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PASTORAL LIFE OF THE ANCIENTS. 253
Ulysses had twelve flocks of sheep, and as many of goats on the
continent opposite to Ithaca. At a much later period Neoptol-
emus, a king of Molossis, in possession of flocks and herds,
which were superintended by a distinct officer appointed for the
purpose*. In Macedonia also the king, though Uving in a state
of so little refinement that his queen baked the bread for the
whole household, was possessed at an early period of flocks of
sheep and goats together with horses and herds of oxen,
which were entrusted to the care of separate officers. We are
informed that three Argive brothers, having taken refuge in the
upper part of Macedonia bordering upon Illyria, became hired
servants to the king, one of them having the custody of the
horses, another of the oxen, and a third of the sheep and
goatst. Here then we find in Europe a state of society analogous
to that which, as we have seen, existed in Palestine
under David. Indeed we may observe, that all the countries
bordering on Macedonia were contrasted with Attica and Arca-
dia in tliis respect, that, while the Athenians and Arcadians
were in general small landed proprietors, each shepherd tending
his flock upon his own ground, Phrygiat, Thrace, Macedonia,
Epirus, and even Boeotia belonged probably to an aristocracy,
the richest and most powerful individuals of which became
shepherd kings, their landed possessions giving them a superi-
ority over the rest of their countrymen, and leading to the em-
ployment of numerous persons as their servants engaged in
tending their cattle and in other rural occupations.
Respecting the attention paid to sheep-breeding in Epirus
we have the testimony of Varro in his treatise De Re Rustica.
He informs us (ii. 2.) that it Avas usual there to have one man
to take care of 100 coarse-wooled sheep {oves hirtoi), and two
men for the same number of " oves pellitce" or sheep which
wore skins. The attention bestowed upon dogs is an indirect
evidence of the care which was devoted to flocks. It is worthy
* Plutarchi Pyrrhus, p. 705. ed. Steph.
t Herod, viii. 137.
t Theopompus, as quoted by Servius on Virgil, Buc. vi. 13, makes mention of
the shepherds, who kepVthe flocks of Midas, king of Phr}'gia.