a very large extent, modern historians derive the facts concerning the early history of the Hellenic people, and more especially with regard to the Persian Wars; as Thucydides is the principle source of our in V formation concerning the Peloponnesian War and the causes which led to it. One The accuracy of the events recorded by Herodotus with regard to the Persian Wars is now generally conceded. His account of the forces of Xerxes which were reviewed at Doriskus, on the plains of Thrace in the valley of the Hebrus, has been questioned by some eminent scholars. Their criticism is confined chiefly to the numbers which Herodotus says the Persian monarch led on his expedition to enslave Hellas. Among his critics the ablest are Rawlinson, Grote and Heeran, all of them accomplished scholars and historians. circumstance with regard to their criticism is difficult to explain. Professor Heeran, in his work entitled "Commerce of the Ancient World," 1 sustains the accuracy of the account of the forces of Xerxes. The author believes that there was a muster roll of these forces to which Herodotus had access. On the other hand, Mr. Grote contends that there never was any muster roll, while Canon Rawlinson assumes that there must have been a muster roll and Herodotus must have seen it. In this connection Mr. Grote, after referring to the numbers of the Persian hosts, observes: "So stands the prodigious estimate of his army, the whole strength of the eastern world, in clear and express figures of Herodotus. . . . To admit this overwhelming total, or anything near it, is obviously impossible, yet the disparaging remarks it has drawn upon Herodotus are no way merited.' Canon Rawlinson on the other hand declares that it can scarcely be doubted that the numbers given are considerably beyond the truth. He then gives his estimate as to what he thinks Herodotus should have stated with regard to the strength of Xerxes' army. And yet 1 Part 1, Sec. 1, pp. 162, 558, 3d Edition. 'Grote Hist. Greece, Vol. 5, p. 35. |