THE HUMAN SPECIES. 391 



G:ths themselves. The Achsei, though they claimed to be of 

 the Pelasgian family, and the oldest of Greek colonists in Eu- 

 rope, came from the Mceotic estuary near Colchis. They 

 were, as the name indicates, serpent worshippers, or builders of 

 Dracontia, like the Cadmeans, the Colchians, and other nations 

 of Asia Minor. 



THE TIRYXTHIAXS. 



The Tirynthians, referred to the Cyclopean race, seem to 

 have been a still more early clan of the Pelasgian family ; 

 and it may be remarked that a fair-haired nation, with a blue 

 round tribal spot painted between the eyebrows, is represented 

 on Egyptian monuments, wearing mantles of peltry, appar- 

 ently cow hides — a costume which corroborates the meaning 

 of Pelasgians ; but as they wear ostrich feathers in the hair, 

 it is evident that these figures refer to clans who had forced 

 their way to the south of the mountain chains ; and, if they do 

 not represent giant tribes of Palestine, that they possessed ter- 

 ritory in Mesopotamia, and belonged to that Teutonic race 

 which mixed early with the Arabs before noticed. These 

 observations are not opposed by the actions of the legendary 

 Hercules at Tiryns. The Heraclidoe were of the same Pelas- 

 gian stem; and if the name be a mutation of Erck, Erk, they 

 may be fairly referred to the Giant Finns, whose tribes consti- 

 tuted the Tyrhenians, the Raseni, and the subsequent conquer- 

 ors of the north-west of Europe. 



The Ionian name is of later introduction in Greece ; it was 

 probably before known in Asia Minor, although, if we trust 

 Greek pretensions, they carried it from Europe to Asia. The 

 European Greeks had, however, anteriorly been known by the 

 name of iEgialeans, or coasters, which is an evident proof that 

 at first they only occupied the sea coast, and, consequently, that 

 they had come by water, and not across the Danube, through 

 Thessaly. Among these, the Cretan colony led by Rhadaman- 

 tl us, whose name indicates a Getic origin, had settled in Boeo- 



