836 G R. E 
Grecian republics. Tn the reign of Codrus, before 
Ch.rift 1089, the Dorians had encroached on the Athe¬ 
nian frontier, and feizcd tlie territory of Megara, on 
tlie northern coa!i of the Saronic gulph. Iffuingfroin 
their ftrong holds in that rocky didri(i:f, from which it 
was long impoflible to diilodge them, they haraffcd the 
Athenians in a cntel war, concerning wliich a fuperfti-- 
tious iiimour prevailed; tliat they fliould finally rinnain 
conquerors, provided they abltained from injuring the 
perl'on of tlie Athenian king. Codrus, hearing the re¬ 
port, was infpired witli the fpirit of lieroifm congenial 
to his family. Difguifing himfelf in the habit of a pea- 
i’ant, lie proceeded to the quarters of the enemy ; in- 
fulted a Dorian foldier ; a combat enfued ; Codrus tell; 
liis body was recognifed ; and tlie fuperftitious Pelo- 
ponnefians, now delpairing of fuccefs, I'ul'pended their 
hoflilities. The inimitable merit of a prince, who had 
devoted himfelf to death for the fafety of his country, 
funiifhed the Atlienians vrith a pretence for abolifliing 
the royal authority. None of the human race, they de¬ 
clared, was wortliy to fucceed Codrus ; and none but 
Jupiter fiiould thenceforth reign in Athens. Medon, 
the eldeft Ton of that admired prince, was appointed 
firfl niagiftrate of the republic under the humbler title 
ofarchon. His brothers, Neleus, and Androclus, pro¬ 
bably diflatisfied with thefe tranf'acfions, determined to 
leave their country. 'I'heir delign was appuoved by 
the Achaean and Mefl'enian refugees, and by many 
Atlienia'n citizens, who complained that Attica was too 
narrow and barren to maintain the increafiiig numbers 
of its inhabitants. The refilefs fpirits in Phocis, Bceo- 
tia, and other neighbouring provinces, eagerly joined 
the emigrants. 'I'hey failed to Alia Minor, expelled 
the ancient inhabitants, a mixed race of Lydians, Ca- 
nans, and Pelafgi, and in the year before Chrilt 1055, 
feized tlie central and moft beautiful portion of the 
Aliatic coaff. Tlieir colonies were gradually diliufed 
from the banks of the Hermus to the promontory of Po- 
fideion. Tliey afterwards took poliellion of Chios and 
Samos ; and all thefe countries were united by the com¬ 
mon name of Ionia, to denote that the lonians compoled 
tlie mod numerous divifion of the colony. 
During the fame turbulent ages, intefline fedition, 
foreign invafion, or the reftlefs fpirit of adventure and 
rapine, occafioned other important extenfions of Grecian 
colon’zation. The moft numerous colonies occupied 
the illcs of the Ionian and ^gean leas, the I'outhern 
coaft of Italy almoft interfedted by the former, and the 
winding fhores of Afia Minor fo beautifully diverfified 
by the latter. The larger illands of Sicily, Sardinia, 
and Cyprus, were very anciently planted by Greeks. 
While the Hellenic ftock pulhed forth thefe-vigorous 
(hoots towards the eaft and weft, very confiderable 
branches extended towards the'north and fouth. The 
inaritime parts of Epirus, Macedonia, and Thrace, 
tlieinfelves abounding in Greek fettlements, poured 
forth new colonies along the European fhores of the 
Propontis and the Eitxine : and emigrants from the Pc- 
loponnefus having early efiabliflied therafelves on the 
oppofite coaff of Africa, were gradually diffufed from 
the cojifinesof Egypt to the Syrtic gulph. 
1 he Afiatic Greeks, wliole affairs firft became inti¬ 
mately connedfed with thofe of the mother country, re¬ 
ceived a confiderable accellion of ftrength in confe- 
quence of the renewal of hoftilities between the Atiie- 
mans and Dorians. The latter were finally expelled 
from many of their ftrong’ holds in Megara. Dildain- 
ing after this misfortune to return into tiie Peloponne- 
fus, many of them failed to the iflands of Rliodes and 
Crete, already peopled by Doric tribes; while otliers 
tranfported themfelves to the peninfula of Carla, which, 
in honour of their luother country, A. C. 944, received 
the name of Doris. 
