G R iE C I A. 



the murder committed by the daughters of Daiiaus on their 

 liulbands, 1485 B.C. ; the introduftion of the Phoenician 

 letters into Greece, 1493 B.C. ; the legiflatioii of Minos in 

 Crete, 1406 BC; thu Argon.uitic expedition, 1263 B.C.; 

 •the exploits of Thefeus, 1234 B.C. ; the war of the feven 

 heroes againft Thebes, J225 B.C., &c. &c. 



The fccond period begins with the fiege of Troy, and ter- 

 minates with the battle of Marathon, 490 B.C., including 

 about 694 years. In the year 1104 B.C., 80 years after 

 the taking of Troy, the Heraclidae, or defcendants of 

 Hercules, condufted the Dorians to the eaftcrn coafl of Pe- 

 loponnefus, and having landed their followers without oppoii- 

 tion, allailcd the defencelefs territories, to which they had 

 long laid claim, comprehending the whole peninfula, except 

 the central province of Arcadia, and the maritime diftritt 

 of Achaia. The five other provinces were conquered at the 

 fame time, though by dift'ercnt means. Laconia was be- 

 trayed to the invaders ; Argos acknowledged their authori- 

 ty ; Corinth, Elis, and Meffenia fubmitted to their arms. 

 The revolution was complete, and cfFefted with little blood- 

 ■fiicd ; but not without great oppreflion of the ancient in- 

 habitants, many of whom emigrated, and many were 

 reduced to llavery. The Heraclidas divided their new ac- 

 quifitions by lot.' Upon the divifion of Peloponnefus the 

 kingdom of Lacedxmon commenced, 1 102 B.C. In the 

 year IC96 B.C., or 88 years after the taking of Troy, the 

 Eolians, having traverfed the northern parts of Grscia in 

 quell of new fetilements, crofied the Hellefpont, and 

 eftabliflied themfelves along the fhore of the ancient king- 

 dom of Priam. They gradually diffufed their colonies from 

 Cyzicus on the Propontis to the mouth of tlie river Her- 

 mus ; which delightful country, together with the ifle of 

 Leibos, from this time received the name of Eolis or Eolia, 

 denoting that its inhabitants belonged to the Eolian 

 branch of the Hellenic race. In the year 1070 B.C. royalty 

 terminated in Athens upon the death of Codrus, and the 

 Athenians were afterwards governed by Archons. In the 

 year 1044 B.C., 60 years after the return of the Heraclidse, 

 the lonians, blended with other emigrants, having ieized 

 the central and moll beautiful part of the Afiatic coall, gra- 

 dually diffufed their colonies from the banks of the 

 Hermus to the promontory of Pofidion, and afterwards 

 took pofl'edion of Chios and Samos ; and all tliefe coun- 

 tries were united in the year above-mentioited by the 

 name of Ionia, intimating tiiat the lonians compofed the 

 mod numerous diviiion of the colony. (See Ionia ) The 

 Doric migration took place in the year B.C. 944 (See 

 Doris ) 



During the heroic ages we have feen, in the preced- 

 ing part of this article, that the authority of kings was 

 founded on religion, fupported by gratitude, and conlirmed 

 by utility Wiiile they approved themfelves worthy minillers 

 of heaven, they were entitled to due and hereditary honours ; 

 but they were bound to refpetl the rights, the fentiments, 

 and even the prejudices of their fubjefts. But at length, in- 

 cited by ambition and avarice, they tranfgreffed the prefcribed 

 limits, and tranipled on thofe laws which their predecefforshad 

 hold lacred. The minute diviiion of property, which had 

 taken place, not only in Peloponnefus, but in the northern 

 provinces of Greece, rendered the iaobles and people more 

 feiidble of their encroachments, and induced themto refill their 

 opprcfTors. The more independent and illullrious citizens, 

 who from the earliell times had been accuflomed to come 

 armed to the council or aflembly, communicated their 

 grievances, and adopted proper means for removing them. 

