
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1892 Excerpt:...A YOUNG MAN. The more important arguments upon which the claim for an early date for Cylon is based, drawn from the direct language of the sources, are concerned with the age of Cylon at the time of his attempt to possess the acropolis. The earliest and in fact the only writer who gives any information on this point is Herodotus (V. 71), in these words: ovros «ri rvpav Vlsi tKO/Mycrt, irpocriroir)cTdiAevo's Si fraipriiriv rtuv iJAuacDrCcov, KaraAa/Jeiv rqv dKpoiroXiv iiraprjOrj. The word of especial significance in this passage is xiklztoi, which though not found elsewhere in Herodotus is a word of good classical usage. It means 'age-mates,' 'persons of the same age,' but as actually used it seems to be restricted almost wholly to the young and to the old.1 When used of combinations for political purposes, it can have reference only to leagues of youthful comrades and associates. There would be a manifest absurdity in supposing that a combination of middle-aged men was here meant; the fact of age is not dwelt upon in speaking of men in middle life: this is a feature that impresses itself upon the attention only when persons at the extremes of age are spoken of. Still more absurd would it be to suppose that Herodotus here meant a combination of aged men. Herodotus's own use of language makes it very clear that eraip-qCrjv 7W r/XiKiiorfiav2 refers to a company of young men,3 but vividly and with no uncertain lines--as a deed of youthful and heedless daring and violence. Now we know that Cylon was winner in the oYavAos at Olympia in 640 B.C. The nature of this contest was such that only men in the flower and vigor of young manhood could participate in it; at this time, then, Cylon must have been still a young man, certainly not above thirty years of age,...
Page Count:
34
Publication Date:
2012-05-18
Publisher:
RareBooksClub.com
ISBN-10:
1236175220
ISBN-13:
9781236175229
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