432

TERPSICHORE.

as the Athenians impofed, and engaged to leave
Attica within five days. Thus, after enjoying the
fupreme authority for thirty-fix years, they retired
to Sigeum beyond the Scamander. They were in
their descent Pylians, of the family of Peleus; they
were by birth related to Codrus and Melanthus,
who had also arrived at the principality of Athens,
though ftrangers like themselves. In memory of
which Hippocrates, the father of Pififtratus, had
named his fon from the fon of Neftor. The Athe-
nians were thus delivered from oppreffion; and it
will now be my business to commemorate fuch
profperous or calamitous events as they experienced
after they had thus recovered their liberties, before
Ionia had revolted from Darius, and Ariftagoras the
Milesian had arrived at Athens to fupplicate affif-

tance.

ལེགས

LXVI. Athens was confiderable before, but, its liberty being reftored, it became greater than ever. Of its citizens, two enjoyed more than common repu tation: Clifthenes, of the family of the Alcmæonidæ, who according to the voice of fame had corrupted the Pythian; and Ifagoras, fon of Tifander, who was certainly of an illustrious origin, but whose particular defcent I am not able to specify. The individuals of this family facrifice to the Carian Jupiter 32: these two men, in their contention for fuperiority,

82

82 Carian Jupiter.]-The Carians were exceedingly contemned, and they were regarded as flaves, because they were

the

riority, divided the state into factions: Clifthenes, who was worsted by his rival, found means to conciliate the favour of the people. The four tribes 3, which were before named from the fons of Ion, Geleon, Ægicores, Argades, and Hoples, he divided into ten, naming them according to his fancy, from

the first who let out troops for hire; for which reason they were exposed to the most perilous enterprizes. This people had a temple common to themselves, with the Lydians and Myfians; this was called the temple of the Carian Jupiter. They who facrificed to the Carian Jupiter acknowledged themselves to have been originally from Caria. Plutarch does not omit this opportunity of reproaching Herodotus; and indeed this is amongst the very few inftances of his having juftice on his fide, As early as in the time of Homer, the following proverb was

current;

- γιω δε μιν εν Καρος αισῃ,

I value him no more than a Carian,

Larcher.

This interpretation has, however, been justly confidered as doubtful. See Dr. Clarke's excellent note on that paffage. Il. ix. 378.-T.

83 The four tribes.]-The names of the four ancient tribes of Athens varied at different times: they were afterwards, as in this place reprefented, multiplied into ten; two others were then added. Each of these ten tribes, like fo many different republics, had their prefidents, officers of police, tribunals, asfemblies, and different interefts. Fifty fenators were elected as representatives of each tribe, which of courfe made the aggregate reprefentation of the ftate of Athens amount to five hundred. The motive of Clifthenes in dividing the Athenians into ten tribes, was a remarkable inftance of political fagacity; till then any one tribe uniting with a fecond must have rendered any conteft equal. The names here inferted have been the fubject of much learned controverfy. See the Ion of Euripides, ver. 1576, and the commentators upon it. An inscription published by Count Caylus has at length removed many of the difficulties.-T.

VOL. II.

Ff

the

the heroes of his country. One however he called after Ajax 4, who had been the neighbour and ally to his nation.

LXVII. In this particular, Clifthenes feems to me to have imitated his grandfather of the fame name by his mother's fide, who was prince of Sicyon: this Clifthenes having been engaged in hoftilities with the Argives, abolished at Sicyon the poetical contefts of the rhapfodifts, which he

84

was

4 Ajax.]-Ajax, fon of Telamon, had been prince of Ægina, an island in the neighbourhood of Attica.-Larcher. This is a most remarkable mistake in Larcher: Ajax was of Salamis, not of Ægina. See the well-known line in Homer:

Αίας δ' εκ Σαλαμίνος αγεν δυοκαίδεκα νηας.

$5 Rhapsodifts.]-This word is compounded either of gar to few, or galdos, a rod or branch, and wd, a fong or poem. According to the first derivation it fignifies a poet, author of va rious fongs or poems which are connected together, making one poem, of which the different parts may be detached and feparately recited. According to the fecond, it fignifies a finger, who holding in his hand a branch of laurel, recites either his own compofitions or thofe of fome celebrated poet.

