Histories

Now the Gephyraean clan, of which the slayers of Hipparchus were members, claim to have come at first from +Eretria [23.8083,38.3917] (Perseus) Eretria, but my own enquiry shows that they were among the Phoenicians [*](Gephyra (=bridge or dam) was another name for +Tanagra [23.6,38.3083] (Perseus) Tanagra; perhaps Herodotus' theory of an oriental origin is based on the fact that there was a place called Gephyrae in +Syria [38,35] (nation), Asia Syria.) who came with Cadmus to the country now called Boeotia (department), Central Greece and Euboea, Greece, Europe Boeotia. In that country the lands of +Tanagra [23.6,38.3083] (Perseus) Tanagra were allotted to them, and this is where they settled.

The Cadmeans had first been expelled from there by the Argives,[*](This happened sixty years after the fall of +Troy [26.2833,39.9167] (Perseus) Troy, according to Thucydides.) and these Gephyraeans were forced to go to Athens [23.7333,37.9667] (Perseus)Athens after being expelled in turn by the Boeotians. The Athenians received them as citizens of their own on set terms, debarring them from many practices not deserving of mention here.

These Phoenicians who came with Cadmus and of whom the Gephyraeans were a part brought with them to Greece [22,39] (nation), EuropeHellas, among many other kinds of learning, the alphabet, which had been unknown before this, I think, to the Greeks. As time went on the sound and the form of the letters were changed.

At this time the Greeks who were settled around them were for the most part Ionians, and after being taught the letters by the Phoenicians, they used them with a few changes of form. In so doing, they gave to these characters the name of Phoenician, as was quite fair seeing that the Phoenicians had brought them into Greece [22,39] (nation), EuropeGreece.[*](Whether Herodotus' theory of derivation be right or not, there is certainly a similarity in the form and order of early Greek and Phoenician letters.)

The Ionians have also from ancient times called sheets of papyrus skins, since they formerly used the skins of sheep and goats due to the lack of papyrus. Even to this day there are many foreigners who write on such skins.