The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1879-10-08
CORRESPONDENTS.
30 tbe Central Presbyterian.
The Phenicians and the Greeks

The Pnen1C1dnS duu I44O O4OOnS'
The beginnings of Greek history is a
subject that has long occupied the notice
of able men. This subject has lately had
new light thrown upon it by linguistic
researches and especially by the wonder
full archaeological discoveries in the East.
The clear result of what has been ascer-
tanned. or rendered probable, is very in
telIgiblv set forth by Mr. A. H. Sayce
in a fine paper in the Contemporary. We
shall avail ourselves unblushingly in what
follows Of the guidance Of this eminent
scholar. M
Herodotus opens his narrative with a
relation about certain Ph@nician traders
who brought Egyptian and Assyrian
wares" to Argos and other parts Of
Greece. This was at the remote period
when the Greeks were still unimpressed
by the rudiments of African and Aslahc
culture. Herodotus got his story from
Persian and Phenician sources, but 1t
was received by his contemporaries, as by
himself. with unquestioning faith. Europe
after the revival of learning settled down
i'm the belief that Greek civilization came
from Asia or Egypt or from both quar-
ters. Hebrew was regarded as the moth
er tongue, and E'r o1ieate llr, was the
motto which melted and regulated every
inquiry.
An age of skepticism subsequently set
in. and the Asiatic origin OF any OF the
Greek myths was strongly disputed. The
Phcenician traders were now relegated to
the fabulous waters frequented by the
mariners in Sinbad's Voyages. Then
Grote. the historian of Greece, taking his
cue from one of the Germans, boldly de-
MED that there is any ascertalnable nu-
cleus of fact underlying even such chron-
icles as those of the Homeric poems. AT
this point the so-called science Of compar-
ative philology advanced to the front and
rendered certain much that was before
doubtful. The myths Of the various ma
tions now came to be regarded as so many
enigmatcal records of the beliefs Of prlm-
tive man. These records had been for
gotten, misinterpreted, or abandoned as
insoluble; but it was the office of true
science to read the riddle. But 1t was
further argued, the myth itself when pro
perly interrogated may be made to yield
some of the facts which are the raw ma
terial of the historian We now think
we know pretty well what ideas, usages
and proper names may be classed as
Arvan, and what must be described as
Semitic. 1t is moreover noticeable that
a certain proportion of the Greek myths
is isGissoeiated from Aryan relationship and
connects itself with Semitic names and
practices. The legends Of human sacri-
fee are by some placed in this category.
1t is worthy of remark here that two Of
the eastern legends of this sort are asso-
ciated with the Phenicians Of Thebes,
and ef the Delta. The whole cycle Of
myths grouped about the name Of Her
eales, as wefl as the myths of Venus and
Adonis and Of the Achean Demeter, are
ineontestably of an eastern source; as
are the olive, the pomegranate, and the
mvrtle, the sacred symbols of Athena, OF
Hera, and of Aphrodite.
The spade, it has been said, is the chief
implement in the reconstruction of an
cient history. Mr. Poole, Of the British
Museum, has lately pointed out how the
Egyptian remains determine the age and
character of the monuments Of Myken@.
Mr.. Sayce dwells on the clearer evidence
afforded by the art and history Of As
syria. There are two facts which he
would have us keep prominently in view.
The first is the Semitic origin Of the Greek
alphabet. The Phenician alphabet, after
which the Greek letters were formed, was
itself derived from the Egyptian hero
glyphics, was imported to Ph@nicia pro
badly by settlers in the Delta and brought
to Greece by Aramaans of the Gulf of
Antioch. Before this simpler alphabet
of the Phpnicians was introduced, Asia
Minor and the Mediterranean islands ad-
jacent appear to have used the syllabary