The Portland daily press., 1884-02-12
New Publications.


Since Homer told sthe tale OF Troy divipe''
in his immortal verse, The pre-historcsl cit ies
have had no such service rendered them as
DR.. Schliemann has performed in his "Ilos"
aud in the "rroja," just published, which may
be considered &C ntinuation of the Iiios. Nj
buhrs's doubts of Livy's historic foundations of
the Roman Republic were transferred by
Grote to the cities of Greece. For years, all
that had been received for centuries with re-
ligious venera,ion, was regarded 80 idle tales,
when Dr. Schliemann, who had made the Iliad
the subject of long and critical study, resolved
to test the accuracy of thepoet's descriptions.
The results Of his Investigations have been
marvellous, for he has discovered and partly
rehabitated past which lad long been but
the shadow of a shade, fas, fading memory
of myths v it'll but slight historic element.
Thanks 10 Schliemann,we cannow gaze on the
remains OF cities older than any written histo-
ry. The tools he Troians use,, the weapons
with which they fought. the hoses in which
they lived, the gardens they ared for, the
walls they scaled, are all brought wildly be-
| fore US.
At first, the announcement of these discov
| cries was received with iLcredlhty. But
| Schliemann, no wise daunted, kept,n digging
| aud demonstrating till doubts have een large
| ly dispelled aud our author is honorel as chief
| of all modern, all ancient, explorers verits-
| BILE Trojan without peer. Aud wellhas DIR.
| Scbliemann merited the honors bestowed unon
him BY the leading universities OF tie Old
| World. For through his excavations AMI dis
sertations, and display of exhumed SURVIVES of
| -. h.. 70 4ho
mains of a civilization older than the AssyrAn
and second only to the Egyptian
Hissarlk stands out on the historic page
OF our author as city more wonderful thar
"Rome which was called eternal" FJr Rome
! was city built on seven hills, while Hsssr
lik has the unique distinction of being the
sole site where six or seven cities where suilf
on one hill. Founded by tribe of tn, -
ancestors # modern Europe. rasssks with wbon
esssee5y 'he -saz1e descendants engaoe n the
| contess--~s-5he ten years war. The second OF
these cities enjoys the proud title Of "ilioD," q
"Troja" the tit'e of the present volume And
thus Hissarlik appears to be the site OF thai
city immortalzsd no less by the deeds of he.
roes, than by the epic of Homer, the father Of
| poets and of poetry.
AS to the date of the Trojan War, it must be
fixed at period not earlier than twelve hum
dred, nor later than thousand years before
/ our era
| About this time, Troja, lion, or Hissarlik,
as it is now called, was the scene of the seige
which With its A inn 10 the
| charge OF too basty geDeralzations If merited
at that time, the Doctor has atoned for his earlier
error by correcting whatever further invesriga
ton has required to be corrected to make his
theories accord WITH and account for. the lead
ing facts. He now knows that the city proper
was not built on the bill, but beneath it, slop-
ing to the plain, while the hill itself as at
Athens, was the citadel or Acropolis.
In brief, DR.. Schlfemann has brought his
theories and facts into harmonious relations by
process of careful inquiry and rigid iuduc.
ton. Enthusiastic study of Homer convinced
him that there was a historic foundation for
its glowing descriptions of heroes and heroic
achievements. Accordingly be resolved to de-
vote the remainder of his life to an investiga-
ton in which he should spare neither money.
Time, nor strength; and richly has he been re-
warded
The illustrations found in Treja" are not so
numerous or striking rs those which startled
ami delighted us in the "Ilios," but they ara
real additions, and serve well the authcr's
purpose of illustrating the argument of the
text by examples which address the readers
eyes, while the mind is RECALLED with a delects-
BILE feast of fact, sentiment, and deliberate
Judgment.