ATHENS the most celebrated cities of Greece, and of the ancient world. This distinction is derived, not merely from political greatness and military power, but from the arts and sciences, which were indebted to her, either for their origin, or their perfection. Athens, properly, is only the capital of AvricA, a description of which will be found under its proper head. But as the name of the city has greatly eclipsed that of the territory to which it is attached, and as the inhabitants have always borne the appella tion of Athenians, we shall give, under the present head, a sketch of the various fortunes of that renown ed people.
Concerning the early inhabitants of this country, we are almost wholly destitute of information. De void of arts and letters, they left no memorials of their existence, or of those rude incidents by which their history may have been diversified. Their con dition probably resembled that which we now see in the savages of North and South America.
Even after Atbenian history begins to emerge from this profound obscurity, the events which distinguish it are, for a long time, exceedingly scanty and doubt ful. It may not be uninteresting, however, to take a rapid. survey, even of these imperfect traditions ; since they throw some light on the origin and pro gress of the political constitution of Athens, and some also on the invention of the useful arts, the most important of which are, by the uniform voice of his tory, referred to this period.
The first king of Athens, of whom we have any mention, is Ogyges, from whom Attica received the name of Ogygia. He himself, or another of the same name, is supposed also to have reigned over Bczotia. His reign seems to have been distinguished by a variety of religious institutions, by the aid of ullich he probably sought, like most other early le gislators, to strengthen the ties of civil authority. lie founded Eleusis, so famous for the mystic rites which were celebrated there ; and it was in his reign that Minerva first became the tutelar deity of Athens. It is also marked by an inundation, which was pro ductive of great calamities to Attica.
During the 300 years which elapsed from this period to the reign of Cecrops, the history of Attica is buried in complete obscurity. It is even doubtful whether it was then governed by kings, or was not involved in a state of anarchy. According to the most prevailing opinion, Cecrops came about the year 1556 A. C. from Egypt, a country then far sur passing Greece in opulence and civilization. Either by marrying the daughter of the preceding monarch, or by the favour of the people, he became the so vereign and legislator of Athens. He enlarged it greatly,' converting the former town into a citadel, which ever after retained from him the name of Ce cropia. He instituted marriage, which had not be fore been regulated by any fixed laws, and prohibited polygamy. Like other early legislators, he esta blished a variety of religious ceremonies; introduced the worship of Ops and Saturn, and augmented that of Jupiter and Minerva. He was succeeded by Cranaus, a wealthy citizen, who is supposed to have married his daughter. Cranaus, however, after a short reign, was driven from the throne by his son-in-law, Amphictyon. He had a son Rharus, by whom Ceres, in her wandering search of her daughter Proserpine, is said to been received, and, in gratitude,, to have taught his nephew Triptolemus the art of raising grain. Without stopping to enquire into the degree of truth which this relation may possess, we may probably hence infer, that agriculture was, about this period, introduced into Attica. Either Amphic tyon, or a near relation of his, is understood to have taken the lead in forming that general assembly of Greece, so celebrated under the name of Amphic tyonic. Amphictyon first dedicated the city to Mi nerva, and from her gave it the name of Athens. He is said to have introduced and inculcated the practice of diluting wine with water. The invention of wine is referred nearly to this period; and we may sup pose its first introduction to have been attended with disorders, which it was the object of this regula tion to check. Amphictyon, after a reign of ten
years, was deposed by Erichthonius, the reputed son of Vulcan. He is said to have been the inventor of horse and chariot races. His successor was Pandion I., celebrated in fable for the misfortune's of his daughters, Progne and Philomela. Under his reign } is placed the arrival and deification of Ceres in Attica. Erectheus, his successor, is generally supposed to have been the son of I'andion, though others repre sent him as an Egyptian who, having brought a sea sonable supply" of corn, was, in gratitude, saluted king by the people. Ile reigned fifty years, and is said to have been the most powerful prince of his time. His reign is celebrated for the barbarous sa crifice of one or more of his daughters, which was demanded by the oracle as the condition of his vic tory over the Eleusinians. Under the next king, Cecrops II., it appears that Attica had so much in creased in population and wealth, that the mode of living in habitations scattered over the country was no longer suited to it. Twelve towns were therefore built in different quarters, in which part of the na l. tion was settled. After the reign of his son Pan dion II., which is distinguished by nothing remark able, JEgeus came to the throne. This prince having gone to the oracle at Delphi, to enquire the cause and remedy of some disasters which were afflicting his people, on his return had an amour with dEthra, daughter to Pittheus, who then reigned at Tritzene. Of this connection the fruit was Theseus, a name which ranks next to that of Hercules, among the heroes and demigods of Greece. .iEgeus, on his departure, is said to have led his mistress to a seques trated spot, where, having deposited .a hunting sword and a pair of sandals, he covered them beneath a great stone, and desired her, when her child should arrive at such an age as to be able to lift that stone, to send him, with the tokens concealed under it, to Athens. The arrangement took place as appointed ; and The seus, having arrived at Athens, was recognised by his hunting knife, and owned by /Egeus. Either by war or negociation, he then freed Athens from the shameful tribute of seven youths and seven virgins, which had been imposed by Minos king of Crete. On the death of his father, therefore, Which took place in consequence of an unfortunate mistake in the signals held out on his return, the Athenians readily saluted him king. Having already distin guished himself as a warrior, he now acquired fame as a legislator. He abolished all the independent authorities established in the twelve districts, into which Cecrops had divided Attica, and which had rendered that country little' more than a collection of detached states. In return, he communicated to all, the privileges of Athenian citizens, and concentrated in Athens all the legislative and judicial authority. He instituted the festival called Panathenea, as a bond to unite the whole Athenian people. He di vided the inhabitants into three classes, nobles, hus bandmen, and artificers. To the former was assigned the superintendance of religious ceremonies, the ad ministration of the laws, and the appointment of ma gistrates. The people received a share in the legis lature : he is said to have divested himself of a large portion of the regal power, retaining only the com mand of the army, and some share in the executive. This sacrifice is commonly celebrated as an unparal leled display of but here we must own our selves somewhat sceptical. That such a step should be altogether voluntary, sceins hardly consistent with the general character of 'Inman nature. From other circumstances it appears, that the people were becom ing daily more jealous of the sovereign authority, and were with difficulty kept in subjection. Theseus, be ing almost an elective monarch, would be under the necessity of courting them ; so that it appears pro bable, that in enlarging their power, he merely acted with a prudent accommodation to his own situation, and the circumstances of the times.