Its disas- 
trous effect 
462 
from again taking the field, and receiving every, re- 
quisite relief to their wants. In this way, the siege 
was prolonged for the space of ten years; and even at 
the last, the house of Priam was not overthrown with- 
out the aid of stratagem and treachery, But, while the 
allied Greeks triumphed over Troy, it. was to each of 
them a victory dearly purchased. Few of the princes, 
who witnessed the successful termination of their expe- 
dition, were permitted to enjoy in their native country 
the renown and repose, which their exertions had earn- 
ed; but, having made no provision for the administra- 
tion of their affairs during their absence, were either 
murdered at their return by some usurper of their 
power, or compelled to reimbark with their adherents, 
Flourishing In quest of distant settlements. The Athenian state, 
state of 
Athens, 
Customs 
and man- 
ners of the 
early 
Greeks. 
Religion. 
which seems to have made. the nearest approach to a 
settled government, suffered least by the absence of the 
commander of their army ; and regular magistrates sup- 
plied the place of their chief. In this city, Orestes, the 
son of Agamemnon, obtained an asylum ; and, after re- 
maining seven years in exile, found means to avenge 
his father’s death, and to recover the throne of Argos, 
which he held with great power and reputation till his 
death. See Acuittes, AcaMEMNoN, Asax, Homer; 
Troy, &c. 
Here terminates the history contained in the writings 
of Homer, who seems to indicate, that the concluding 
events which he records were within the reach of his 
own memory; and whose works, in fact, contain al- 
most the only materials for an account of the heroic 
age. He affords at least the best and most authentic 
view of the political and domestic state of the Greek 
people, during the period which preceded. his death; 
and to his poems we may refer for a description of the re- 
ligion, government, arts, and manners of the early 
Greeks. The ancient, Pelasgian inhabitants ef Greece 
are said by Herodotus to have prayed and saerificed to 
gods, to whom they gave no name or distinguishing 
appellation ; and the works ef Hesiod still more clearly 
prove that they drew their first notions on the subject 
of religion from Oriental traditions, Their future sys- 
tem of polytheism seems to have been imported by the 
Egyptian colonists; but to the principal divinities thus 
introduced, their own lively fancy soon added a mualti- 
tude of other imaginary beings, ‘presiding over ev 
* mountain and river, every season and production ; ‘and 
these were arranged by ‘Hesiod and Homer into a:kind. 
of system of the most extravagant and inexplicable dew 
scription. There is neither omnipotence nor omnipre- 
sence among the attributes which the last mentioned 
poet ascribes even to the father of the gods; neither 
perfect goodness nor perfect happiness in the heaven, 
which he assigns as their residence. An incomprehen- 
sible power, denominated Fate, is represented as di- 
recting all events ; and it seems to have been the prin- 
cipal office of Jupiter to superintend the execution of 
its deerees, Idolatry, as denoting the worship of visi- 
ble objects, was at this period unknown; and even 
temples appear to have been rare. Prayers were ad- 
dressed. as to invisible deities ; and sacrifices, the only 
duty which they seem to have been considered. as ex 
pecting from their worshippers, were ‘offered upon al-. 
tars erected in the open air. <A few crimes are some- 
times denounced as exposing to the vengeance of the 
gods, but morality in general finds very little support 
i the religion of this period. Soothsayers, who pros 
fessed to foresee future events, were sufficiently. nume- 
rous ; but fixed oracles bad not yet attained any exten 
sive celebrity. The salutary doctrine of the immortas 
1 
GREECE. 
pe aclarpanelpatel Pern tne or oye 
i was in ; 3 
lous absurdities, with which it was clothed, tended, 
when men had learned to despise , 
contempt also upon the momentous truth which 
had veiled. The form of government was m ieal, Govern. 
and in some degree tary ; but the authority of me 
the kings was extremely limited, and always controuled 
by established customs. It was the universal preroga- 
tive of the 
cil of the principal men, but also an assembly 
le ; and pe os h pneeheunanme 
always necessary: 
to maintain his authority, Dk Sey Aste iley 
the days of Hesiod and Homer, while so little of it Poetry 
could a been reduced te writing. In the absence 
its effects, it appears to have been extremely sd 
and. inartificial. in its composition. Their agriculture 4 pric 
ears to have been carried on with considerable re~ 
aati; and the practice of manuring, as well as: 
ploughing and resis is expressly mentioned by Ho= 
mer. | Wine was made from the vine, and oil from the: 
olive ; but the principal source of wealth was found in’ 
pasturage; and cattle were made, im place of coin, the = 
usual measure of the value of commodities. Commerce’ (omn 
was chiefly carried on by an exchange off articles ; and 
the foreign trade of the Grecian: cities was principally 
in the hands of the Phenicians. There: were Greeks, 
indeed, in the days of Homer, who pursued a kind of 
coasting traffic .a themselves ; but the 
of a merchant for gain was not-held in: much estima. 
tion, ve was less meer yen of pix 
rate. Their navigation was very i t; am 
used oars move frequ than sails. Their Stipe het 
con~ 
and 
no decks; and the largest that went to 
tained. only 120: men, Anchors were unknown ; 
the vessels, when in port, were either moored <e 
stones on the shore, or were actually drawn out of 
water upon the beach. The early Greeks, in short, 
were rather boatmen than seamen; and, indeed, to 
this day, the skill of the navigator is. of little avail in 
their narrow and tem ous seas. They. had little Sci 
knowledge of astronomy; and marked the length of 
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