Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-06-22

| highly interesting "reminiscences of
past civilizations, when brought to our
attention as one Of today's great bat
tlefields. In the light Of events that
have occurred there, 1t takes a higher
place in our consideration. fills us
with a deeper interest in the history
| that is now being made upon Its bord-
ers, and, later, may be made within
them.
1.-THE civilization of the peninsula Is
ancient. Ionians from rich and cul-
| tured Miletus settled colonies there in
the ninth century B. c., and, in 1856
b. c., the Corinthians followed them.
The sunny culture Of the Greeks once
blossomed all along these shores,
formed it's artists here, builded its
temples, and at last gave way before
the Celts, who arrived about the
fourth century B. c. When the Rom
ans were forced to crush the pirates
Of the North Adriatic, Istria fell under
their domination, about 1T B. c. Fol-
lowing an uprising the Romans sub
dued the land in 1913 and in 127 B. c.
| $4,000 Roman colonists were settled
there.
Through the Dark Ages and we'll
into the Middle Ages, Istrian land was
land in the vortex Of the struggle be-
tween the empires Of the east and the
west, and, then, between ByZantium,
the German powers Of the north and
the rising commercial cities of Italy.
BY Ills, Venice had established priv
| ileged connections with most Of the
Istrian towns. From this time date
some very interesting records of So
cial organization on the peninsula.
"Thc land was organized into COM
munes with their chief magistrate, a
small council, or council Of assessors
and a council of the people. The COM
mune governments extended their
work to an even greater degree than
the most governed communities would
think Of going today. Their regula-
tions provided for all manner of do
mestic supervision. They fixed the
time OF new vintage, the time for SELL
ing new wine, the amount Of bread
that could be baked in one oven, and
administered pure food regulations
with greatest strictness.
"As today, judges went through the
markets trying the food. These judges
went through the taverns and tasted
the wine before the inn-keepers might
put it on sale. The prices Of foreign
goods were fixed by the authorities.
and the quality Of these goods care
fully determined before they could be
put on sale. Stone measurements
were cut on fountains, on the founda-
tion stones of public buildings and on
other conspicuous places Armed men
were not allowed to enter the cities;
the regulation against carrying wea-
pons being deemed just as important
then as now. However, a citizen SOL
dier who happened to kill an onlooker
during military practice was able to
get immunity from punishment. Mill
tarism had its privileges in Istria.
I'm some of the cities. the making
Of false money was punishable with
death; the bearing Of false witness.
where no fine was collected, was pun
ished by the loss Of the right nostril
and publication on the stair Of the
townhall of the delinquent as per-
jurer. The destruction of property
was punished by the loss Of the
right hand, and a long list of IL
legal words. oaths and Objectionable
phrases were attached to the section
Of the code that provided the punish
ment of the pillory for the plasphem-
er. Tips were strictly forbidden; the
workman was forced to accept no more
than the wage prescribed. The activ-
ity of those entrusted with looking out
for the peoples welfare stretched to
every little detail of domestic life