Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1891-06-03
AR,SToTLE'S TREATISE.

Tho Newly Discovered Book Makes Some
Alterations I'm Athenlan History.
Since the world of classical students
was startled by the discovery of hith-
erto unknown work by Aristotle there
has been great eagerness to find what
new facts it may bring to light, what
theories it may confirm or explode, says
the Boston Advertiser. This manu-
script was found during some Egyptian
excavations, and its authenticity is es-
tablished beyond a doubt. 1t is in the
possession of the British museum and
has been published. 1t is entitled "a
Treatise on the Constitution of Athens
and will clear up many disputed points
concerning the government and history
of the Attic capital. The first copies
arrived in this country about n week
ago, and one of these is in the hands of
Prof. w. w. Goodwin, of Harvard.
The manuscript is in four papyrus
rolls, three of them in good condition
and the last fragmentary. The writing,
as is usually the case, is on the reverse
of the papyrus, which originally held
some mercantile accounts dated 10 a. d.
Allowing, therefore, reasonable
length of time for those to become USE
less before the reverse side would be
used, the date may pretty safely be fixed
at the end of the first century. Refer
cncc to the treatise is undoubtedly
made in n catalogue of Aristotle's
works, none of whose titles correspond
with anything previously known. Since
the clcarncsS of the latest work marks
ii in contrast with the technical style of
Aristotlc's other writings, confirma-
ton is found in the old theory that the
catalogue is list of Aristotle's popular
works.
The treatise falls into two sections.
The first consists Of history of the de-
vclopment of the Athenian state and is
complete. The second is description
of the Athenian government of
Aristotle's time. The last part is frag-
mentary, but we know most of it
through quotations from it by the gram
marian Pollux. In the first part. how
ever, there is an abundance of hitherto
unknown material. A few months ago
Prof. j. II. Wright, of Harvard, COM
menced an article for the Harvard clas-
steal studies, in which he maintained,
merely on literary grounds, that the
Cylonian conspiracy took place at a
much earlier date than that accepted by
Grote. In the very first chapter of this
new manuscript the date is fixed, as Prof
Wright argued it should be, before tho
legislation of Draco. Furthermore the
hitherto unknown fact is established
that Draco instituted the Athenian SEN
ate and that Arcopagus was in ex-
istence before his time.
Solon's reforms are explained anew.
1t appears that his reduction of the
coinage was much later than his abol-
ishmcnt of debts. but that both were
accomplished by him. The nine archons
were chosen, rs was not before sup
posed, by lot from forty men, elected in
tens from the four tribes. The division
of the tribes equally into mountain,
plain and seushorc is now known for
the first time. The flight of Themi-
stoclcs from Athens at the time of the
revolt Mt NaXos, which marks the first
break in the ascendency of Athens is
shown to be as late as 4G2 b. c.. This,
with other and less important revela-
tions sets the whole history of this
period. The history continues down to
the time of Aristotle, but the state
mcntS concerning the latter period are
mostly already well known or are un-
important.