1 8 Before Chrift 1 1 §4. 



1 1 84 — At length, having gkitted their revenge by the deftrudion of 

 Troy, and their avarice by the pKmder of the wealth colleded in it, the 

 remains of the Greeks made the beft of their way to their long-deferted 

 homes, where, as might well be expeded, they found the moft dreadful 

 diforders in their families, and their territories ravaged by enemies, or 

 convulfed by inteftine commotions. 



Such was the conclufion of the Trojan war, the mofl celebrated event 

 of antiquity, with which the real hiftory of Greece, hitherto overwhelm- 

 ed with fable, may, perhaps, be faid to commence*. It appears from 

 many paflages in Homer, that the Trojans were much fnperior to the 

 Greeks in civilization, and that they lived in comfort and elegance, till 

 they were difturbed by thofe invaders. Hence it is certain, that they 

 had made confiderable progrefs in the arts and fciences, and were poflelt 

 cd of fome commerce, for which their fituation on the ftrait between 

 the Euxine and yEgean feas, was exceedingly commodious. We even 

 find, that they had fkilful {hip-builders; and Homer has immortalized 

 the name, real or fiditious, of Harmonides, the builder of the vefTels, 

 which carried off the beautiful Helen from Sparta. 



The great fleet got together for the Trojan war, was not provided nor 

 maintained by commerce, the only effedual fupport of a permanent na- 

 val power. It was the production of an extraordinary temporary exer- 

 tion urged by the fpirit of refentment and the hope of rich plunder, 

 natural to favages funk in floth and indolence. But v.'hen the fervour of 

 infanity, which incited the Greeks to ruin themfelves in order to deflroy 

 the Trojans, was cooled by the difaftrous confequences of their conqueft, 

 this mufliroom navy was annihilated ; and for feveral centuries we hear 

 no more of any confiderable naval expeditions undertaken by that people. 

 During thofe heroic ages of Greece, as they are called, the petty prin- 

 ces, who lived on the fea coafis, frequently fitted out velfels to go upon 

 piratical cruiles. We might thence fuppoie, that merchant fliips were 

 fo numerous upon the feas, as to afford many captures to thofe robbers. 

 But apparently that was not the cafe. They did not entirely depend 

 upon what plunder they could find at fea : they often landed, and pil- 

 laged the defencelefs villages, carrying off, not only all the goods and 

 cattle they could find, but even the people themfelves, whom they fold 

 forflaves. Thofe ])irates were fufficiently numerous to keep one-anothcr in 

 countenance ; and their rank and power made the ignorant people confi- 

 der their exploits as by no means difgraceful, but rather praife-worthy j 



• TIic A rundtl, or Parian, marbles place t)ic dc- licifrr, or fufpicioiis cn'ticifm, of motkin times 



flnifliori ofT roy Iwenty-fivc years earlier; an tr- niay, in rtfetitmcnt of the iiuuimcrablt impofitions 



r.)r, wliich tlicy continue till the dlrtblifhrncnt of put upon us mukr tlie name of hillory, pofllbly go 



the annual magiUracy at Athens. too far. It may, however, jull be obfcrved that 



Of late it has been quellioneii, whether tlierc Dion Clnyfollom [_Oral. xi] long ago denied the 



f ver was a Trojan war, or a eitv called Troy, fuch Trojan war. — Tlie examination of fuch a qucftion 



ilk it is dcfcribed by Homer. The laudable fcep- would be quite uut of place in ihib work. 



