556 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



either at the very dawn of Hellenic culture, or during its wane. Sec- 

 ondly, the mainland on either side of the iEgean being free from 

 volcanic action, knowledge of this form of energy was dependent upon 

 the reports of travelers who had visited Etna or Argseus; and our sole 

 reason for supposing that either of these centers was in eruption dur- 

 ing the early historical period is based upon their persistent association 

 with Typhon myths. As for the first tremendous convulsion which 

 overwhelmed Thera (Santorin), this happened so long anterior to 

 documentary history that not the least vestige of a tradition has sur- 

 vived. The next fiery outbreak did not occur until about two hundred 

 years before our era, and that of Methona only about a century earlier. 

 Hence, until considerably after the time of Aristotle, the opportunity 

 for studying active volcanoes, either near at hand or in distant regions, 

 was extremely limited. 



On the other hand, secondary manifestations of vulcanism were 

 everywhere abundant. The extraordinary prevalence and violence of 

 earthquakes throughout the ancient world, their effect upon the popular 

 mind, and the extent to which even historical events were influenced 

 by them, are facts too well known to require comment. Frequent 

 references in literature to mud volcanoes, solfataras, fumaroles, sul- 

 phur springs and allied phenomena reveal a lively curiosity in these 

 matters, and a growing tendency to associate them with volcanic action. 

 Attention early became attracted to the numerous jets of mephitic 

 vapor in western Phrygia, their fancied connection with the infernal 

 regions giving rise to such names as Charonia and Plutonia. The 

 Plutonium of Hierapolis was particularly famous, and so too were the 

 hot springs in various parts of Greece, as at Thermopylae, and in 

 the north of Euboea. All these occurrences were associated in the 

 olden time with Heracles in his character of fire-god; and owing to 

 constant succession of earthquake shocks in the Peloponnese, that dis- 

 trict became the focus of the worship of Poseidon, the ' earth-shaker.' 

 Gradually a mythological interpretation of these phenomena gave place 

 to a philosophical, crude at first, but elaborated little by little, until 

 finally ideas were developed which have become the heritage of modern 

 science. 



It will repay us to trace the development of some of these ideas, 

 though in view of the thoroughness with which this has already been 

 done by Sudhaus in his scientific commentaries on 'iEtna' (Leipzig, 

 1898), we need not attempt here more than a cursory retrospect. After 

 Thales, who regarded earthquakes as universal disturbances produced 



have been many modern examples in the new islands raised in the time of 

 history. When the series of convulsions ended, the island was said to become 

 fixed. Cf. Lyell, 'Principles of Geology,' Vol. I., Chapter 1, and Emerson's 

 vice-presidential address on ' Geological Myths,' Proc. Amer. Assoc. Adv. Sci., 

 1897. Abundant references to the literature will be found in the first part 

 of Max Mayer's ' Die Giganten und Titanen in der antiken Sage und Kunst ' 

 (Berlin, 1887). 



