Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-08-14

why the horse was driven before being
ridden by the ancients was owing to its
small size, "eyen long after domestica-
ton
With regard to this animal as used by
the Egyptians, whom he cites in the begin
the monuments is by no means dminu-
tive.
1t is true that the horse was not intro |
duced into Egypt till the time of the
Hyllsos (ctrc 100 B. O., and the earliest
mention of it on the bas-reliefs is not un
til the reign of Thothmes |. (circ. 1888 B.
C.), where it is called by its Semitic
name, SuS. in the tomb of Aahmes Pen
nukheb, at El-kab. But from this reign
it became favorite theme of contempo-
rary art /; and who does not know the bas-
relief of Rameses the Great charging
with his favorite pair named "Nictory in
Thebes," with their reigns tied about his
waist, as he dashes among the rebellious
khita?
Now the size of these horses as repre-
sented by the Egyptian artist is not alb
normally small in proportion to the war
riors. The king, of course. is drawn larger
than the ordinary men about him; but the
chariot and horses he Is driving are rela-
lively large, and were he to alight and
stand between his chargers his head and
neck only would be visible above the cen
ter of their backs.
NM. Perrot and Chipiez remark that
as the horse was only introduced into
Egypt when her art had become conven-
tionalized, he is almost always poorly
drawn. His body is weak and unsub-
stantial, though his head is well set on,
and his neck and shoulders are good. Yet,
although his anatomy can Ill con pare
with that of the animals delineated in the
Memphite tombs of the early period, we
may surmise that the draughtsman of the
NINth dynasty drew his horse, as re-
CARDS size, fairly as he saw him; and that
being the case, he was far from being the
"diminutive animal about thirteen hands
high" which Canon Taylor describes as
the primitive type ranging over the plains
of Asia and Europe
NJ. l.. HERBERT MCCLURE.
p. S.-Since writing the above | have
had conversation with Prof. Poole OF
this subject.
With regard to the Asatic horse, there
is no doubt. he said from the Assyrial
bas-reiiefs, that he was a large animal
The relatively small size of the Greel
horses on the frieZc of the Parthenon wa
} owing apparently to the desire of TIN
, sculptor to give greater prominence t
his heroes than to his animal forms.
: The smallness of the horse in earl,
times, moreover, is not a cogent argu
= ment against it, being ridden, as in tn
, tomb of Tih with dynasty the ass
} which is smaller still, is represented a
being used for this purpose.
e QUEENS COLLEGE, CORK. Jan. b.
, If Mr., McClure's objections to my theor
t are only those stated in his letter. hay
J.. every hope of making him convert
T. HIS argument is that because the horse
+ under chariots appear of full size on tn
monuments of ASsyria and Egypt, tn
+ reason why men did not ride them car
: not be that they were too small to carr
1 a rider with ease. But it by 10 mean
follows that the moment the horse b,
o came sufficiently developed men woul
t abandon the chariot, consecrated by u
u of generations, and employ the hors
solely for riding. 1t would involve
great change in the weapons and moo
y of warfare. First came the chariot, the
i we hear of ''chariots and horsemcn,
u side by side; finally the chariot disal
J pears, and the horseman has finally II
" umphed.
" 1t is almost certain that the horse orr;
lc inally came from the plains of northcl
II Asia and Europe to the peoples of As
u Minor and Egypt. The Turko-Tartar
IL and Indo-European races have each a cor
e mon name for it, while the Semtes Gro
u some of whom the Egyptians borrow'
- their nance have no common ter
It (Schrader, p. 2GI. The horse, wht
'c once in the hands of people who fed hi
t. on corn, and exercised care in the choi
u of their breeding studs, would rapid
It develop. That such was the practice
u Asia Minor Is made clear from sever
passages in the IIomeric poems.
IL the well-known description of the st;
u lion "well fed at the manger" a.,
" 800 and that other a., V. 2O0)-whe
1t Pandarus describes his horses, which
" had left at home, lest, owing to the seg
- they should come short of provender
III Troy, as feeding on "white barley a
," spelts." While the curious story to
nc a., V. 2S4) of how Anchises managed
TT get somewhat dishonesty the breed
~ the horses of Troy, shows to wi
IT, lengths the ancient horse breeder wou
iie go to obtain the service of good 5
for his mares.