Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-01-16
GIANTS OF ANTIQUITY.
Size of the Human Race In Rem 0te
Ages.

Size of the Human Race In Rem o u
Ages.
From Appleton's JeurnaI.l
In examining the claims OF the giants
of antiquity we must take into eonsid
Grafton the fact that it was the custom
of all ancient nations to magnify the
stature of their kings and heroes. To
be considered giant in strength and in
size was the ambition of every warrior.
Even the great Alexander was not free
from this vanity, for we are told that, in
one of his Asian expeditions, he caused
to be made and left behind him suit of
armor of huge proportions, in order to
induce a belief among the people he
had conquered that he was of great
statnre. Homer eXaggerates the size
and strength OF all the heroes of the
Trojan war, and leads US to infer that
the whole race of man, even in his day,
had degenerated. We may suspect that
even the Jewish writer's were not entirely
free from similar failing. Admitting
that people like the Rephaim existed
in Palestine, of greater stature than the
Hebrews, it would require but little
stretch Of poetic imagination to paint
them as giants. They may have been
no larger in comparison with their con-
uuerers than are the Patagonians beside
other more civilized races of to-day, yet
have seemed immense to the children of
Israel, who we're more probably under
than over the average hight.
Again, there is no absolute certainty
that the Biblical text, Rs we have it, is
as it was originally written. Our au-
thorized version makes Goliath. for
instance, six cubits and span in hight;
but the Vatican copy Of the Septuaglnt
(Cordex Vaticanus), as old as any in
existence unless the Sinaiticus exceeds
ID. reads !" four cubits and a span,
agreeing ia this with Josephus. To
which account are we to adhere2 If 20
the latter, then the giant Of the Philis-
tines was only little over six and half
feet in stature, instead of nine and a
half. The sacred writer does not give
us the measure Of King Og, but only
that of his bedstesd. 1t is not neces-
sary to dispute the thirteen and halt
feet of the giant couch, but 70 arc bali
inclined to suspect that Og was afflicted
with an ambition similar to that Of
Alexander, and used a bedstead not in
proportion to his actual size, but in pro-
portion to his fancied Importance. 1t is
curious to observe that, according TO DR..
Smith, the words in Deuteronomy trans
lated "bedstead Of iron" are also sus-
ceptible Of the rendering, ssrcophagus
of black basalt;" but this does net mill
tate against the probability Of our sup
position.
Comparatively modern writers afS rot
free from like exsggerations in regard
to the stature Of noted men. William
Of Malmesbury makes the tomb Of Wal.
win, nephew o. King Arthur, and one Of
bis famous knights, fourteen feet in
length; and Hollinshead, quoting Syl-
vester Giraldus, says that the body OF
King Arthur. found in Glastonbury. in
lls9, was two feet higher than any man
that came 70 see IT, As Camden, who
gives an account Of the discovery. fails
to note this peculiarly Of the corpse, the
story is probably without foundation.
In like manner Charlemagne and his
paladins have been represented as Of