Page:History of Greece Vol II.djvu/106

 30 HISTORY OF GREECE. of Neslor or the strength of Ajax. 1 Achilles, Menelaus, Odvs. eeus, pillage in person, wherever they can find an opportunity, employing both force and stratagem to surmount resistance. 2 The vocation of a pirate is recognized and honorable, so that a host, when he asks his guest what is the purpose of his voyage, enu- merates enrichment by indiscriminate maritime plunder as among those projects which may naturally enter into his contemplation. 3 Abduction of cattle, and expeditions for unprovoked ravage as well as for retaliation, between neighboring tribes, appear ordi- nary phenomena; 4 and the established inviolability of heralds seems the only evidence of any settled feeling of obligation between one community and another. While the house and property of Odysseus, during his long absence, enjoys no public 1 Odyss. xxi. 397 ; Pherekydes, Fragm. 63, cd. Ditlot ; Antolykns, Tr^elara nAeTrrov idrjaavpi&v. The Homeric Hymn to Hermes (the great patron-god of Autolykus) is a farther specimen of the admiration which might be made to attach to clever thieving. The IjuspoiioiToi; uvrjp, likely to rob the farm, is one great enemy against whom Hesiod advises precaution to be taken, a sharp-toothed dog, well-fed, to serve as guard (Opp. Di. 604). 2 Iliad, xi. 624 ; xx. 189. Odyss. iv. 81-90 ; ix. 40; xiv. 230; and the indirect revelation (Odyss. xix. 284), coupled with a compliment to the dex- te'-ity of Odysseus. 3 Even in the century prior to Thucydidus, undistinguishing plunder at sea. committed by Greek ships against ships not Greek, seems not to have been held discreditable. The Phoksean Dionysius, after the ill-success of the Ionic revolt, goes with his three ships of war to Sicily, and from thence plunders Tyrrhenians and Carthaginians (Herod, vi. 17). /^i'crfo KarfOTTJicee, 'EA/U/ vuv [lev otidevdf, Y-apx^oviuv 6e nal Tvfjarjvuv. Compare the conduct of the Phoksean settlers at Alalia in Corsica, after the conquest of Ionia by Harpagus (Herodot. i. 166). In the treaty between the Romans and Carthaginians, made at some period subsequent to 509 B. c., it is stipulated, Tov Ka/,oO 'AnpoTi)piov, Maar<'af, Tapaijtov, pr/ 'Xrfl&adai k-KenEiva 'Pupaiovr ur]ft Ifrnopsvecdat, [iy6e TTOAIV Krifrtv (Polyb. iii. 24, 4). Plunder, commerce, and colonization, are here assumed as the three objects which the Roman ships would pursue, unless they were under special obligation to abstain, in reference to foreigners. This morality approaches nearer to that of the Homeric age, than to the state pf sentiment which Thucydides indicates as current in his day among the Greeks. 4 See the interesting bonstfulness of Nestor. Iliad, xi. 670-700 ; also Odyia JOti. 18; Odyss. iii. ?l ; Thncyd.i. 5.