the story of mankind-第7章

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In　due　course　of　time；　this　alphabet　travelled　across　the

AEgean　Sea　and　entered　Greece。　The　Greeks　added　a　few

letters　of　their　own　and　carried　the　improved　system　to　Italy。

The　Romans　modified　the　figures　somewhat　and　in　turn　taught

them　to　the　wild　barbarians　of　western　Europe。　Those　wild

barbarians　were　our　own　ancestors；　and　that　is　the　reason　why

this　book　is　written　in　characters　that　are　of　Phoenician　origin

and　not　in　the　hieroglyphics　of　the　Egyptians　or　in　the　nail…

script　of　the　Sumerians。







THE　INDO…EUROPEANS



THE　INDO…EUROPEAN　PERSIANS　CONQUER

THE　SEMITIC　AND　THE　EGYPTIAN

WORLD





THE　world　of　Egypt　and　Babylon　and　Assyria　and　Phoenicia

had　existed　almost　thirty　centuries　and　the　venerable

races　of　the　Fertile　Valley　were　getting　old　and　tired。　Their

doom　was　sealed　when　a　new　and　more　energetic　race　appeared

upon　the　horizon。　We　call　this　race　the　Indo…European　race；

because　it　conquered　not　only　Europe　but　also　made　itself　the

ruling　class　in　the　country　which　is　now　known　as　British　India。



These　Indo…Europeans　were　white　men　like　the　Semites

but　they　spoke　a　different　language　which　is　regarded　as　the

common　ancestor　of　all　European　tongues　with　the　exception

of　Hungarian　and　Finnish　and　the　Basque　dialects　of　Northern

Spain。



When　we　first　hear　of　them；　they　had　been　living　along　the

shores　of　the　Caspian　Sea　for　many　centuries。　But　one　day

they　had　packed　their　tents　and　they　had　wandered　forth　in

search　of　a　new　home。　Some　of　them　had　moved　into　the

mountains　of　Central　Asia　and　for　many　centuries　they　had

lived　among　the　peaks　which　surround　the　plateau　of　Iran　and

that　is　why　we　call　them　Aryans。　Others　had　followed　the

setting　sun　and　they　had　taken　possession　of　the　plains　of

Europe　as　I　shall　tell　you　when　I　give　you　the　story　of　Greece

and　Rome。



For　the　moment　we　must　follow　the　Aryans。　Under　the

leadership　of　Zarathustra　（or　Zoroaster）　who　was　their　great

teacher　many　of　them　had　left　their　mountain　homes　to　follow

the　swiftly　flowing　Indus　river　on　its　way　to　the　sea。



Others　had　preferred　to　stay　among　the　hills　of　western

Asia　and　there　they　had　founded　the　half…independent　communities

of　the　Medes　and　the　Persians；　two　peoples　whose

names　we　have　copied　from　the　old　Greek　history…books。　In

the　seventh　century　before　the　birth　of　Christ；　the　Medes　had

established　a　kingdom　of　their　own　called　Media；　but　this

perished　when　Cyrus；　the　chief　of　a　clan　known　as　the　Anshan；

made　himself　king　of　all　the　Persian　tribes　and　started　upon

a　career　of　conquest　which　soon　made　him　and　his　children　the

undisputed　masters　of　the　whole　of　western　Asia　and　of　Egypt。



Indeed；　with　such　energy　did　these　Indo…European　Persians

push　their　triumphant　campaigns　in　the　west　that　they　soon

found　themselves　in　serious　difficulties　with　certain　other　Indo…

European　tribes　which　centuries　before　had　moved　into　Europe

and　had　taken　possession　of　the　Greek　peninsula　and　the　islands

of　the　AEgean　Sea。



These　difficulties　led　to　the　three　famous　wars　between

Greece　and　Persia　during　which　King　Darius　and　King

Xerxes　of　Persia　invaded　the　northern　part　of　the　peninsula。

They　ravaged　the　lands　of　the　Greeks　and　tried　very　hard　to

get　a　foothold　upon　the　European　continent。



But　in　this　they　did　not　succeed。　The　navy　of　Athens

proved　unconquerable。　By　cutting　off　the　lines　of　supplies

of　the　Persian　armies；　the　Greek　sailors　invariably　forced　the

Asiatic　rulers　to　return　to　their　base。



It　was　the　first　encounter　between　Asia；　the　ancient

