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 ��718 AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST [n. s., i f 1899

literature of Greece and Rome for the history of their origin, and they found in these languages the records of a high state of cul- ture, especially in architecture, sculpture, poetry, and metaphysics. Thus the Greek and Latin languages were the repository of " the wisdom of the ancients " on these subjects. To trace the evolu- tion of European religion it is necessary for us to go to its source in the Hebrew; but to discover the origin of the governmental institutions we must go first to the Greek to discover the nature of the barbaric tribe, and then to the Roman to discover the nature of the monarchy, and from the two sources we may learn the development of tribal society into monarchical society. We must now characterize in a few sentences the agencies by which barbaric society is transformed into monarchical society.

We first note that the more highly cultured tribes are domi- ciled in walled cities. Every such city is a center of culture supe- rior to that exhibited by tribes not yet domiciled in walled cities.

In savagery the custom of causing the captive to " run the gantlet " was early observed by civilized men, but the significance of the custom was not understood, for it was supposed to be only a method of torture. Prisoners who have long remained in the custody of their captors tell us of the significance of the custom. Modern scientific investigation clearly reveals its nature. There seems to be a desire among savage people to increase their num- bers by incorporating captives into the body politic. Such cap- tives are often selected to take the place of persons killed or captured by the enemy. Sometimes the captive is required to exhibit his courage and skill by causing him to " run the gantlet," and if he emerges from the ordeal with honor some woman adopts him as her son. When thus taken into the clan his birth dates from his adoption. He is, therefore, younger to all the members of the clan who at that time are living, but he is elder to those subsequently born. The captive may be promoted from time to time as other members of the clan if he wins such promotions by good conduct. He may thus become the elder-man of the clan or

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