h permitted a man to marry his half-sister, the
child of his father but not of his mother. They infer that this
permission is a survival from the time when a man's _father's_ children
were not reckoned as his kindred, and when kinship was counted through
mothers. Sir Henry Maine (p. 105) prefers M. Fustel De Coulanges'
theory, that the marriage of half-brothers and sisters on the father's
side was intended to save the portion of the girl to the family estate.
Proof of this may be adduced from examination of all the recorded cases
of such marriages in Athens. But the reason thus suggested would have
equally justified marriage between brothers and sisters on both sides,
and this was reckoned incest. A well-known line in Aristophanes shows
how intense was Athenian feeling about the impiety of relations with a
sister uterine.

On the whole, the evidence which we have adduced tends to establish some
links between the ancient [Greek] and gens, and the totem kindreds of
savages. The indications are not strong, but they all point in one
direction. Considering the high civilisation of Rome and Greece at the
very dawn of history--considering the strong natural bent of these
peoples toward refinement--it is almost remarkable that even the slight
testimonies we have been considering should have survived.

(5.) On the evidence from myth and legend we propose to lay little
stress. But, as legends were not invented by anthropologists to prove a
point, it is odd that the traditions of Athens, as preserved by Varro,
speak of a time when names were derived from the mother, and when
promiscuity prevailed. Marriage itself was instituted by Cecrops, the
serpent, just as the lizard, in Australia, is credited with this useful
invention. {273a} Similar legends among non-Aryan races, Chinese and
Egyptian, are very common.

(6.) There remains the evidence of actual fact and custom among Aryan
peoples. The Lycians, according to Herodotus, 'have this peculiar
custom, _wherein they resemble no other men_, they derive their names
from their mothers, and not from their fathers, and through mothers
reckon their kin.' Status also was derived through the mothers. {273b}
The old writer's opinion that the custom (so common in Australia,
America, and Africa) was unique, is itself a proof of his good faith.
Bachofen (p. 390) remarks that several Lycian inscriptions give the names
of mothers only. Polybius attributes (assigning a fantastic re