II.-CYRUS AND THE TEN THOUSAND . The Expedition of Cyrus the Younger, 397. Retreat of the Ten Thousand, III.-EARLY DECLINE OF THE SPARTAN RULE. Causes of Weakness, 402. Intrigues of Lysander, 404. Agesilaus II, 405. IV. THE WAR AGAINST THE PERSIANS General Revolt from Spartan Rule, 415. Recall of Agesilaus, 417. Battle of Koroneia, 418. Abolition of the Naval Supremacy of Sparta, 421. The Rebuilding of the Long Walls, 428. Iphikrates, 424. Destruc- A HISTORY OF GREECE. PART FIRST. THE MYTHOLOGICAL AGE. CHAPTER I. LEGENDS OF GODS AND MEN. THE mythical traditions of the Hellenic nation are invested with a charm and an interest that have never ceased to delight and instruct the student of history. From the earliest times they have been the theme of praise and the subject of investigation. According to the Hellenic cosmogony, the primeval existing principle of the universe was Chaos, from which arose the broad-chested Earth and that dark, indefinite realm called Tartaros, over which the earth was supposed to be suspended. Erebos (gloom) and Night were the somber children of Chaos; these in turn gave birth to the cheerful elements, Æther and Day. In these simple traditions we recognize the gradual evolution of light and harmony from the previous all-pervading darkness. Among the offspring of Earth were not only the mountains and the sea, but also the starry heavens. In this way did the Greeks account for the various elements of the physical world. But the most important part of the Hellenic religion related to the gods properly so called, all of whom were descendants of Uranos and Gê (Heaven and Earth). The first generation of gods, the immediate offspring of Uranos and Gê, were eighteen in number-three Hekatoncheires, three Cyclops, and twelve Titans, six of each sex. The Hekatoncheires were powerful monsters, having each, as their name signifies, a hundred hands. The Cyclops were remarkable for physical strength and manual dexterity; they were beings of fearful aspect, having in the middle of the forehead a single round and glaring eye. At a later period they became the forgers of the thunderbolts wielded by Zeus, the king of the gods. The names of the six male Titans were Oceanus, Kœos, Hyperion, Krios, Iapetos, and Kronos; and they, together with their sisters and associates the Titanides, were the progenitors of the dynasty of gods who were supposed to govern the world. Uranos, alarmed at the great strength and increasing power of his children, hurled the Hekatoncheires and the Cyclops into the gloomy depths of Tartaros, and confined the Titans and the Titanides in the caverns of the earth; whereat their mother Gê became enraged, and found means of furnishing Kronos, the youngest and boldest of the Titans, with an iron scythe, with which he inflicted a severe wound on his father Uranos, and made himself and his brother Titans rulers of the universe. But the Cyclops and the Hekatoncheires still remained in Tartaros. Each one of the Titans begat many children, but those of Kronos, by his wife the Titaness Rhea, were the most powerful, especially Pluto, Poseidon, Zeus, Hestia, Demeter, and Hera. Kronos, fearing lest he should suffer from his children the same wrong which he had inflicted upon his own father, swallowed them as soon as they were born. But on the birth of Zeus, the youngest, Rhea, desirous of saving the child, deceived Kronos by causing him to swallow a stone wrapped in swaddling-clothes. Zeus, having grown up, craftily induced Kronos to disgorge the other children. Afterward he made an attempt, with the assistance of his brothers, to snatch the kingdom of the world from Kronos and the Titans. A long and frightful combat ensued, in which all the gods and goddesses took part. Zeus released the Hekatoncheires and the Cyclops from Tartaros, and summoned them to his assistance. The former aided him by their surpassing strength and the latter by their invention of thunder. The party of Zeus took their station on Mount Olympus in Thessaly, and the Titans on Mount Othrys. The war lasted ten years. The din of battle resounded throughout the broad earth, and was echoed across the bosom of the sea. Even the lofty sky trembled, and the mountains were shaken to their foundation. Finally Zeus triumphed, and the conquered Titans were hurled into Tartataros, with the exception of Oceanus, who had taken the side. of the victors. Thenceforward the scepter of the world remained in the hands of Zeus, who began to be called "the father of gods and men," while his brethren and their numerous progeny occupied important but subordinate positions in the hierarchy of the universe. Such are the traditions of the Hellenic nation in regard to the origin of the gods. As to the origin of mankind, the account is still less clear. Man is supposed to have been created, or to have sprung up spontaneously on the earth, at a very early period, since we find him already existing in the "age of gold," in which, according to Hesiod, one of the most ancient of the Grecian poets, his state was perfect and happy. In the silver age, which succeeded the golden, the human race had greatly degenerated from their former blissful condition. In the next, or bronze age, this deterioration was still more manifest. It was then that they became addicted to strife, and learned the art of war. The age of heroes followed-an improvement on its predecessor, since But it is war became tempered with justice and honor. Finally, there was the iron age, that is to say, the present one. supposed by many that this division of ages is an invention of Hesiod himself, for it does not coincide with the genealogies which form the basis of the ancient Hellenic history, and which treat of the descent of the earliest kings of the various Grecian states and communities. The first ancestor was usually represented as the son or immediate descendant of a god, or else as sprung from the earth, and hence called an autochthon. But the principal traditions point to Hellen as the reputed ancestor of the Grecian nation, whence the country received the name of Hellas, and its inhabitants were called Hellenes. He was supposed to be a descendant of the gods, and the following was the genealogy usually assigned him : The Titan Iapetos begat by Klymene, the daughter of Oceanus, four sons-Atlas, Menatius, Prometheus, and Epimetheus. Of these, Prometheus was the most daring and intelligent, as well as the wisest. Following the example of his grandfather Oceanus, he took the side of Zeus in the great struggle whereby the latter wrested from the Titans the sovereignty of the world. Soon after he took upon himself the protection of mankind, conferring upon them many benefits, yet also, by unintentionally exciting the enmity of the gods, inflicting upon them many woes. Prometheus stealthily obtained fire from heaven, and, having given it to men, taught them by its aid to practice the useful arts. Zeus, enraged at this, and at various other misdemeanors of Prometheus, devised a plan to punish both him and mankind. Among the many gods and goddesses over whom Zeus held sway were Hephaestus, Hermes, Athene, Aphrodite, and the Charites. Hephaestus, by command of Zeus, formed from earth a most beautiful maiden. Athene, Aphrodite, and the Charites adorned her with various charms, while Hermes imparted to her his cunning and his enchanting eloquence. This |