312 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



for the arrival of the colony which first commenced the city. 

 Such a period is consistent with the first arrival of the Celtae 

 in < raul. 



The Semi-Finnic Tyrheni were certainly allied to the 

 Thraco-Pelasgians, and spoke a dialect not yet clearly asci r- 

 tained; had at a very early period an alphabet, which, 

 although primarily also of sixteen letters, neither coincides 

 with the Cad mean nor with the Roman.* They were in 

 possession of a growing civilization, such as smelting ores, and 

 casting in brass effigies and bas-reliefs of divinities and men 

 (they could even plate them with silver and gold), and made 

 fictile vases variously colored ; whereon, either in consequence 

 of captured Greeks being among their early slaves, or from 

 causes not known, there are found depicted Hellenic Mythi, 

 often with circumstances not mentioned in the Greek poets, 

 and yet extending over the whole geographical surface of their 

 fables, from Palestine and Asia Minor to Sicily, and even to 

 Gades in Spain. Like the Pelasgians, they built walls of 

 cities with stones of enormous dimensions, generally in 

 courses, with more regularity; but, unlike them, they had fre- 

 quent subterranean passages, or galleries of mines beneath 

 their cities, the use of which is not yet understood. They 

 constructed their tombs usually in caves, dug with skill and 

 considerable beauty, so well concealed and blocked up, that 

 many have been discovered only in latter times; and these are 

 found to have been adorned with sculptures and paintings of no 

 mean artistical merit. The national mythology was however 

 totally distinct from the Greek or Roman, and approximated, 

 or was identical with, that of other Finnic tribes. Such were 

 the Falsen of Etruria (Falaces), pillar-gods, usually repre- 

 sented in pairs, once well known to the pagan Scandinavians, 



* It appears that the Greek alphabet never contained at one time all the 

 Etruscan forms, and they continued to write from right to left. It is 

 probable the early Celts wrote with the same letters. 



