History of Egypt, Chaldea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria in the Light of Recent DiscoveryKing, L. W. (Leonard William)
History
History of Egypt, Chaldea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria in the Light of Recent Discovery
King, L. W. (Leonard William)
Egypt -- History -- To 332 B.C.; History, Ancient
period that Greek legend refers the war of Troy, which was an attack
by Greek tribes from all parts of the Ægean upon the Asianic city
at Hissarlik in the Troad, exactly parallel to the attacks of the
Northerners on Egypt. And Homer preserves many a reminiscence of early
Greek visits, peaceful and the reverse, to the coast of Egypt at this
period. The reader will have noticed that one no longer treats the siege
of Troy as a myth. To do so would be to exhibit a most uncritical mind;
even the legends of King Arthur have a historic foundation, and those of
the Nibelungen are still more probable.
[2] See Hall, _Oldest Civilization of Greece_, p. 178 _f_.
[Illustration: 368.jpg Page Image to display Greek words]
[Illustration: 369.jpg Page Image to display Greek words]
In the eighth year of Ramses III the second Northern attack was made,
by the Pulesta (_Pelishtim_, Philistines), Tjakaray, Shakalasha
(Sagalassians), Vashasha, and Danauna or Daanau, in alliance with North
Syrian tribes. The Danauna are evidently the ancient representatives of
the _Aavaoî_, the Danaans who formed the bulk of the Greek army against
Troy under the leadership of the long-haired Achaians, [Greek words]
(like the Keftiu). The Vashasha have been identified by the writer with
the Axians, the [Greek word] of Crete. Prof. Petrie compares the name
of the Tjakaray with that of the (modern) place Zakro in Crete.
Identifications with modern place-names are of doubtful value;
for instance, we cannot but hold that Prof. Petrie errs greatly in
identifying the name of the Pidasa (another tribe mentioned in Ramses
II’s time) with that of the river Pidias in Cyprus. “Pidias” is a purely
modern corruption of the ancient Pediseus, which means the “plain-river”
(because it flows through the central plain of the island), from the
Greek [Greek word]. If, then, we make the Pidasa Cypriotes we assume
that pure Greek was spoken in Cyprus as early as 1100 b. c, which is
highly improbable. The Pidasa were probably Le-leges (Pedasians); the
name of Pisidia may be the same, by metathesis. Pedasos is a name always
connected with the much wandering tribe of the Leleges, where-ever they
are found in Lakonia or in Asia Minor. We believe them to have been
known to the Egyptians as Pidasa. The identification of the Tjakaray
with Zakro is very tempting. The name was formerly identified with
that of the Teukrians, but the v in the word Tewpot lias always been a
stumbling-block in the way. Perhaps Zakro is neither more nor less than
the Tetkpoc-name, since the legendary Teucer, the archer, was connected
with the eastern or Eteokretan end of Crete, where Zakro lies. In
Mycenæan times Zakro was an important place, so that the Tjakaray may
be the Teukroi, after all, and Zakro may preserve the name. At any rate,
this identification is most alluring and, taken in conjunction with
the other cumulative identifications, is very probable; but the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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