FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60  
61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   >>   >|  
Country) have maintain'd, _viz._ That the _Gauls_ commonly used the _Greek Tongue_, may be refuted by this single Instance which _Caesar_ takes notice of _lib._ 5. _cap._ 12. That when _Q. Cicero_ was besieged in his Camp, he dispatched Letters written in the _Greek_ Language, "_Lest (if they were intercepted) his Designs shou'd be discover'd by the_ Gauls." But to this some object, what _Strabo_ writes, _lib._ 4. _viz._ "That all Sorts of good Literature (and especially that of the _Greek Language_) flourish'd at _Marseilles_ to such a degree, that the _Gauls_, by the Example of the _Massilians_, were mightily delighted with the _Greek_ Tongue, insomuch that they began to write their very Bargains and Contracts in it." Now to this there is a short and ready Reply: For, in the first place, if the _Gauls_ learnt _Greek_ by the Example of the _Massilians_, 'tis plain, 'twas none of their Mother-tongue. Secondly, _Strabo_ in the same place clearly shows us, that the Fashion of writing their Contracts in _Greek_ began but in his Time, when all _Gallia_ was in Subjection to the _Romans_. Besides, he speaks precisely only of those _Gauls_ who were Borderers and next Neighbours to the _Massilians_, of whom he says, that not only many of their private Men, but even their Cities (by publick Decrees, and proposing great Rewards) invited several Learned Men of _Massilia_ to instruct their Youth. It remains that we shou'd clear that place in _Caesar_, where he tells us the _Gauls_, in their publick and private Reckonings, _Graecis literis usos fuisse_. But let us see whether the word _Graecis_ in that place ought not to be left out, not only as _unnecessary_ but _surreptitious_. Since it was sufficient to express _Caesar_'s Meaning to have said, that the _Gauls_ made no use of _Letters_ or _Writing_ in the Learning of the _Druids_, but in all other Matters, and in publick and private Accounts, they did make use of _Writing_: For _uti litteris, to use Letters_, is a frequent Expression for _Writing_ among Latin Authors. Besides, it had been a Contradiction to say the _Gauls_ were unskill'd in the _Greek_ Tongue, as _Caesar_ had averr'd a little before; and afterwards to say, that they wrote all their publick and private Accounts in _Greek_. As to what many suppose, that the words _literis Graecis_ in that place, are not to be taken for _Writing Greek_, but only for the _Characters_ of the _Letters_; I can less approve of this Expl
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60  
61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Letters

 

private

 

Writing

 

publick

 

Caesar

 

Massilians

 

Graecis

 

Tongue

 
Strabo
 
Besides

literis

 
Example
 

Contracts

 

Accounts

 

Language

 
Reckonings
 

Characters

 
fuisse
 

Rewards

 

invited


approve

 
Decrees
 

proposing

 
Learned
 

remains

 

Massilia

 
instruct
 

unnecessary

 

Druids

 

Matters


Learning
 

Contradiction

 
unskill
 

Authors

 

Expression

 

frequent

 

litteris

 

surreptitious

 

sufficient

 

suppose


express

 

Meaning

 
object
 
writes
 

discover

 

intercepted

 

Designs

 

degree

 

mightily

 

Marseilles