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About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (April 14, 1917)
THE AFRICAN ORIGIN OF THE GRECIAN CIVILIZATION (Continued From First Page) Undoubting, ye were of the Amazon tribe.” No, Aeschlyus made no mistake. He meant just what he wrote and the dis coveries of the wonderful Minoan civ ilization have proven that the swarthy touch-bom son of Zeus and lo was the incarnation of the African element that raised Greece to the very pinna cle of civilization. Minos is in direct descent from Epaphos and from the latter’s prolifis progeny we note such names as Agenor, Cadmus, Epropa, statements as the foregoing would throw the scholastic world into a fer ment. There was a scramble to bolster up the cause of Aryanism and to pre serve this one civilization, at least, to the credit of the Caucasian race. Homer was scanned with a patience unknown to college students and the classic myths were refined in the alembics of master minds. Yet there were some who cared for truth more than for racial glory and among them was Dr. Schlieman. Armed with a spade he went to the classic lands and brought to light a real Troy; at Tiryns and Mycenae he laid to view the pal aces and tombs and treasures of Ho meric kings. His message back to scholars who waited tensely for his verdict was, “It looks to me like the civilization of an African people.” A new world opened to archeologists and the Aegean became the Mecca of the world. Traces of this prehistoric civi lization began to make their appear ance far beyond the limits of Greece itself. From Cyprus and Palestine to Sicily and Southern Italy, and even to the coasts of Spain, the colonial and industrial enterprise of the Myceneans has left its mark throughout the Medi terranean basin. The heretics were vindicated. “Whether they like it or not,” declared Sir Arthur Evans be fore the London Hellenic Society a short time ago, “classical students must consider origins. The Grecians whom we discern in the new dawn were not the pale-skinned northern ers, but essentially the dark-haired, brown-complexioned race.” Perhaps Sir Arthur’s words will carry weight with you when I remark that his won derful discoveries in classical lands have brought him the honor of elec tion last year as president of the Brit ish Association, the most notable as semblage of scholars in the world. 1 might further mention that Prof. Sergi of the University of Rome has founded a new study of the origin of European civilization upon the re markable archeological finds, entitled “The Mediterranean Race.” From this masterly work I choose the fol lowing: “Until recent years the Greeks and Romans were regarded as Aryans, and then as Aryanized peo ples; the great discoveries in the Mediterranean have overturned all these views. Today, although a few belated supporters of Aryanism still remain, it is becoming clear that the most ancient civilization of the Medi terranean is not of Aryan origin. The Aryans were savages when they in vaded Europe; they destroyed in part the superior civilization of the Neo lithic populations, and could not have created the Graeco-Latin civilization. The primitive populations of Europe originated in Africa and the basin of the Mediterranean was the chief cen ter of movement when the African migrations reached the center and north of Europe.” What, then, are some of those dis coveries which have so completely de stroyed the ethnic fetish of the Cau casian race? The greatest and most conclusive of them all was the dis covery of the palace of iuinos by Sir Arthur Evans. In 1894 this scientist undertook a series of exploration cam paigns in central and eastern Crete; it has so happened that some year3 previous he had been hunting out ancient engraved stones at Athens and came upon some three or four-sided seals showing on each of their faces groups of hieroglyphics and linear signs distinct from the Egyptian and iiittite, but evidently representing some form of script. Upon inquiry Sir Arthur learned that these seals had been found in Crete, and to Crete he went. The legends of the famous labyrinth and palace of Minos came back to him and were refreshed by the gossipy peasants, who repeated the tales that had come down as ancestral memories. In wandering around the site of his proposed labors Sir Arthur noticed some ruined walls, the great gypsum blocks of which were en graved with curious symbolic charac ters, crowning the southern slope of a hill known as Kephala, overlooking the ancient site of Knossos, the city of Minos. It was the prelude to the discovery of the ruins of a palace, the most wonderful archeological find of modem times. Who was Minos? In