own to the Grecians, and by their means the Egyptians became known
to the Grecians also, as did all those people whence the Phoenicians in
long voyages over the seas carried wares to the Grecians. The Medes also
and the Persians, when they were lords of Asia, became well known to
them; and this was especially true of the Persians, who led their armies
as far as the other continent [Europe]. The Thracians were also known to
them by the nearness of their countries, and the Scythians by the
means of those that sailed to Pontus; for it was so in general that all
maritime nations, and those that inhabited near the eastern or western
seas, became most known to those that were desirous to be writers; but
such as had their habitations further from the sea were for the most
part unknown to them which things appear to have happened as to Europe
also, where the city of Rome, that hath this long time been possessed
of so much power, and hath performed such great actions in war, is yet
never mentioned by Herodotus, nor by Thucydides, nor by any one of their
contemporaries; and it was very late, and with great difficulty, that
the Romans became known to the Greeks. Nay, those that were reckoned the
most exact historians [and Ephorus for one] were so very ignorant of the
Gauls and the Spaniards, that he supposed the Spaniards, who inhabit so
great a part of the western regions of the earth, to be no more than one
city. Those historians also have ventured to describe such customs as
were made use of by them, which they never had either done or said; and
the reason why these writers did not know the truth of their affairs was
this, that they had not any commerce together; but the reason why they
wrote such falsities was this, that they had a mind to appear to know
things which others had not known. How can it then be any wonder, if our
nation was no more known to many of the Greeks, nor had given them any
occasion to mention them in their writings, while they were so remote
from the sea, and had a conduct of life so peculiar to themselves?

13. Let us now put the case, therefore, that we made use of this
argument concerning the Grecians, in order to prove that their nation
was not ancient, because nothing is said of them in our records: would
not they laugh at us all, and probably give the same reasons for our
silence that I have now alleged, and would produce their neighbor
nations as witnesses to their own antiquity? Now the very same