The Origin of Laws, Arts, and Sciences, and Their Progress Among the Most Ancient Nations Volume 2 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1761 Excerpt: ... I think, with the greatest number of authors, that they hzd in the heroic ages stamped money among the Greeks. I presume, that this invention had been brought to them by the different colonies from Asia and Egypt, who came succeffively to establish themselves in Greece. I think I have sufficiently shewn in the first part of this work, the antiquity of, money in Ph nicia, Assyria, and Egypt." I shall add, that the"first money of the Greeks bore the impreffion of an ox. The testimony of the writers of antiquity is precise and unanimous in it p. The motives of this choice are easily perceived. Before the Greeks had introduced metals into their commerce, they made use of oxen as the most precious merchandise to value all other sorts of goods The Romans did the fame in early timesr. When the Greeks afterwards learned the art of impreffing on a certain portion of metal, a mark which could ascertain its price and value, they naturally chose at first the impreffion of the object which had served them originally to value all other merchandise. It seems to me then, that Homer meant these ancient pieces in the passages where he values the price of any goods by a certain quantity of oxen. I further think, that it had been with the first Greek money as with that of all the ancient people. I would fay, that it was very gross and shapeless. We must look upon Pheidon of Argos as the first who is said to have shewn the Greeks the art of giving to their coins a regular and agreeable form. It is in this fense, as I presume, that we should give to this prince the title of ihe inventor of money in Greece. It is not so easy to explain what Homer understood by the word talent. I do not think, that they ever had a piece of money which bore that name. We must presume, that the...