The ancient Greek historians (Harvard lectures) by J. B. Bury.

II

HERODOTUS

53

Greek and a Persian as to the responsibility for
the Persian war. It was undeniable that the
Persians and not the Greeks had been the aggressors; the conquest of Ionia by Cyrus had been the
beginning. The Persian advocate could only
remove the blame from Asia by going farther
back. The summary I gave of the argument does
not reproduce its flavour, and I will take the
liberty of throwing it into the form of a dialogue.
Persian. The Greeks had no business in Asia.
They belong to Europe, and they should have
stayed there. Their expedition against Troy was
the first trespass; it began their encroachments
on a continent which belongs to Asiatic peoples of
whom the Persians are the heirs.
Gree-. Oh, but you are forgetting that on that
occasion the Trojans were the offenders; Paris
carried off Helen.
Persian. That was no sufficient reason; but
even if it were, the act of Paris was only a
reprisal for the Greek crimes of carrying off
Medea and Europa. And the Asiatics were far
too sensible to make a causa belli of such foolish
elopements.
Greek. Wrell, if you go back so far, you must
go back farther still. What about the rape of Io
from Argos?
Persian. Well, yes, I admit it. That was a
Phoenician business, and we Persians must allow
that the Phoenicians began the mischief, though
we hold you really responsible, through your folly