The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-06-16
Greek nomances.

The Tales of Miletus," which may be
regarded as the nearest representatives
IN antiquity of the modern novel, are at
tributed to one Aristides, who lived
about 100 3. c.; in all probability, how
ever, he only collected them, and the or
igin Of the stories themselves is to be re-
tered to the fiourishiug period of that
state, the century preceding the Persian
wars. The stories of Sybaris, also, two
OF which are preserved in Aristophanes,
were widely known. In addition to these
which treated of human beings, there ex-
is1ed at the same period large class Of
beast stories, which are thought to have
come from India by way OF Assyria, and
to have passed into Greece from Asia Mi
nor, of which country Ksop was native.
Further, it was the tendency of the
seventh and sixth centuries before Christ
to throw historical incidents into the
form OF romances, and for this treatment
the Aslatic stories from the strange views
OF life which they presented to Greek,
furnished rich material Thus Midas,
from being king and devotce of Do
nyslus, comes to be represented as satyr,
with pointed ears, and afterWard as hav-
ing ASS ears, whence the story was still
further developed by the humor of the
Greeks. This tale is said to be the only
one which has Travelled from West TO
East, and to have been naturalized in In
dia. The fame of the Lydiap kingdom
caused many stories to be imported from
thence into Greece. Such was the tale of
CANDIDATES. and Gyges, of which several
versions are found in Greek authors, and
the numerous ones that gather round the :
person OF Cr9sus, who seems, like Sal
adm in the middle ages, to have formed
a central figure for such romances. This
explains the very different conceptions of
MS character-as a warrior, and an effem.
mate prince; as blinded injudgment and
prudent counsellor The same love of
romance writing accounts for the hardi-
hood with which the chronology is VIC
lated in making Scion visit his court, a
circumstance which is also introduced in
to the history OF Esop Events in the
annals of the MedeS and Persians are
similarly utilized and receive a Greek
coiorlng. and in the story of the physi.
clan Democedes, are mixed with Greek
incidents. A further cause, besides curl
oslty, which tends to produce stories at
this erlod of peoples develoyme is
the introduction of more balanced and
more realistic estimate of mems characters
than was furnished by the ideal standard
in Greece the heroic, in medieval Eu
rope, the salntly-which had prevailed
before. Now the desire of more init
mate knowledge of human nature is of
the essence of the romance; and thus we
lind that many of the popular Greek sto-
ries OF this time ON peculiar traits of
character In the tale of RhAmpsinitus.
Treasury, of which several versions are
found, it is the triumph ofcleverness and
cunning; in that of " Hippocleides," it is
the spri3htliness of ready reply-a
point ON which, numerous stories in the
" Decameron turn-in that of "Itaph-
ernesS Wife, who chooses that her broth
or should be spared in preference to her
husband and children, it is the paradox
ical view of the claims of relationship;
III the "Margites," it is the humorous
element In the character of a fool. The
Greek tyrants, from their strong indi.
vlduality and their patronage of art, nat
urally become the subjects of romances.
Inc ring OF Polycrates, and the dark an
nails of the house of Fernandez, are among
the most popular materials for tales; and
In particular, the story of Lycophron, the
son OF the last named Prince, is SO truly
dramatic, that it could hardly have fail
ed to form the groundwork OF q great
tragedy, had not the Greek drama been
absolutely devoted to the circle of myth.
lcal and heroic subjects