Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-01-08
ERRORS OF HISTORY.
Fictions That For Centuries Have
Posed as Facts.

ERRORS OF HlSTOH1.
Fictions That For Centuries Have
Posed as Facts.
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 cur
rent 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, Mil
ton, debating Paradise Lost" to his
daughters. DR.. Johnson, however, has
been quoted as denying it. He said,
Furthermore, that Milton never even
permitted his daughters to learn to
read and write.
A favorite piece" with western and
southern schoolboys on recitation and
exhibition days was set Of verses tell
ing Of the heroic stand Of Leonidas
and his brave 1900" at Thermopylae.
The Able Barthelemy, who asserted
that he had inquired minutely into the
subject, wrote that, according to Diod-
orus, Leonidas had 1000 men. under
him and that Pausanias gave the num-
ber Of Leonidass army as 1900.
Did Caesar say to the pilot:
why do you fear? You have Caesar
on board"
Many trustworthy historians declare
that Caesar never used the words quot
ed.
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 ac-
counted one of the seven wonders OF
the world. It may be interesting to
know that all drawings Of the statue
are purely imaginary and what Is
more, are modern, not ancient, enorts.
The Colossus was erected in 3O5 B. c.
The most trustworthy Of ancient ac-
counts Of 1t Is contained in manu-
script dating about $50 B. c., In which
the height Of the statue Is given as 1Oo
feet. The entrance to the harbor. OF
Rhodes is $50 feet across. so that it was
manifestly impossible that the legs of
the Colossus should span the entrance
to the port or that ships should sail be-
meath it.
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 sympathies are easily
aroused, have wept over the wrongs of
Belisarius, the conqueror Of the Van
dals, who, many were taught, begged
his bread at the city gates" after hav-
ing commanded victorious armies and
been Of much service to the state. The
good old general was unquestionably
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 Da-
vid. the great Frenchman, painted him,
and tragedies and romances were writ
ten about him in the belief that he did
sit at the city gates a forlorn and dis
consulate object with palms outstretch-
ed for aims.
The facts are, a conspiracy against
the Emperor Justinian being discover
ed, two of Belisarius' officers confessed
under torture that the old general was
in the plot. He was condemned with
out further hearing, his property Sc
questrated, and he suffered imprison-
ment for six months. His innocence
being established, Belisarius was re-
leased, and he died about year later.
But that he ever was reduced to the
extremity of begging is declared to oe
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 men,
toned bears date some 200 years after
the event it pretends to describe. The
story is a variation of an old Scandi-