teacher；　and　Europe；　the　young　and　eager　pupil。　A　great

many　of　the　other　chapters　of　this　book　will　tell　you　how　the

struggle　between　east　and　west　has　continued　until　this　very

day。







THE　AEGEAN　SEA



THE　PEOPLE　OF　THE　AEGEAN　SEA　CARRIED

THE　CIVILISATION　OF　OLD　ASIA　INTO

THE　WILDERNESS　OF　EUROPE





WHEN　Heinrich　Schliemann　was　a　little　boy　his

father　told　him　the　story　of　Troy。　He　liked　that　story


better　than　anything　else　he　had　ever　heard　and　he　made

up　his　mind；　that　as　soon　as　he　was　big　enough　to　leave　home；

he　would　travel　to　Greece　and　‘‘find　Troy。''　That　he　was　the

son　of　a　poor　country　parson　in　a　Mecklenburg　village　did

not　bother　him。　He　knew　that　he　would　need　money　but

he　decided　to　gather　a　fortune　first　and　do　the　digging　afterwards。

As　a　matter　of　fact；　he　managed　to　get　a　large　fortune

within　a　very　short　time；　and　as　soon　as　he　had　enough　money　to

equip　an　expedition；　he　went　to　the　northwest　corner　of　Asia

Minor；　where　he　supposed　that　Troy　had　been　situated。



In　that　particular　nook　of　old　Asia　Minor；　stood　a　high

mound　covered　with　grainfields。　According　to　tradition　it　had

been　the　home　of　Priamus　the　king　of　Troy。　Schliemann；

whose　enthusiasm　was　somewhat　greater　than　his　knowledge；

wasted　no　time　in　preliminary　explorations。　At　once　he　began

to　dig。　And　he　dug　with　such　zeal　and　such　speed　that　his

trench　went　straight　through　the　heart　of　the　city　for　which　he

was　looking　and　carried　him　to　the　ruins　of　another　buried

town　which　was　at　least　a　thousand　years　older　than　the　Troy

of　which　Homer　had　written。　Then　something　very　interesting

occurred。　If　Schliemann　had　found　a　few　polished　stone

hammers　and　perhaps　a　few　pieces　of　crude　pottery；　no　one

would　have　been　surprised。　Instead　of　discovering　such　objects；

which　people　had　generally　associated　with　the　prehistoric

men　who　had　lived　in　these　regions　before　the　coming　of

the　Greeks；　Schliemann　found　beautiful　statuettes　and　very

costly　jewelry　and　ornamented　vases　of　a　pattern　that　was

unknown　to　the　Greeks。　He　ventured　the　suggestion　that

fully　ten　centuries　before　the　great　Trojan　war；　the　coast　of

the　AEgean　had　been　inhabited　by　a　mysterious　race　of　men

who　in　many　ways　had　been　the　superiors　of　the　wild　Greek

tribes　who　had　invaded　their　country　and　had　destroyed　their

civilisation　or　absorbed　it　until　it　had　lost　all　trace　of　originality。

And　this　proved　to　be　the　case。　In　the　late　seventies　of

the　last　century；　Schliemann　visited　the　ruins　of　Mycenae；　ruins

which　were　so　old　that　Roman　guide…books　marvelled　at　their

antiquity。　There　again；　beneath　the　flat　slabs　of　stone　of　a

small　round　enclosure；　Schliemann　stumbled　upon　a　wonderful

treasure…trove；　which　had　been　left　behind　by　those　mysterious

people　who　had　covered　the　Greek　coast　with　their　cities　and

who　had　built　walls；　so　big　and　so　heavy　and　so　strong；　that

the　Greeks　called　them　the　work　of　the　Titans；　those　god…like

giants　who　in　very　olden　days　had　used　to　play　ball　with

mountain　peaks。



A　very　careful　study　of　these　many　relics　has　done　away

with　some　of　the　romantic　features　of　the　story。　The　makers

of　these　early　works　of　art　and　the　builders　of　these　strong

fortresses　were　no　sorcerers；　but　simple　sailors　and　traders。

They　had　lived　in　Crete；　and　on　the　many　small　islands　of　the

AEgean　Sea。　They　had　been　hardy　mariners　and　they　had

turned　the　AEgean　into　a　center　of　commerce　for　the　exchange

of　goods　between　the　highly　civilised　east　and　the　slowly

developing　wilderness　of　the　European　mainland。



For　more　than　a　thousand　years　they　had　maintained　an