the myth* that have come down to us he was a sort of an Abraham, a friend of God, and often appears as almost identi cal with his native Zeus. He was the founder and ruler of the royal city of Knossos, the Cretan Moses, who every nine years repaired to the fa mous cave of Zeus whether on the Cretan Ida or on Dicta, and received from the god of the mountain the laws for his people. He was power ful and great and extended his do minions far and wide over the Aegean Isles and coast lands, and even Athens paid to him its tribute of men and maidens. To him is attributed the founding of the great Minoan civili zation. I will not have the time today to review the mass of archeological data which the discoveries of this civilization have produced. They con sist of cyclopean ruins of cities and strongholds, tombs, vases, statues, votive bronzes, and exquisitely en graved gems and intaglios. That which is most valuable in establish ing the claim of the African origin of the Grecian civilization is the dis covery of the frescoes on the palace walls. These opened up a new epoch Aegyptus. (To be Continued) Vacation Reflection. I have had some treats in my little excursion, not the least of which was the gazing on some—albeit the small est—of the “everlasting hills,” and on those noblest children of the earth, fine healthy trees, us independent in their beauty as virtue; set them where you will, they adorn and need not udornment.—George Eliot. Has Another Name. She (thoughtful)—“Did you ever think much about reincarnation, dear?” T8 (otherwise)—“Think about it? I eat it neurly every day—only we call it hash.”—London Saturday Journal. Rainfall in Bombay. Bombay averages more than 7‘2 inches of rain a year and gets most of it within four or five months. When you need a good clean shave, see P. H. Jenkins, 1813 Dodge street. —Adv. John Ruskin Cigar, 6 cents. Biggest and Best MT. MORIAH BAPTIST CHURCH. On Tuesday night, April 3, twenfy three members of the Mt. Moriah Bap tist church met, in response to the pastor’s call, and after certain delib erations a brotherhood in the name of the church was created. The mem bers are: Chas. Howard, R. Lewis, Wm. Davis, Edgar Jones, J. Austin, J. Miles, P. Stovall, P. S. Burke, J. W. Taubman, J. Duncan, L. Penn1, A. Smith, W. B. Long, J. Tuman, H. L. Anderson, J. L. Betts, C. B. Saffold, J. Hall, D. M. McQueen, C. W. Fields, Wm. Petty, H. Watts and H. Wills. R. Lewis is president; J. L. Betts, vice president; P. S. Burke, secretary; H. Watts, assistant; E. Jones, treas urer; J. Miles, chaplain. Temporary meetings, second and fourth Mondays in each month at 8 o’clock. The Easter spirit was high in'church all day Sunday. Sermon in the morn ing by the pastor, “The Foundation of the Gospel and Faith.” At night, one of the best dramatic Easter programs that the public ever witnessed in the church was rendered under the musi cal direction of Miss Amelia McKen ny and dramatic direction of Mrs. M. H. Wilkinson. The public had a treat. The performers performed to satisfac tion. It was because they had good tutelage. Teachers and scholars have merited that which will be long re membered. At 3:30 Sunday the pastor and wdfe were guests of Mr. G. W. Hibbler and family at the Rowland apartments. A sumptuous meal was provided and en joyed to the fullest. Seated were Rev. and Mrs. M. H. Wilkinson, Mrs. A. a spectacle that will compel the ad Hurt, Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Hibbler and Miss Viola Hibbler. Monday at 2:30 the funeral service of Pauline Miller, the little eighteen months-old child of Mrs. Miller, was conducted from the residence, 2536 Patrick avenue. Jones & Chiles had charge. The first annual banquet in honor of the pastor and wife, Rev. and Mrs. M. H. Wilkinson, will be given at the above church Thursday evening, April 19, 1917, at 8 o’clock, together with g reception. The speakers are Revs. G. C. Logan, W. F. Botts, Thos. A. Taggart, W. T. Osborne and J. A. Williams. Other speakers, Mesdames L. Lewis, C. B. Saffold, Mr. H. L. Anderson; responses by pastor and wife. A splendid menu will be served, consisting of fruit cocktail au natural, olives, radishes, chicken a la king, peas en casse, mashed potatoes, hot rolls, Waldorf salad, salted wafers, Neapolitan ice cream, assorted cakes and cafe noir. Out of the treasure house of respect for pastor and wife, Mr. J. . Clark, head waiter at University club, as sisted by the following waiters, will take charge of dining service: Messrs. R. Martin, J. Hunt, H. Bartlett, A. Miles, R. Barner, C. Garrett, G. (’aid well and J. Robertson1. Mr. G. W. Hibbler will act as toastmaster. I. A. 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