The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1902-03-15
ERRORS OF HISTORY
elcrIoNs THAT FOR CENTURIES HAVE
POSED AS FACTS.

why the Colossus of Rhodes Coui"
Not Have spnnned the Harbor-Ihe
Force of LeonIdns ut Thermopylm'
The william Tell Myth.
There have been woven into history
many interesting stories that time anu
investigation have proved myths ou'
I'm spite of the efforts Of the lconoclasts
these mistakes Of history still pass
current with many people.
Probably one of the most auectihg
scenes connected with the making ot
literature is that described In the OH
repeated story Of the blind poet Milton
debating paradise Lost to his daugh'
tors. DR.. Johnson, however, has been
quoted as denying it. lie said, further.
more. that Milton never even permitted
his daughters to learn to read ana
write
4 foyorite piece" with western and
southern schoolboys on recitation anu
exhibition days was set OF verses telI.
Ing Of the heroic stand of Leonldas and
his brave 900 at Thermopyl@. Inc
Abbc Barthelemy. who asserted that
ne had injured mlnutely into the sub
iect. wrote that, according to lIodorua.
Leonldas had 1000 men under him ana
thni pausnnias gave the number OF lie
onidus' army as 10000.
Did Cnsar say TO the pilot:
why do you fearI You have C~sar
on board"
Many trustworthy historians declare
that Caesar never used the worus
quoted.
The inside Of cigar box covers are
sometimes ornamented with 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 ana
what for centuries was the historical
idea OF the Colossus, which was ac'
counted one Of the seven wonders oil
the world II may be Interesting tc
know that all drawings Of the statue
! are purely imaginary and, what Is
more. are modern, not ancient, efforts
! The Colossus was erected In 300 B. q
| The most trustworthy Of ancient ac
! counts of II Is contained In n manu-
script dating about $50 Il. O., In which
! the height Of the statue Is given as ~,
! feet. The entrance to the harbor OF
Rhodes Is $50 feet across, so that Il
was munlfestly impossible that the legs
/ of the Colossus should span the en-
trance TO the port or that ships should
sail beneath H.
AS q 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 II wonderful statue.
People whose sympathics are easily
aroused have wept over the wrongs
Of Belsarlus, 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
unquestlonably an unfortunate and
much abused man, but there Is nc
proof that hc begged his living at the
city gates or elsewhere. Yet Van Dyke
engraved him and David. the great
Frcnchman. painted him, and TRACE
dies and romances were writer
around him In the belief that he did 81
I at the city gates a forlorn and dlscon
solate object with palm outsretche(
for aims.
The facts are, a conspiracy agains
the Emperor Justinlan being discover
ed. two Of Bellsarius' officers confesse,
under torture that the old general wa
in the plot. lie was condemned with
out further hearing, his property Sc
frustrated aud he suffered imprison
mcnt for six months. His Innocenc,
being established. Belisarius was re
leased, and he died about year later
But that be ever was reduced TO th,
extremity OF begging Is declared to b,
absolutely untrue
The schoOlbOok tale Of William Tel
shooting an apple from his sons hea'
Is also without foundation In fact
Tells name doesn't even appear ln tn,
chronicles Of Zurich. and the most an
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