THE INTRODUCTION OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 247 



when they moved into the several parts of Europe, or were they first 

 received by them at a later time. 



There is no doubt that the original home of the horse is not Eu- 

 rope, but Central Asia ; for since the horse in its natural state de- 

 pends upon grass for its nourishment and fleetness for its weapon, it 

 could not in the beginning have thriven and multiplied in the thick 

 forest-grown territory of Europe. Much rather should its place of 

 propagation be sought in those steppes where it still roams about in 

 a wild state. Here, too, arose the first nations of riders of which 

 we have historic knowledge, the Mongolians and the Turks, whose 

 existence even at this day is as it were combined with that of the 

 horse. From these regions the horse spread in all directions, espe- 

 cially into the steppes of Southern and Southeastern Russia and into 

 Thrace, until it finally found entrance into the other parts of Europe, 

 but not until after the immigration of the people. This assumption is, 

 at least, strongly favored by the fact that the farther a district of 

 Europe is from those Asiatic steppes, i. e., from the original home of 

 the horse, the later does the tamed horse seem to have made its his- 

 toric appearance in it. The supposition is further confirmed by the 

 fact that horse-raising among almost every tribe appears as an art 

 derived from neighboring tribes in the East or Northeast. Even in 

 Homer the ox appears exclusively as the draught-animal in land opera- 

 tions at home and in the field, while the horse was used for purposes 

 of war only. Its employment in military operations was determined 

 by swiftness alone. That the value of the horse must originally have 

 depended on its fleetness, can easily be inferred from the name which 

 is repeated in all the branches of the Indo-European language, and 

 signifies nearly " hastening," "quick." The same fact is exemplified 

 by the descriptions of the oldest poets, who, next to its courage, speak 

 most of its swiftness. How beautiful, for example, is the description 

 in Homer ! 



" ... As when some courser, fed 

 With barley in the stall, and wont to bathe 

 In some smooth-flowing river, having snapped 

 His halter, gayly scampers o'er the plain, 

 And in the pride of beauty bears aloft 

 His head and gives his tossing mane to stream 

 Upon his shoulders, while his flying feet 

 Bear him to where the mares are wont to graze." 



Iliad (Bryant's translation, vi, 644-651). 



And what lofty words does the author of the book of Job use in 

 speaking of this animal ! 



" He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted ; 

 Neither turneth he back from the sword. 

 The quiver rattleth against him, 

 The glittering spear and the shield. 



