618 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



distressing political spectacle to observe what light, if any, anthro- 

 pology may shed upon the problem. 



From the relative isolation of the Greeks at the extreme southern 

 point of the peninsula and especially in the Peloponnesus, it would 

 seem that they might be relatively free from those ethnic disturb- 

 ances which have worked such havoc elsewhere in the Orient. Never- 

 theless, Grecian history recounts a continuous succession of inroads 

 from the landward north, as well as from the sea. It would transcend 

 the limits of our study to attempt any detailed analysis of the early 

 ethnology of the country.* Examination of the relationship of the 

 Pelasgi to their contemporaries we leave to the philologists. Posi- 

 tively no anthropological data on the matter exist. We are sufficient- 

 ly grateful for the hundred or more well-authenticated ancient Greek 

 crania of any sort which remain to us. It is useless to attempt any 

 inquiry as to their more definite ethnic origin within the tribal 

 divisions of the country, f The testimony of these ancient Greek 

 crania is perfectly harmonious. All authorities agree that the ancient 

 Hellenes were decidedly long-headed, betraying in this respect their 

 affinity to the Mediterranean race, which we have already traced 

 throughout southern Europe and Africa.:}: Whether from Attica; 

 from Schliemann's successive cities excavated upon the site of Troy; 

 or from the coast of Asia Minor; at all times from 400 b. c. to the third 

 century of our era ; it would seem proved that the Greeks were of this 

 dolichocephalic type. Stephanos gives the average cranial index of 

 them all as about 75.7, betokening a people like the present Cala- 

 brians in head form ; and, for that matter, about as long-headed as the 

 Anglo-Saxons in England and America. More than this concerning 

 the physical traits of these ancient Greeks we can not establish with 

 any certainty. No perfect skeletons from which we can ascertain 

 their statures remain to us. Nor can we be more positive as to their 

 brunetness. Their admiration for blondness in heroes and deities is 

 well known. As Dr. Beddoe ('93) says, almost all of Homer's favorites 

 were blond or chestnut-haired, as well as large and tall. Lapouge * 

 seems inclined to regard this as proof that the Greeks themselves were 

 of this type, a deduction which appears to us in no wise well founded. 1 1 

 As we shall see, every characteristic in their modern descendants and 



* Consult Fligier, 1881. Stephanos, 1884, p. 430, gives a complete bibliography of the 

 older works. Cf. also Reinach, 1893 b, in his review of Hesselmeyer ; and on the supposed 

 Hittites, the works of Wright, De Cara, Conder, etc. 



f Stephanos, 1884, p. 432, asserts the Pelasgi to have been brachyceplialic, while 

 Zampa, 1886 b, p. 639, as positively affirms the contrary view. 



% Nicolucci, 1865 and 1867; Zaborowski, 1881; Virchow, 1882 and 1893; Lapouge, 

 1896 a, pp. 412-419 ; and Sergi, 1895 a, p. 75, are best on ancient Greek crania. 



* 1896 a, p. 414. || Stephanos, 1884, p. 439. 



