Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-12-24
OF HISTORY
FICTIONS THAT FOR CENTURIES HAVE
POSED AS FACTS.

why the Colossus of Rhodes Could
Not Have Spawned the HarBOr-The
Force of LeOnIdas Mt ThermOpyIR.
/ The william Tell Myth.
/ There have been woven into history
many interesting stories that time and
/ investigation have proved myths, but
in spite of the efforts of the iconoclasts
these mistakes of history still pass
current with many people.
Probably one of the most affecting
scenes connected with the making Of
literature is that described in the oft
repeated story of the blind poet Milton
debating paradise Lost to his daugh-
tiers. DR.. Johnson, however. has been
quoted as denying it. He said, further
more. that Milton never even permitted
his daughters to learn to read and
write.
A favorite "piece" with western and
southern schoOIboys on recitation and
exhibition days was a set Of verses tell
ing of the heroic stand of Leonidas and
his brave 300" at ThermopylR. The
Able Barthelemy, who asserted that
he had inquired minutely into the sub
ject, wrote that, according to DiOdorus,
Leonidas had 1000 men under him and
that Pausanias gave the number of Lee
onidas' army as $1,000.
Did Caesar say to the pilot:
why do you fear? You have Caesar
IN board"
Many trustworthy historians declare
chat Cesar never used the words
quoted.
Tho fnsf5a of ofoar bo1 cOvars are
sometimes ornamented with a picture
Of the Colossus OF Rhodes. with ships
in full sail passing between the out
stretched legs of the gigantic statue.
These pictures reflect the popular and
what for centuries was the historical
idea Of the Colossus, which was &C
counted one Of the seven wonders Of
the world. 1t may be interesting to
know that all drawings of the statue
are purely imaginary and. what is
more, are modern, not ancient, efforts.
The Colossus was erected in 305 B. q.
The most trustworthy of ancient &C
counts OF It is contained in a manu-
script dating about $50 B. c.. in which
the height Of the statue is given as 105
feet. The entrance to the harbor OF
Rhodes Is $50 feet across. so that 1t
was manifestly impossible that the legs
of the Colossus should span the en-
trance TO the port or that ships should
sail beneath ii.
AS matter of fact the Colossus was
not built across the harbor, but on an
open space of ground near it: but, for |
all that, 1t was a wonderful statue.
People whose sympathies are easily 1
aroused have wept over the wrongs
Of Belisarius. the conqueror Of the
Vandals, who. many were taught, .
begged his bread at the city gates
after having commanded victorious
armies and been of much service to .
the state. The good old general was
an unfortunate and .
much abused man, but there is no .
proof that he begged his living at the /
city gates or elsewhere. Yet Van Dyke I
engraved him and David, the great
painted him. and TRACE
dies and romances were written
around him in the belief that he did sit
ut the city gates a forlorn and discon-
sOlate object with palm Outstretched
for aims.
The facts are, a conspiracy against
The Emperor Justinian being discover
I'd. two of Belisarius' officers confessed
under torture that the old general was
IN the plot He was condemned with
1ut further hearing, his property Sc
frustrated, and he suffered imprison-
nent for six months. His innocence