The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1902-01-03

Not Have Bpamneo the hoFDof-Ahe
Force OF Leonidas ut ThermopylH.
The wnliam 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.
4 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 iavorite .pece" with western and
southern sehoolboys on recitation and
exhibition days was a set Of verses tell
ing of the heroic stand Of Leonidas and
his brave $500" at Thermopylm. The
Able Barthelemy, who asserted that
he had inquired infinitely into the sub
tect, wrote that. according to Diodorus.
Leonidas had 1000 men under him ana
that Pausanias gave the number OF Le-
onidas' army as 1900.
Did Cesar say to the pilot:
.Why do you fear? You have Cesar
on board"
Many trustworthy historians declare
that Caesar never used the words
quoted.
The inside Of cigar box covers 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 3o5 b. Y.
The most trustworthy OF ancient &C.
counts of It is contained in manu-
script dating about $50 B. c.. in which
the height of the statue is given as lo5
feet. The entrance to the harbor or
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 1t.
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, it was wonderful statue.
People whose sympathles are easily
aroused have wept over the wrongs
of Belisarius. the conqueror OF the
. Vandals, who. many, were taught.
begged his bread Mt the city gates
after having commanded victorious
armies and been of much service to
the state. The good old general was
unquestlonably 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
engraved him and David. the great
Frenchman. painted him, and TRACE
dies and romances were written
around him in the belief that he did sit
Mt the city gates forlorn and discon-
solate object with palm outstretched
for aims.
The facts are. conspiracy against
the Emperor Justnian being discover
ed, two of Belisarius' officers confessed
under torture that the old general was
ia the plot. He was condemned with
out further hearing, his property Sc
auestrated, and be suffered imprison-
~ 10 I'M
being established. Belisarlus was re-
leased, and he died about year later
But that he ever was reduced to the
extremity of begging is declared to be
absolutely untrue.
The schoolbook tale Of William Tell
shooting an apple from his sons head
is also without foundation In fact.
Tells name doesn't even appear in the
chronicles of Zurich, and the most an
.cient writing In which the story Is
mentioned bears date some 200 years
after the event It pretends to describe.
The story Is a variation OF an old Scan-
dinevian saga. A similar bit Of his
tory" is related OF William Of Clouds
ley in England in the twelfth century.
1t is denied also that Emperor
Charles v. OF Spain ON his abdication
adopted the habit of monk and occu-
pied himself in the manufacture of
clocks. 1t Is declared that he never
ceased TO be emperor de facto. and be
never surrendered control Of affairs of
state. a
Coming down to later times. the peo-
pie of three different countries claimed
three different men as inventors of the
steam engine. In America there Is
popular belief to this day TINT Robert
Fulton built the first successful engine
and steamboat. In England the Mar
auis OF Worcester. who published an
account Of steam engine in 1868. has
received credit for the invention. In
France Solomon de Caus Q615) was re-
Rarded as the genius who had given TO
the world new motive power Each
of them may have conceived and work
ed out the idea Of steam engine with
out the slightest knowledge of what
had been done In that direction before
their day. but none Of them might
rightly lay claim 10 being the first In
the field.
ON April II. 1543. Don Blasco de