. The history of Herodotus. A new English version, ed. with copious notes and appendices, illustrating the history and geography of Herodotus, from the most recent sources of information; and embodying the chief results, historical and ethnographical, which have been obtained in the progress of cuneiform and hieroglyphical discovery . n the human the Egyptians were dark and theirhair coarse, to European eyes, is true;but it is difficult to explain the broadassertion of Herodotus, especially as heuses the superlative of the same word,most woolly, in speaking of the hairof the Ethiopia
. The history of Herodotus. A new English version, ed. with copious notes and appendices, illustrating the history and geography of Herodotus, from the most recent sources of information; and embodying the chief results, historical and ethnographical, which have been obtained in the progress of cuneiform and hieroglyphical discovery . n the human the Egyptians were dark and theirhair coarse, to European eyes, is true;but it is difficult to explain the broadassertion of Herodotus, especially as heuses the superlative of the same word,most woolly, in speaking of the hairof the Ethiopians of the West, or theblacks of Africa (B. vii. ch. 70). Thehair he had no opportunity of seeing, asthe Egyptians shaved their heads and! beards; and blackness of colour is, andalways \vas, a very conventional tei-m;foi- the Hebrews even called the Ai-absblack, kedar, the cedrei of Pliny;though lip may only mean of a dark,or sunburnt hue (Plin. v. 11 : see noteon Book iii. ch. 101). The negroes ofAfrica, in the paintings of Thebes, can-not be mistaken; and the Egyptians didnot fail to heighten the caricature ofthat marked race by giving to theirscanty dress of hide the ridiculous addi- tion of a tail. Egypt was called Chemi,black, from the colour of the richsoil, not from that of the people (seenote* on ch. 15j. Our blacks and. Indians are equally indefinite withthe blacks or Ethiopians of old. Thefact of the Egyptians representing theirΛvomen yellow and the men red suflBcesto show a gradation of hue, whereas if ablack race the women would have beenblack also.—[] * Herodotus apparently alludes tothe Jews. Palestin and Philistin arethe same name. He may be excusedfor supposing that the Jews borrowedcircumcision from the Egyptians, sincethey did not practise it as a regularand universal custom until afferTheyleft Egypt,~which~is proved by thenew generation in the wilderness notbeing circumcised till their arrival onthe plains of Jericho (Joshua v. 5, 7),though it had been
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Keywords: ., bookauthorherodotus, bookcentury1800, booksubjecthistoryancient
