The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-10-28
uIr.

TIE.
whence, then. did the Greeks procure the m.
diments Of the much higher civilization which
they eventually attained Holm, like other
students Of the subject, entertains no doubt that
they received these rudiments from Asia, and in
part, also, from Egypt. The civilization OF Asia
Minor might have come 10 the Greeks directly
and without Intermediates, for they were 10
constant contact with the nations Of that coun-
try; that OF Assyria might also have been con-
yeyed through the people of Asia Minor; but
there was another route available, namely.
through PhUnicia. Egypt could hardly conn
municato with Greece except through the Phu,-
nicians. Holm cites the reasons given by Egypt
ologlsts for believing that Greeks figure among
the northern nations who. during the reiRns OF
Rameses ILL.,, Menephta, and Sell l., and even
MS early "a Thothmes Ill. invaded Egypt, that 10
10 sey, from the fifteenth TO the twelfth century
Il. G.. No stress, however. Ia laid on these a-
counts. because the Interpretations of names ara
still contested and very ~problemsticsl. Even II
creeks went TO Egypt in those far of days It IL
pronounced impossible that they should have
learned the civilization Of the Egyptians there
and then transplanted II into Greece. In the
Judgment Of the present historian, that must
have been effected by other means.
Many writers Of the present day suppose
that much was transmitted by the Khetas. or
Utilities, who. for a long period, held q very inn
portant position In anterior Asia. II, however,
the Khetas did exercise an important influence
on the Greeks, II Is certain, also, that much must
be ascribed 10 the Phpnicians. Holm does not
deem IL an easy task to describe the relation OF
the Phpniclnns to Greece. No doubt their gen.
eral character is known through the lonR re-
searches devoted TO them. They were a nation
of sea traders. possessing ut homo municipal
autonomy. and in this respect were the forerun-
ners of the Greeks. They were Semitic in Ian
guago and religion; in art they were dependant
on others, especially on the Egyptians and the
jewellers on the Euphrates; nevertheless, they
knew how to communicate their borrowed skill
and knowledge to others. But no genuine re-
mains of their civilization exist. like those Of
the Egyptians and Assyrians. Almost every
thing that comes from the Phnnicians is found,
not in the narrow area OF Phgnicia. but in
other countries. It has, therefore. been SUBJ
jected to foreign influence. Our knowledge Of
them, consequently, rests. TO a great extent, on
conjecture, and It is, therefore. difficult TO dis
tinguish what is of Phenician origin even in
Greece. According TO the opinion of the Greeks
themselves, much that was new was introduced
into Greece by Cadmus, that is by the Phpnl-
clans, namely, the worship of Dionysus, mining,
qunrrying stone. and. above all. the use Of tho
alphabet. Holm would make, however, in
reference to this last point, some distinction.
He points out that the Greek characters cannot
be proved TO have existed before the eighth
century n. G. they first appear in Crete. II
they are a modification of the Phenician char
acters, tho change must have taken place
some time before the eighth century. A long
period had then elapsed since the Ph9nicians
first camo TO Greece and brought their own
alphabet with them. Hence the legend respect
ing the introduction OF the alphabet into Greece
by Cadmus contains two elements OF probability.
viz, that the Ph9nicians. at some time or other.
used their alphabet in Greece, AMI that the
Greeks subsequently formed their own alphabet
from that of the Phdnicians.
Several pages dealing with this subject arc
summed up in the expression Of opinion that the
ancents were generally more correct than many
OF the moderns in their estimate of the influence
otthc Ph9nicians upon Greece. The Ph9nicians
had trading settlements at many points on the
coast. The Greeks learned much from them, but,
with the exception OF the alphabet, nothing Of
great Importance.