The Portland daily press., 1877-12-29

over Tor future exploration. Yet the balance,
will not say of evidence, but Of rational pre-
sumption, seems as though it might ultimately
lean toward the belief that this eminent ex-
plorer has exposed to the light OF day after
5000 years, the memorials and remains of Aga
memnon and his companions in.the return from
Troy
The work of DR.. Schlemann is to some ex-
tent complemented by General di Cesnola in
volume just published Cyprus: its Ancient
Cities, Tombs, and Temples. A Narrative of
Researches and Excavations during Ten Years
Residence in that Island. By General Louis
Palma di Cesnola. New York: Harper &
Brothers. Portland: Loring, Short & Harmon.)
In this volume General di Cesnola has made
the most valuable contribution of our day to
areb@ ology, has discovered the missing link
in the chain between Egyptian and Greek CIV
iization, and has made us for the first time
acquainted with Ph@niciau art He has in
effect compelled the scholars to re3ast all their
theories concerning archaeology, and worked
thorough revision of what has long passed for
ancient history. For the first time the modern
world understands the true relations of those
great peoples who warred and traded with each
other on the shores Of the Mediterranean.
Fortunately for Americans the fruits Of the ten
years research in Cyprus are now, and will re-
main, in the New York Metropolitan Museum.
There thirty-6ve thousand objects Of art, the
archaeological spoils of twenty-eight cities
fifteen temples and sixty five necropoli, are
stored. These range from the finest illustra-
tions of pure Greek art back to rude archaic
designs that suggest the buresque "Venus of
the Mound-Bullders'' which was on exhibition
at the parody of the Philadelphia exhibition
given in this city year ago The collection is
of Incompatible value. No other can show
single statue OF period so remote.
The glass found in the tombs at Idalium is the
oldest glass known. The pottery embraces
forms and designs from the grotesqua and fan
tastic Phenician conceptions to the shapelS
vases of the Greeks. The sculptures unearthed,
the Oldest known, have remodeled the history
of that art. Tue engraved cylinders have re-
yealed the birth Of the elyptic art. The find"
in the temple vaults of Kurum is entirely new
in our knowledge of ancient postery. The
vases by their identity of form and ornament
enable US to say that the vessels discovered by
Schliemann at Mycen9 must be of a date
earlier, perhaps by two hundred years, than
800 B. G. The inscriptions have enabled schol-
ars to understand the Cypriote writings aud to
master by that aid the most curious and ancient
of the wedge-shaped systems. In short Gen.
di Cesnola has discovered the key to the civil-
zation and art of Greece, and has traced them
directly to the East.
1t is an account of the discovery of these Won
derful antiquities and of the circumstances
attending that discovery, and an exposition of
their meaning and value which are set forth in
the beautiful volume illustrated By hundreds
upon hundreds Of engravings, that the Harpers
have issued from their press. Gen. di Cesnola,
a scholar, was sent as United States consul to
Cyprus in 1866, and remained there ten years,
Having much leisure he occupied himself with
antiquarian researches in the village of Dali,
the ancient Idalium. In three years he had
opened ten thousand tombs, and had TO Ind two
distinct strata of burial-chambers. Encouraged
by his success he went to the great mounds
near Athenieno which have been identified as
the seat of the ancient city of Golgos. There,
in the temple of Venus, he found two hundred
statues, and over seven hundred heads, be-
longing to AssyriaD, Egyptian and Greek peri
DDS. He prosecute 4 his researches aud, almost
Wy ..Ovi,av.st, oauro upon tho temple vaults of
Kurium, city founded before the Egyptian
conquest in 1442 B. G. Twenty feet under the
ruin-encambsred earth he found series of
chambers which were the treasury of the tenn
pie, and in them the richest treasure trove
which it has ever been the fortune of an archa-
ologist to hit upon. The articles of gold, silver,
bronze and pottery brought to light are of in
calculabls value in the study of ancient art and
history. A more fortunate spot for research
could not have been selected. Cyprus, the
Chittim of the Old Testament, was from its
position meeting-place for all the peoples of
the Mediterranean shores. There Ph@nicians,
Egyptians and Hellenes lived side by side and
exchanged their knowledge. 1t was an Egyp-
tian possession before the time of Moses. 1t
was in revolt against Tyre 1000 D. c., aud the
Greeks claim that Agamemnon conquered it
on his return from Troy. All civilizations, aud
arts and religions blended there. The discov-
erer found the temples of Baal, of Melkart, Of
Cybele, of Aphrodite, of Hercules and Venus.
Among coins he found the mint.ma of Tyre,
the slater of the Greek and the denarius of the
Roman. The engraved gems in the the tombs
showed a strange mixture of mythologies.
Among the New Years gifts three thousand
years ago and more were effigies of the Phoe-
nician Baal; of the Bull of Belus; Of the Punic
deity Bal-Samen, "lord of the heavens;" the
ibis of the Egyptian Thoth; the hawk-headed
gryphon of the Egyptian Osiris; the Solar
Hawk and the Royal Asp; the Sacred Bshoon,
Scribe to the Gods the bsetle type Of Psha,
the Great Creator; the Ph@uician Mir the
visible presence of the Dsity; Horus in his
lotus fowers Sin, the moon-god, 'juige of the
world" Iva-Vul, the Assyrian thunder-god; /;
HON, the tree of life; the Panic emblem of
Ashtaroth; the cow idol common to pastoral
races, the idol in this instance being headless,
and bearing the cow-head in her outstretched
hand-the original of St. Dsns and his miracle
perhaps; the Winged Victory; the Baris or
sacred boat of the Nile; the Apollo Hylates ;
and the famous phallic idol of Paphos. Bat no
scenes were taken from the Greek epic CYCLE
thus showing that the Greek work was of the
earlier period of Hellenic art. Somehow all
these deites except one were nearly los sight
of. The Cypriotes soon confounded the Tyrian
Astarte and the Babyloaan moon-goddess
Mylitta with the Hellenic Aphrodite, and dis
carded the others. So her worship came to be
the especial cult of Cyprus. 1t is not quite for
gotten to this day. There is now phallic SYM
bol at Catalina to which young girls go and
break piece of jewelry when they are about
70 be married
But we must leave this fascinating book of
whose riches scarcely an idea can bs given in
this limited space. To thoroughly enjoy it a
reader should take it with him to the Metropolis
tan Museum and by its aid study the Cesnola
collection. 1t is needless to commend the vol
ume. Guide-books to the past ar7 the rage.
The world in its age is conjurng up reminis
cences of its youth. Explorers set out no Longer
to discover new lands; they busy themselves
with tia old ones rich in history He who
finds an ancient city is held 10 higher esteem
than he who builds new town. Oar govern
ment, however, apparently does not partake o.
this enthusiasm. The treasury Of Kurium had
scarcely been brought to light when the con-
sulate was abolished.
Notes and Announcements.
TuIaa Varna ia IN tyr ita q hiooranhv of Chria