island　empire　which　had　developed　a　very　high　form　of　art。

Indeed　their　most　important　city；　Cnossus；　on　the　northern

coast　of　Crete；　had　been　entirely　modern　in　its　insistence　upon

hygiene　and　comfort。　The　palace　had　been　properly　drained

and　the　houses　had　been　provided　with　stoves　and　the　Cnossians

had　been　the　first　people　to　make　a　daily　use　of　the　hitherto

unknown　bathtub。　The　palace　of　their　King　had　been　famous

for　its　winding　staircases　and　its　large　banqueting　hall。　The

cellars　underneath　this　palace；　where　the　wine　and　the　grain

and　the　olive…oil　were　stored；　had　been　so　vast　and　had　so

greatly　impressed　the　first　Greek　visitors；　that　they　had　given

rise　to　the　story　of　the　‘‘labyrinth；''　the　name　which　we　give

to　a　structure　with　so　many　complicated　passages　that　it　is

almost　impossible　to　find　our　way　out；　once　the　front　door　has

closed　upon　our　frightened　selves。



But　what　finally　became　of　this　great　AEgean　Empire　and

what　caused　its　sudden　downfall；　that　I　can　not　tell。



The　Cretans　were　familiar　with　the　art　of　writing；　but　no

one　has　yet　been　able　to　decipher　their　inscriptions。　Their

history　therefore　is　unknown　to　us。　We　have　to　reconstruct

the　record　of　their　adventures　from　the　ruins　which　the

AEgeans　have　left　behind。　These　ruins　make　it　clear　that　the

AEgean　world　was　suddenly　conquered　by　a　less　civilised　race

which　had　recently　come　from　the　plains　of　northern　Europe。

Unless　we　are　very　much　mistaken；　the　savages　who　were

responsible　for　the　destruction　of　the　Cretan　and　the　AEgean

civilisation　were　none　other　than　certain　tribes　of　wandering

shepherds　who　had　just　taken　possession　of　the　rocky　peninsula

between　the　Adriatic　and　the　AEgean　seas　and　who　are

known　to　us　as　Greeks。







THE　GREEKS



MEANWHILE　THE　INDO…EUROPEAN　TRIBE

OF　THE　HELLENES　WAS　TAKING

POSSESSION　OF　GREECE





THE　Pyramids　were　a　thousand　years　old　and　were　beginning

to　show　the　first　signs　of　decay；　and　Hammurabi；　the

wise　king　of　Babylon；　had　been　dead　and　buried　several　centuries；

when　a　small　tribe　of　shepherds　left　their　homes　along

the　banks　of　the　River　Danube　and　wandered　southward　in

search　of　fresh　pastures。　They　called　themselves　Hellenes；

after　Hellen；　the　son　of　Deucalion　and　Pyrrha。　According

to　the　old　myths　these　were　the　only　two　human　beings　who

had　escaped　the　great　flood；　which　countless　years　before　had

destroyed　all　the　people　of　the　world；　when　they　had　grown

so　wicked　that　they　disgusted　Zeus；　the　mighty　God；　who　lived

on　Mount　Olympus。



Of　these　early　Hellenes　we　know　nothing。　Thucydides；

the　historian　of　the　fall　of　Athens；　describing　his　earliest

ancestors；　said　that　they　‘‘did　not　amount　to　very　much；''　and

this　was　probably　true。　They　were　very　ill…mannered。　They

lived　like　pigs　and　threw　the　bodies　of　their　enemies　to　the　wild

dogs　who　guarded　their　sheep。　They　had　very　little　respect

for　other　people's　rights；　and　they　killed　the　natives　of　the

Greek　peninsula　（who　were　called　the　Pelasgians）　and　stole

their　farms　and　took　their　cattle　and　made　their　wives　and

daughters　slaves　and　wrote　endless　songs　praising　the　courage

of　the　clan　of　the　Achaeans；　who　had　led　the　Hellenic　advance…

guard　into　the　mountains　of　Thessaly　and　the　Peloponnesus。



But　here　and　there；　on　the　tops　of　high　rocks；　they　saw

the　castles　of　the　AEgeans　and　those　they　did　not　attack　for

they　feared　the　metal　swords　and　the　spears　of　the　AEgean

soldiers　and　knew　that　they　could　not　hope　to　defeat　them　with

their　clumsy　stone　axes。



For　many　centuries　they　continued　to　wander　from　valley

to　valley　and　from　mountain　side　to　mountain　side　Then　the

who