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 818 HISTORY OF GREECE. CHAPTER XII. XRETAN LEGENDS.-MINOS AND HIS FAMILY. To understand the adventures of Theseus in Krete, it will be necessary to touch briefly upon Minos and the Kretan heroic genealogy. Minos and Rhadamanthus, according to Homer, are sons of Zeus, by Europe, 1 daughter of the widely-celebrated Phoenix, the Amazons could gain currency without any such support, why not other portions of the ancient epic 1 An author of easy belief, Dr. F. Nagel, vindicates the historical reality of the Amazons (Geschichte der Amazoncn, Stutgart, 1838). I subjoin here a different explanation of the Amazonian talc, proceeding from another author who rejects the historical basis, and contained in a work of learning and value ( Guhl, Ephesiaca, Berlin, 1843. p. 132) : " Id tantum monendum videtur, Amazonas nequaquam historice accipicn das csse, sed e contrario totas ad mythologiam pcrtincre. Earum enim fabulas quum ex frequentium hierodularum gregibus in cultibus et sacris Asiaticis ortas esse ingeniose ostenderit Tolken, jam inter omnes mythologias peritos constat, Amazonibus nihil fere nisi peregrini cujusdam cultus notio- nem expressum esse, ejusque cum Graecorum religione certamen frequent- ibus istis pugnis designatum esse, quas cum Amazonibus tot Groecorum heroes habuisse credcbantur, Hercules, Bellerophon, Theseus, Achilles, ct vel ipse, quern Ephesi cultum fuisse supra ostendimus, Dionysus. Quaj Amazon um notio primaria, quum paulatim Eucmeristica (ut ita dicam) ratione ita transformaretur, ut Amazones pro vero feminarum populo habe- rentur, necesse quoque crat, ut omnibus fere locis, ubi ejusmodi religionum ccrtamina locum habuerunt, Amazones habitasse, vel eo usque proccssissc, crcderentur. Quod cum nusquam manifestius fuerit, quam in Asia minore. et potissimum in ea parte qua? Grscciam versus vergit, haud mirandum es< omnes fere ejus orse urbes ab Amazonibus conditas putari." I do not know the evidence upon which this conjectural interpretation vts, but the statement of it, though it boasts so many supporters among mythological critics, carries no appearance of probability to my mind. Priam fights against the Amazons as well as the Grecian heroes. 1 Europe was worshipped with very peculiar solemnity in the island ol Krete (see Dietys Crctcnsis, DC Bcllo Trojano, i. c. 2). The venerable plane-tree, under which Zeus and Europe had reposed, wa