58 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



Eurasian waterways was "undertaken by this race in the course of its 

 westerly spread. 2 



This specific case of migration may be considered as part of the 

 powerful "trans-humanizing" process moving in an east-west direction 

 which has taken place on the Eurasian continent. Interdependence be- 

 tween this movement and the conformable trend of the main lines of 

 Eurasian structure as well as correlated climatic zones still remains to be 

 determined. Ultimately the entire problem may be found to be con- 

 nected to mechanical effects of our planet's rotation. 



Since the dawn of historical times the Propontine area and its outlets 

 have borne the vessels of adventurous traders and colonists. Early ex- 

 tension of Hellenic influence to the easternmost shore of the Black Sea 

 was rendered possible by the advantages offered by this water route to 

 Greek pioneers. The foundation of Byzantium in 657 B.C. promoted 

 the intercourse between the east and west which at that time was largely 

 restricted to relations between the iEgean and Black Seas. A half-way 

 station was established on the unique site of the modern capital of the 

 Sultans. Here a system of powerful defenses reinforced by the en- 

 circling waters of the Golder Horn, Bosporus and Marmora provided 

 long lease of existence to the city which both Europeans and Asiatics 

 regarded as the gateway to rival continents. 



Between the iEgean mouth of the Hellespont and the Euxine out- 

 let of the Bosporus, Asiatic invaders of the western world and European 

 colonizers of the east have always found the shortest watery stretch of 

 their respective routes. This was an important point at a time when 

 control of natural forces was in a still undeveloped stage. The danger 

 of impairing the cohesive strength of an army of invaders was also 

 minimized. 



These considerations probably led Darius to adopt the Bosporus route 

 in the expedition sent against the Scythians in 513 B.C. His cohorts 

 tramped from Asia into Europe over a bridge of boats thrown across 

 the Bosporus in that year. 3 From that time on various incursions of 

 Asiatics into the western continent were to cross the water of these 

 straits. 



During the second Persian war the bridging of the Hellespont by 

 Xerxes' generals is commonly reported as having been undertaken be- 

 tween Abydos and Madytus. Both of these sites lie north of the nar- 

 rowest section of the Dardanelles, — the Kilidbahr-Chanak gap, barely a 

 mile in width. They correspond approximately to Nagara Point and 

 the paltry hamlet of Maitos, between which the distance of the straits 

 attains three miles. The current at the wider section is not as swift. 



2 Cf. map of Asiatic Migrations in The Wanderings of Peoples, by A. C. 

 Haddon, Cambridge, 1912. 



3 Herod., B. IV., 86-89. 



