The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 02: (From the Rise of Greece to the Christian Era)
History
The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 02: (From the Rise of Greece to the Christian Era)
World history
[Footnote 29: This description of a village on the Armenian uplands
applies itself to many that I visited in the present day. The descent by
wells is now rare, but is still to be met with; but in exposed and
elevated situations the houses are uniformly semi-subterraneous and
entered by as small an aperture as possible, to prevent the cold getting
in. Whatever the kind of cottage used, cows, sheep, goats, and fowls
participate with the family in the warmth and protection thereof.]
[Footnote 30: Something like our ale.]
[Footnote 31: The reeds were used, says Krueger, that none of the grains
of barley might be taken into the mouth.]
Xenophon made the chief man of his village sup with him, and told him to
be of good courage, assuring him that he should not be deprived of his
children, and that they would not go away without filling his house with
provisions in return for what they took, if he would but prove himself
the author of some service to the army till they should reach another
tribe. This he promised, and, to show his good-will, pointed out where
some wine[32] was buried. This night, therefore, the soldiers rested in
their several quarters in the midst of great abundance, setting a guard
over the chief, and keeping his children at the same time under their
eye. The following day Xenophon took the head man and went with him to
Chirisophus, and wherever he passed by a village he turned aside to
visit those who were quartered in it, and found them in all parts
feasting and enjoying themselves; nor would they anywhere let them go
till they had set refreshments before them; and they placed everywhere
upon the same table lamb, kid, pork, veal, and fowl, with plenty of
bread, both of wheat and barley. Whenever any person, to pay a
compliment, wished to drink to another, he took him to the large bowl,
where he had to stoop down and drink, sucking like an ox. The chief they
allowed to take whatever he pleased, but he accepted nothing from them;
where he found any of his relatives, however, he took them with him.
[Footnote 32: Xenophon seems to mean _grape_ wine, rather than to refer
to the barley wine just before mentioned, of which the taste does not
appear to have been much liked by the Greeks. Wine from grapes was not
made, it is probable, in these parts, on account of the cold, but Strabo
speaks of the fruit wine of Armenia Minor as not inferior to any of the
Greek wines.--_Schneider_.]
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