Page:History of Greece Vol II.djvu/281

 HISTORICAL PELASGIAXS. 265 nations whom Herodotus believed to have changed their language and passed into Hellens, we may, therefore, fairly consider the Leleges to have been included. Fcr next to the Pelasgians and Pelasgus, the Leleges and Lelex figure most conspicuously in the legendary genealogies ; and both together cover the larger portion of the Hellenic soil. Confining myself to historical evidence, and believing that no assured results can be derived from the attempt to transform legend into history, I accept the statement of Herodotus with confidence, as to the barbaric language spoken by the Pelasgians of his day ; and I believe the same with regard to the historical Leleges, but without presuming to determine anything in regard to the legendary Pelasgians and Leleges, the supposed ante-Hellenic inhabitants of Greece. And I think this course more consonant to the laws of historical inquiry than that which comes recommended by the high authority of Dr. Thirlwall, who softens and explains away the statement of Herodotus, until it is made to mean only that the Pelasgians of Plakia and Kreston spoke a very bad Greek. The affirmation of Herodotus is dis- tinct, and twice repeated, that the Pelasgians of these towns, and of his own time, spoke a barbaric language ; and that word appears to me to admit of but one interpretation. 1 To suppose 1 Herod, i. 57. "HvTiva 6s -y/Maaav leaav oi Hehaayol, ovu KXU urpKKEui eiTiai. fl 6s xpeuv LGTL TeKfj,aipo[tevot T^eytiv rotai vvv eri koiiai HeAaayuv, ruv vTtep Tvpnrivuv Kprjaruva TTO^LV olneoVTuv Kal TJJV Il/la/ar/v re Kal "LK.v7MK.rjv He^aayuv oiKiaavruv Iv 'EA/l)?(T 6vr Kal baa a/U,a IIe/la<7- yiK& eovTa Tro/Uu^uara TO ovvoua ucTffta^e Tovro/ni 6el "kijF.iv. fyaav oi Ik/laayoi flupfiapov yhtivvav ievTt<;. 4 roivvv T/V Kal irav TOIOVTO TO ytxdv, TO 'A.TTinbv cdvof, ebv HchacryiKbv u.ua ry (leTapo'X.T) rfj if * Kal TT/V yTi-uaaav /J.eri-fta&e Kai -yap 6rj OVTE oi KpijijTuvt^Tai ov6afioiai TUV vvv ffeaf wepioiKeovruv hal duoy^uaaot, ovre oi HXaKirjvoi' atiiffi 6s, 6uu- 7/lwcr(TO. dri^ovai 6e, on TOV {jveiKavTo j^uaarj^ x a P aKT VP a uera (SaivovTef ef raiira TU %upia, TOVTOV ex oval - ^ <pv?.aKrj. In the next chapter, Herodotus again calls the Pelasgian nation /?dp Baoov. Respecting this language, heard by Herodotus at Kreston and Plakia, Dr. Thirlwall observes (chap. ii. p. 60), " This language Herodotus describes a barbarous, and it is on this fact he grounds his general conclusion as to the wicient Pelasgian tongue. But he has not entered into any details that might have served to ascertain the manner or degree in which it differed from the Greek. Still, the expressions he uses would have appeared to rot. n. 12