Hefiod inclines to the former etymology. Homer, Hefiod, &c. were rhapfodifts in this fenfe; they compofed their poems in different books and parts, which uniting together made one perfect compofition. The ancient poets went from country to country, and from town to town, to inftruct and amuse the people by the recital of their verses, who in return treated them with great honours and much liberality. The most ancient rhapfodift on record is Phemius, whom Homer, after being his difciple, immortalizes in his Odyffey. The most probable opinion is, that in finging the verses which they themselves compofed, they carried in their hand a branch of laurel. The rhapfodifts of the fecond kind were invited to feafts and public facrifices, to fing the poems of Orpheus, Mufæus, Hefiod, Ar

chilochus,

.

was induced to do, because in the verses of Homer, which were there generally felected for this purpose, Argos and its inhabitants were fuch frequent objects of praise. From the fame motive he was folicitous to expel the relics of Adraftus, an Argive, the fon of Talaus, which were depofited in the forum of Sicyon ; he went therefore to

86

Delphic oracle, whether he might

enquire of the expel Adraftus.

The Pythian faid in reply, that Adraftus was a prince of Sicyon, whilft he himself was a robber. Meeting with this repulfe from the oracle, he on his

chilochus, Mimnermus, Phocylides, and in particular of Homer. These were fatisfied with reciting the compofitions of others, änd certainly carried a branch of laurel, which particularly has been difputed with refpect to the first.

They were also called Homerides or Homerifts, because they generally recited verfes from Homer.

They fung fitting on a raifed chair, accompanying their verfes with a cithera or fome other inftrument, and in return a crown of gold was given them. In process of time the words rhapsodist and rhapfody became terms of contempt, from the abuse which the rhapfodifts made of their profeffion; and at the prefent day the term rhapsody is applied to a number of vile pieces ill put together.-Larcher.

The note above given from Larcher will neceffarily bring to the mind of the English reader the character and office of our ancient bards, whom the rhapfodifts of old in many refpects resembled. Of the two, the bards were perhaps the more honourable, as they confined themselves to the recital of the valorous actions of heroes, and of fuch fentiments as inspired bravery and virtue. In our language alfo, rhapsody is now always used in a bad fenfe; but it was not fo with our more ancient writers, and our poets in particular.-T.

36 Forum of Sicyon.]-Dieutychidas relates that Adraftus was buried at Megara, and that at Sicyon there was only a cenotaph of this hero. See Scholiaft to Pindar, ad Nem. 30.Larcher.

return concerted other means to rid himself of Adraftus. Thinking he had accomplished this, he fent to Thebes of Boeotia to bring back Melanippus $7, a native of Sicyon, and fon of Aftacus. By the confent of the Thebans, his request was granted; he then etected to his honour a fhrine in the Prytaneum, and deposited his remains in a place ftrongly fortified. His motive for thus bringing back Melanippus, which ought not to be omitted, was the great enmity which fubfifted betwixt him and Adraftus, and farther, because Melanippus had been acceffary to the deaths of Meciftes the brother, and Tydeus the fon-in-law of Adraftus. When the fhrine was completed, Clifthenes affigned to Melanippus the facrifices and feftivals which before had been appropriated to Adraftus, and folemnized by the Sicyonians with the greatest pomp and magnificence. This diftrict had formerly been under the fovereignty of Polybus, who dying without children, had left his dominions to Adraftus, his grandfon by a daughter. Amongst other marks of họnour which the Sicyonians paid the memory of Adraftus, they commemorated in tragic choruses SS

his

Melanippus.]-When the Argives attacked Thebes, this warrior flew Tydeus and Meciftus, the brother of Adraftus, whilft he himself perished by the hands of Amphiaraus.

88 Tragic chorufes.]—It may be inferred, fays Larcher, from this paffage, that Thefpis was not the inventor of tragedy; and he quotes Themiftius as faying, " The Sicyonians were the inventers of tragedy, but the Athenians brought it to perfection." Suidas alfo, at the word om, fays, that Epigenes of Sicyon was the first tragèdian, and Thefpis only the fixteenth. M.

Larcher