Corinth lay on the isthmus, between the Corinthian and Saronic Gulfs, and was renowned for its trade and its opulence. It was embellished by beautiful buildings, and by the works of great masters in the arts.

2. The ports of Corinth, Lechæum on the Corinthian, and Cenchræ on the Saronic Gulf, received the ships of all the countries, east and west of Corinth. Corinth possessed many merchant ships of her own, and ships of war to defend the navigation. The extent of her commerce is

described thus in the Travels of Anacharsis.

3. "We saw the shore covered with reams of paper (made of papyrus) and sail-cloth from Egypt, ivory from Lybia, the leather of Cyrene,

incense from Syria, Phoenician dates, Carthaginian carpets, corn and cheese from Syracuse, pears and apples from Eubœa, and Phrygian and Thessalian slaves; not to mention a multitude of other articles which arrive daily in the ports of Corinth."

4 The Corinthians excelled in many manufactures, useful and ornamental, particularly of pottery ware and brass. The most inferior substance became valuable from the beauty of the work bestowed upon it, so that the brass vessels of Corinth, and the vases of clay, were more esteemed for their embellishments than those of marble or silver, unadorned.

5. Corinth possessed an independent government, and sent many colonies to different countries. "Syracuse, the ornament of Sicily, and Corcyra (now Corfu) some time sovereign of the seas, owed their origin to Corinth," that is Corinthian emigrants began to build the cities and carry on the business of these states.

6. Corinth was taken by the Romans, B. C. 147. After the taking of Corinth, the Romans abolished the several governments of the Greek states, but they permitted their laws and usages to continue in force under the superintendance of Roman governors. They united all these states under the name of the province of Achaia.

SICYON.

1. To the west of Corinthia lay the little district of Sicyon. It boasted itself to be the most ancient state of Greece: by this is signified that to this territory the arts of Egypt or of Phoenicia were first brought; and that in this part of Peloponnesus useful labours, agriculture, the construction of houses, the manufacture of decent clothing, first contributed to the comfort of the inhabitants. Modern travellers relate that there still are people of Africa who have no artificial dwelling places they shelter themselves from the elements in caves, feed on fruits of the earth, and clothe themselves in skins of animals. The primitive inhabitants of Greece are described to have once been as destitute, but arts brought to them by colonies that settled among them, arts which they themselves afterwards brought to perfection, at length made them superior to every people in the world.

2. There is nothing related of Sicyon particularly striking, but a passage of her private history serves to show that mere accomplishments derive their principal value from the good sense which they set off and adorn. Clisthenes, king of Sicyon, was declared victor at the chariot races of Olympia. On this occasion he caused a herald to announce to the assembled multitude that all who aspired to marry the princess Agarista of Sicyon, might repair to his court; and there, on the expiration of a year from the day then present, he would determine on whom to bestow her.

3. Southern Italy was then called Magna Grecia, and was occupied by a population originally Greek, among whom the Greek philosophy, language, and arts prevailed. Numbers from this country attended the games, and afterwards appeared among the suitors of Agarista, who thought themselves equally entitled with any Grecian to this illustrious alliance. Sybaris, which may be seen near the bay of Tarentum, was among the most opulent and powerful of the Greek cities in Italy, and so extremely luxurious were its inhabitants, that to call a man a Sybarite, became a proverbial expression to intimate one devoted solely to his own pleasures. Among such was Smindyrides, a rich and voluptuous Sybarite. He arrived at Sicyon in a galley of his own, and his retinue consisted of several hundred slaves, all of whom were devoted in some way or other to the gratification of their master's appetites, and the indulgence of his indolence. Of him it was said that he could not sleep if the rose leaves with which his bed was strewed were accidentally doubled. This extreme effeminacy is in fact such an excess of selfishness as makes a man despicable, and such a man could have small chance to gain the affections of any rational woman. Leocides, a prince of Argos, Laphanes of Arcadia, Magacles, a noble Athenian, Hippoclides, a native of the same city, distinguished by his wealth, his wit, and his beauty, and eight other Greeks, were the rivals of the Sybarite.

4. The court of Sicyon was wholly taken up with festivals for the entertainment of these guests, and every thing was devised that could exhibit

their respective talents. Clisthenes, during the time which he allotted to their probation, conversed frequently with all of them, and attentively studied their characters. He secretly preferred the Athenian, Hippoclides. The day in which the decision of the father was to be made known, for the choice of the daughter seems to have been little regarded, a whole hetacomb, that is, an hundred oxen, was offered in sacrifice, and a sumptuous banquet followed, which the whole court and all the visitors attended.

5. The company talked at the feast upon music, and such other subjects as such gay occasions usually suggest. The vivacity of Hippoclides never tired, and the charms of his conversation fixed the attachment of the king of Sicyon, till a flute player striking up a certain air, Hippoclides began a licentious dance, and performed first the dances of Lacedæmon, and then those of Athens, and from this proceeded to extravagances which so shocked Clisthenes, that he cried out, "Son of Tisander, you have danced the rupture of your marriage." Then commanding silence, Clisthenes thanked the competitors, begged each of them to accept a talent of silver, and declared that he bestowed his daughter on Megacles, the son of Alcmæon. From this marriage the celebrated Pericles was descended.

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