•• In confequcnce of this eftablifiuuent, which was form- 
ed two luuidrcd and forty years after the Trojan war, 
E C E. 
the weftern coaft of Afia Minor was planted by the Eo- 
lians in the north, the lonians in the middle, and the 
Dorians in the fouth. Thefe original divilions of the 
Hellenic race retained in their' new fettlements the pe¬ 
culiarities of accent and dialed!, by which they liad been 
refpedtively diftinguifiied in Europe ; and which, at 
the time of tlieir feveral emigrations, prevailed in Boeo- 
tia, Attica, and Lacedaemon. Tlie Boeotians, and 
Lacedaemonians, who claimed the firft honours, the one 
of the Eolic, and the other of the Dorian, name, ad¬ 
hered, with little variation, to their ancient dialedls : 
but tlie Athenians, more ingenious, made fuch confider¬ 
able alterations in their writing and pronunciation, as 
remarkably diftinguifiied them from their Ionian bre¬ 
thren ; thus the fame language came to be modified 
into four fubdivifions, or dialedls, and diftinguifiied 
four ftates or kingdoms, which rofe out of the ruins of 
the lieroic age, or refulted from tlie fiege of Troy. 
During the prevalence of thofe generous tliough ro¬ 
mantic opinions, which charadleriled the heroic ages, 
the authority of kings was founded on religion, fup- 
ported by gratitude, and confirmed by utility. While 
they approved themfelves worthy miniftei s of heaven, 
they were entitled to due and hereditary honours; but 
in the exercife of the regal office, they were bound to re- 
fpedl the rights, the fentiments, and even tlie prejudices, 
of their fubjedts. The fatal didlates of ambition'andava- 
rice led them to tranfgrefs the preferibed limits, and to 
trample on thofe laws which their predcceftbrs had 
lield (acred. The minute divifion of landed propierty 
which had taken place, rendered the nobles and people 
more fenfible of thefe encroachments, which they muft 
at once boldly refift, or lubmit for ever to the yoke of 
oppreftion. Reduced to this alternative, the Greeks 
were inclined by difpofition, and enabled by (ituation, 
to prefer and to maintain the moft honourable part. 
The prerogatives of royalty were not as yet fupported 
by the excluftve right of the fword, by which a parti¬ 
cular clafs of men might intimidate and controul the 
relblutions of their fellow-fubjedls. The more inde¬ 
pendent' and illuftrious citizens, who had been ac- 
ciiftomed from the earlieft times to come armed to the 
council or aftembly, communicated their grievances, 
and took proper means to remove them. Miltas, the 
fourth Argive prince in fucceftion toTemenus, was con¬ 
demned to death for ufurping abfolute power. Mo¬ 
narchy expired more honourably in Attica; it perillied 
ftill more dilgracefully in Arcadia, but was gradually 
aboliftied in every province of Greece, except Sparta 
alone, from the fouthern extremity of Peloponnelus to 
the northern frontier of Theflaly. The confequences 
of this revolution, ferved only to multiply the griev¬ 
ances which it was defigned to remedy. Greece, 
opprefTed by its kings, was ftill more opprefted by its 
aichons, or magiftrates; and, already loo much di¬ 
vided under the ancient government, was (Till more 
fubdivided under the new form of polity. Many in¬ 
ferior cities difdained the jurifdidtion of their refpec- 
tive capitals. Each town maintained war with its 
neighbours; and every concomitant evil began to fail 
upon the diftradled country. From thefe accumulated 
dilorders, the people were at length to be prel'erved 
through the faiutary influence of the Amphidtyonic 
council. In the northern parts of Greece, tliis inftitii- 
tion, which had been originally intended to prevent fo¬ 
reign invafion, had been found equally ufefiil in pro¬ 
moting domeliic concord. 1 he Dorians, being confti- 
tiient members of the council, continued to attend its 
meetings after they had I'ottied beyond the mountainous 
ifthmus of Corinth. The provinces wliich they cen- 
qiiered gradually alTumed the (ame privilege. 1 he 
Amphictyons thus became a reprelentative aftembly of 
the whole Grecian name, conlifting not only or the three 
original tribes of' lonians, Dorians, and Eolians, but 
01 the feveral fubdivifions of thefe tribes, and of the 
* various 
