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ORIGINAL SOURCES OF CULTURE. 47But further.These foreigners not only became princesthemselves, but made the royal power hereditary in their families. The earliest kings of Attica, Pandion, -ZEgeus,Theseus, were all descended from the house of Cecrops,although only by the female side. Perseus and his heroicfamily sprung in like manner from the family of Danaus.When we name Cadmus, we remember at the same time hisdescendants, the favourites of the tragic muse, Laius, (Edipus,Eteocles, and Polynices, the rulers of Thebes. But theposterity of Pelops, the house of Atrides, excelled all the restin fame as in misfortunes. In this manner the traditional history of the nation is principally dependent on these familiesfrom abroad ; they were not only the oldest rulers, but thememory of them continued to live in the mouth of the peoplefrom age to tillage the ;tragic poets conferred on them immortality.It is impossible that such a continued dominionof those families should have had no influence on the nation.To assert it would be to assert what is inconsistent with thenatural course of things.If these immigrations seem to have been occasioned bypolitical causes, others had their originin religion. In modern times the savage nature of barbarians has been tamedby missions; but although antiquity knew and could knowk