Chap. III. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. in 



younger nation than the Greeks, were much finer bodies of men 

 than the Greeks were at that time. But, fuch as they were long 

 after that invafion, it is difficult, I think, to believe that there are 

 any men now in Europe that could ftand a conflict, like that of 

 Leu6tra or Mantinaea. And, indeed, if I were of the opinion a- 

 gainfl which I am now arguing, I fhould believe as little of the an- 

 tient hiftory of Greece, even after the acra of the Olympiads, when 

 true hiftory is faid to begin, as of the heroic ages. 



The Romans were a nation mixed of feveral colonies of Greeks, 

 which fettled, at different times, in Latium. The Halicarnaffian 

 counts four of them, the lafl: of whom were the Trojans under 

 iEneas* ; for, that the Trojans were originally Greeks, he has, I 

 think, proved very clearly : And, indeed, I require no other proof 

 of it than what Homer furnifhes ; for it is evident, from his account 

 of the Trojan war, that the Greeks and Trojans fpoke the fame lan- 

 guage. Nor were there any in either army who fpoke barbaroufly, 

 except the Carians t« Now, there is no ftronger proof of two nations 

 being of the fame race, than their fpeaking the fame language. The Ro- 

 mans had their Heroic Age, as well as the Greeks, their progenitors. 

 Nor do I think this age was ended when Romulus, who was the 1 7th f 

 from ^neas, founded their city; forhe wasahero, exceUingnot only in 

 fight, but in council and civil prudence, as the Halicarnaffian tells us. 

 That his citizens, in procefs of time, degenerated from the fize and 

 flrength of their progenitors, I cannot doubt ; though, I am perfua- 

 ded, that, confidering the way in which they lived, efpecially in the 

 early ages of their city, the decline was very flow ; fo flow, that it 

 is not taken notice of by any of their old writers : But, even in la- 

 ter 



* Dionyfius's Antiquities, Lib. i. Cap. 60. 



t Iliad, ii. Verf. 867. where he fpeaks of the Kx^c»¥ jim^lici^tptuvY. 



X Dionyfius's Antiquities, Lib. i. Cap. 25. 



