New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-01-13


successful as far as tragic power is concerned, but
the piece il involved and burdened with extraneous
incident In Iphigeneid in Aai;s and Iphigene'd IN
Tdmls he discovered field and heroine of his own,
and especially in the former play earns his right TO
be called Euripides, the Human and nstiies the
| lines Of Browning:
Eunpdes
Last the old hand on the Old phorminx flung
Then music sighed itself away; one moan
Iphgeucia made by Aulis strand;
With her and music died Euripides.
RECURRING THEME.
Without locking beyond the epic and dramatic
poets it il seen that the story of the woes OF the
House of Aureus assumes the foremost position as
theme for the daring efforts of the great masters OF
antique song. II also has been more deeply wrought
into the heart and structure of general literature
| than any other tale of olden time. IL has been
cited and utilized by sages. historians romaneefs
| throughout the centuries to the present day
| Tie killing of AgamemnOn became the ideal murder
of imaginative literature, the standard from which
| all others take thei: measures more truly 40 than
that OF Abel by Cain. because it involves larger
association Of human motives, Feyenges, explatlons.
| II has been treated in a hundred modes from ire
primitive and serious chronicle OF Homer 10 the
charade enacted by Col and Mrs. Rawdon CrawIey
the latter quite killing in the part") before the
| noble guests Of my lord, the Marquis OF Steyne.
HISTORICAL VALUE OF THE DISCOVERIES.
What historical bearing, then, has the news thus
far received FROM Or. SchemaDn upon the tradition
whose literary Significance we have been examin-
ing In the least hopeful vIew-shOuld nc unuis-
taxable SYMBOLS or othcr record come to hght-the
discoveries already made taken in connection with
the results attained n the frOaG, will greatly
strengthen our faith ID The historic value OK endnr
ing song In those who nave always thought OF
AgamemnOn as a hero of puIn fiction 1t VIII hrecd
disposition to consider him verltaOie parsonage,
who ruled and died in Argos, and the catastrophe OF
whose death somewhat rs stated IN the odyssey
The gloss and invention of the dramaists do not IN
validate the historic legend. Go back to Homer,
and you have the simple, original version OF the
tale Since the charred walls that lead to lroys
Sceean Gate have come TO light, after burial OF
3 ,OOO years, the bard HOmeros has gained a new
title of historian and certainly may rank with the
author OF the Pentateuch.
Schliemann's discoveries are: l. central acrop-
oils. or Pergamos on the site of what was SAID IN
Pausanias's time 70 have been Mykene, the royal
town Of the King of Men. 2. Tombs, covered deep
with ;he preserving dust OF time, near what must
have been the place OF the chief eiices OF the city,
ard therefore where custom would have placed and
tradition has pointed out, the tombs OF the royal
line 9. These treasure-tombs are unGuestionably
those OF certain kings OF Argos for they TEEN with
riches. spoliG 0Pima arms and the embtems OF roy
atty itself J. The implements obtained are those OF
the age of bronze and gold, antcdating the general
use of ron ard Sc rich in the most precious OF these
metals AZ superbly to Illustrate HomeIs eplthet OF
Nykene rich in gold. Finally, we have the dis
coyerer's own ayowal that he has unearthed Inc
monuments which tradition Indicates - as the
tombs Of AQalnemnon Kassandra. Eurymedon, and
their companions, who were killed while feastlng at
banquet by Klytemnestra and her lover Aigisthos."
And no one who has reviewed the history of DR..
SebIiemann's explorations at Hssarhk will treat
even the most hurried and joyous announcement by
such a man with leyty or premature contempt.
Tradition literature and the testimony OF the
SPADE combine 20 give Us faith in rays from the
earliest dawn of Grecian history; and this, in turn,
reacts to strengthen belief in the ancient chron-
ices, sacred or pI0fane of other lands and races
JUYENTUs MUNDI.
Little in classic story goes behind the fall OF Troy.
ACamemnon and Helena of the celestial breed.
Another generation and you come to the demigods;
one more and 10 the Gods themselves. All TINS is
precisely on n level with the tradition OF other
peoples ~ they have reached the llomerc plane OF
erlrLtenrnent The same in Assyria, the same in
Phnnicia i'll Egypt, in Peru and Mexico OF the
Western World. Less than four centuries ago an
uomeric civilization was found and overwhelmed by
Cortez and Pzarro. Allow for the inferior qualify OF
the darker races scarcely capable, Il time had been
given. of much higher development, and how
closely analogous the civilization Of the A2tec' to
that of the Homeric chiefs! Colossal architecture,
wealth of silver and gold and the products OF the
loom, superstition, priests and soothsayers royal
demlgods affairs for human Sacrifices the latter
more frequent and more sanguinary in the New
World than in the Old. All this botted OFT IN re-
cent period. and yet before Science had arisen to
properly aualyze and perpetuate its record. Anu
now the whole ronnd world is known to us; AID
now Che round world over, the Trojan ages Tor
ever past. T. - SIhpAAN'
THE fOIB OF AGAMEMNON.