 Miltas, the fourth Arglve yrince in fucceffion to Temenus, 

 to vvh< m Argos ftU on the KeracSdan diftribution, was cou- 



3 



demned to death for ufurping abfolutc power. In Attica 

 monarchy more honourably expired ; it perilhed (lill more dif- 

 gracefuUy in Arcadia; but was gradually abolilhed in every 

 province of Greece, except Sparta, from tlie fouthern ex- 

 tremity of Peloponnefus to the northern frontier of Thef- 

 faly. The confequence of the abolition of monarchy was 

 the introduftion of accumulated evils. Tliefe, however, 

 were removed, or at Icall alleviated, by the authority of the 

 Amphictyonic council, and by that of the oracles, particu- 

 larly that of Delphi. This latter oracle confirmed by its 

 awful fantlion the 01yi'''pic games and Spartan laws, which 

 had been refpeftively eilablilhed, the former by Iphitus, and 

 the latter by Eycurgus in the fame year, fi-z,. 884 B.C. ; 

 and which ferved to the fafety of their refpeftivc territories, 

 though in different ways ; the Olympic games by rendering 

 Elis the moil pacific, and the lav. s ot Lyturgus by making 

 Sparta the moil warlike, of all the Grecian communities. 

 Greece, even under its kings, was divided into many inde- 

 pendent flates ; and under the republican torm cf govern- 

 ment it was flill more fubdivided ; and hence wars became 

 more frequent, and battles more bloody and more obdinate. 

 But the long and fpirited conteil between the Laced-.ciiio- 

 nians and Meffenians was the only war of that age which 

 produced permanent efTecls. Of Laconia and iVIefTfnia 

 we fliall give an account under their refpeftivc articles. A^'e 

 fiiall here obferve, that they were both governed by kings 

 of th.e family of Hercules, and inhabited by fubjeils of the 

 Doric race, and yet this kind of mutual affinity and cou- 

 neclion was not fufficient to counteraft other caufcs, which 

 produced liolilities among them. Urged by reciprocal pro- 

 vocations whicii we cannot here detail, the Spartans invade 

 the Meffenian frontier and attack the fmall town of Am- 

 phica ; and thus in the year 743 B.C. began the firfl war 

 between the Meflenians and Laeed.Emonians, which lafted 

 19 years, and terminated with the furrender of I theme, 

 their capital, to the Lacedaemonians, and the difperfion of its 

 inhabitants. In the year 685 B C. the MefTenians prepare 

 to revolt, and a fecond war commences, which continued 14 

 years, and ended with the capture of Ira, or Eira, by the 

 Lacedi-monians, after a fiege ot 1 1 years. The conqneft 

 of Melfenia rendered Sparta the molt confidcrable power in 

 Greece, as its fubjects occupied two-fifths of the Pelopon- 

 nefus. In tlie year B C. 600 commenced the firft " Sacred 

 War," cccr.fioned by an injury committed againft the oracle 

 of Delphi, and undertaken by order oi the Aniphiclyons, 

 and terminated by the total deilruftion of the cities accuftd 

 of iacrilegioQs outrage. On occalion of the happy termination 

 of this war the Pvlhisn games were re-citabiiflied 591 B.C. 

 The battle cf Marathon, which clofes this fecond period of 

 the Grecian hiilori', terminated, after a very fevere conteil, 

 in the total defeat of the Perfian-s, and triumph of the 

 Athenians under their commander Miltiades. 



The third pericd of the hillory of Greece comprehends, 

 an interval of 167 years, that elapfed between the battle of 

 Marathon and the death of Alexander, 7,2-^ B.C. The 

 Athenians, in compliance with the advice of Themiilccles, 

 augment their navy ; and under his command they defeat 

 the fleets of TEgina and Corcyra. Themiilocles, infteadof 

 allowing the Athenians to indulge themfelves in fccurity after 

 the advantages they had gained, exhorted them to be alwr.y% 

 ready for aftion. In confequence of this judicious counit!, 

 they were enabled to oppofe the immenfe armaments of 

 Xerxes. The Athenian fleet proved tlie fafe-guard cf Greece, 

 and prevented a country, from which the knowledge of 

 laws, learning, and civility was deilined to flow over Europe, 

 from becoming a province of the Perfian empire, and being 

 confounded with the mafs of barbarous nations. Xerxes was 



provided 



