Greece -- History -- To 146 B.C.; History, Ancient
171. but Harpagos, after subduing Ionia, proceeded to march against the
Carians and Caunians and Lykians, taking also Ionians and Aiolians to
help him. Of these the Carians came to the mainland from the islands;
for being of old time subjects of Minos and being called Leleges, they
used to dwell in the islands, paying no tribute, so far back as I am
able to arrive by hearsay, but whenever Minos required it, they used
to supply his ships with seamen: and as Minos subdued much land and was
fortunate in his fighting, the Carian nation was of all nations by much
the most famous at that time together with him. And they produced three
inventions of which the Hellenes adopted the use; that is to say, the
Carians were those who first set the fashion of fastening crests on
helmets, and of making the devices which are put onto shields, and these
also were the first who made handles for their shields, whereas up to
that time all who were wont to use shields carried them without handles
and with leathern straps to guide them, having them hung about their
necks and their left shoulders. Then after the lapse of a long time the
Dorians and Ionians drove the Carians out of the islands, and so they
came to the mainland. With respect to the Carians the Cretans relate
that it happened thus; the Carians themselves however do not agree with
this account, but suppose that they are dwellers on the mainland from
the beginning, 172 and that they went always by the same name which they
have now: and they point as evidence of this to an ancient temple of
Carian Zeus at Mylasa, in which the Mysians and Lydians share as being
brother races of the Carians, for they say that Lydos and Mysos were
brothers of Car; these share in it, but those who being of another race
have come to speak the same language as the Carians, these have no share
in it.
172. It seems to me however that the Caunians are dwellers there from
the beginning, though they say themselves that they came from Crete: but
they have been assimilated to the Carian race in language, or else the
Carians to the Caunian race, I cannot with certainty determine which.
They have customs however in which they differ very much from all other
men as well as from the Carians; for example the fairest thing in their
estimation is to meet together in numbers for drinking, according to
equality of age or friendship, both men, women, and children; and again
when they had founded temples for foreign deities, afterwards they
changed their purpose and resolved to worship only their own native
gods, and the whole body of Caunian young men put on their armour and
made pursuit as far as the borders of the Calyndians, beating the air
with their spears; and they said that they were casting the foreign gods
out of the land. Such are the customs which these have.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account