DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4099#0244
CYCLOPIAN WALLS. 219
for its great size was said to have been formed by the Cyclopians. *
The great difficulty, however, is to ascertain who the Cyclopians
were—whence they originated—and at what period they flourished.
I shall refrain from entering into a long discussion upon this sub-
ject, in hopes that it will be fully investigated by the learned pro-
moter3 of this system, whose work, which is earnestly expected, will,
no doubt, throw new light on this recondite, and long neglected
part of primitive history; it suffices at present to observe, that
Strabo 3 had as confused ideas about the Cyclopians eighteen cen-
turies ago as we have at present; he says that they were seven in
number, and came from Lycia. The scholiast of Euripides,4 however,
maintains that they were a Thracian nation, so named from one of
their kings, and that they were the best artists (J!iyjflu.i) of the age
in which they lived. They appear to have been particularly skilful
in constructing military fortifications, and to have diffused their
architectural knowledge throughout Greece, and many parts of
Italy, Sicily, and Spain. These countries were colonized by the
Pelasgi of Greece, who learnt the art of military construction from
the Thracian nation; but it is more probable that the Cyclopians
themselves were the Pelasgians, who settled at a very early pe-
riod in the Peloponnesos; for it is generally allowed that they were
strangers, and not Autochthones/
There are several remains of ancient walls on the acropolis of
Argos, consisting of the second style, or well-joined polygons;
but not the slightest traces of the rough Tirynthian style. Had
the walls been originally composed of these rough and durable
Quicquid magnitudine sua nobile est, Cyclopum manu dicitur fabricatum. In Theb. 1.
v. 251. Strabo, b. 8. p. 369. note 4.
Mons. Louis Petit Radel, Member of the Institute of France, &c.
3 B. 8. p. 373.
* Orcst. v. 963. See the scholiast's note on this subject: and about the Cyclopians con-
sult Nullinus Philomagirua in notis ad colloq. int. Holobarbarum et Anypocritum, p. S8.
45. from note in Ilesych. Lex. in voce Kvk\muiv. vol. 2. p. 372. note 20.
Argos is called rkXaoyi*-,,. by Eunpidc. Phoeniss. v. 265.
¥ F
O
for its great size was said to have been formed by the Cyclopians. *
The great difficulty, however, is to ascertain who the Cyclopians
were—whence they originated—and at what period they flourished.
I shall refrain from entering into a long discussion upon this sub-
ject, in hopes that it will be fully investigated by the learned pro-
moter3 of this system, whose work, which is earnestly expected, will,
no doubt, throw new light on this recondite, and long neglected
part of primitive history; it suffices at present to observe, that
Strabo 3 had as confused ideas about the Cyclopians eighteen cen-
turies ago as we have at present; he says that they were seven in
number, and came from Lycia. The scholiast of Euripides,4 however,
maintains that they were a Thracian nation, so named from one of
their kings, and that they were the best artists (J!iyjflu.i) of the age
in which they lived. They appear to have been particularly skilful
in constructing military fortifications, and to have diffused their
architectural knowledge throughout Greece, and many parts of
Italy, Sicily, and Spain. These countries were colonized by the
Pelasgi of Greece, who learnt the art of military construction from
the Thracian nation; but it is more probable that the Cyclopians
themselves were the Pelasgians, who settled at a very early pe-
riod in the Peloponnesos; for it is generally allowed that they were
strangers, and not Autochthones/
There are several remains of ancient walls on the acropolis of
Argos, consisting of the second style, or well-joined polygons;
but not the slightest traces of the rough Tirynthian style. Had
the walls been originally composed of these rough and durable
Quicquid magnitudine sua nobile est, Cyclopum manu dicitur fabricatum. In Theb. 1.
v. 251. Strabo, b. 8. p. 369. note 4.
Mons. Louis Petit Radel, Member of the Institute of France, &c.
3 B. 8. p. 373.
* Orcst. v. 963. See the scholiast's note on this subject: and about the Cyclopians con-
sult Nullinus Philomagirua in notis ad colloq. int. Holobarbarum et Anypocritum, p. S8.
45. from note in Ilesych. Lex. in voce Kvk\muiv. vol. 2. p. 372. note 20.
Argos is called rkXaoyi*-,,. by Eunpidc. Phoeniss. v. 265.
¥ F
O