theory. The phrase “the northern mountain” for the place where the ship grounded may quite well be the name of an earthly substitute (the epic has “the highest summit of the Himalaya”) for the mythic mountain of heaven. Nor is it unimportant that Manu is the son of the sun-god, and that the phrase “the seven rishis” in classical Sanskrit is a designation of the seven stars of the Great Bear. For such problems all that we can hope for is a probable solution. The opposite view[1] that the deluge is a historical occurrence implies a self-propagating power in early tradition which is not justified by critical research, and leaves out of sight many important facts revealed by comparative study.
For a conspectus of deluge-stories see Andree, Die Flutsagen, ethnographisch betrachtet (1891), by a competent anthropologist; E. Suess, Face of the Earth, i. 17 (1904); also Elwood Worcester, Genesis in the Light of Modern Knowledge (New York, 1901), Appendix ii., in tabular form, from Schwarz’s Sintfluth und Völkerwanderungen. Dr Worcester’s work is popular, but based on well-chosen authorities. The article “Flood” in Hastings’ D. B. is comprehensive; it represents the difficult view that flood-stories, &c., are generally highly-coloured traditions of genuine facts. (T. K. C.)
DELYANNI, THEODOROS (1826–1905), Greek statesman, was
born at Kalavryta, Peloponnesus, in 1826. He studied law at
Athens, and in 1843 entered the ministry of the interior, of which
department he became permanent secretary in 1859. In 1862,
on the deposition of King Otho, he became minister for foreign
affairs in the provisional government. In 1867 he was minister at
Paris. On his return to Athens he became a member of successive
cabinets in various capacities, and rapidly collected a party
around him consisting of those who opposed his great rival,
Tricoupi. In the so-called “Oecumenical Ministry” of 1877 he
voted for war with Turkey, and on its fall he entered the cabinet
of Koumoundoros as minister for foreign affairs. He was a
representative of Greece at the Berlin Congress in 1878. From
this time forward, and particularly after 1882, when Tricoupi
again came into power at the head of a strong party, the duel
between these two statesmen was the leading feature of Greek
politics. (See Greece: History.) Delyanni first formed a cabinet
in 1885; but his warlike policy, the aim of which was, by threatening
Turkey, to force the powers to make concessions in order
to avoid the risk of a European war, ended in failure. For the
powers, in order to stop his excessive armaments, eventually
blockaded the Peiraeus and other ports, and this brought about
his downfall. He returned to power in 1890, with a radical
programme, but his failure to deal with the financial crisis produced
a conflict between him and the king, and his disrespectful
attitude resulted in his summary dismissal in 1892. Delyanni,
by his demagogic behaviour, evidently expected the public to
side with him; but at the elections he was badly beaten. In
1895, however, he again became prime minister, and was at the
head of affairs during the Cretan crisis and the opening of the
war with Turkey in 1897. The humiliating defeat which
ensued—though Delyanni himself had been led into the disastrous war
policy to some extent against his will—caused his fall in April
1897, the king again dismissing him from office when he declined
to resign. Delyanni kept his own seat at the election of 1899,
but his following dwindled to small dimensions. He quickly
recovered his influence, however, and he was again president of
the council and minister of the interior when, on the 13th of
June 1905, he was murdered in revenge for the rigorous measures
taken by him against gambling houses.
The main fault of Delyanni as a statesman was that he was unable to grasp the truth that the prosperity of a state depends on its adapting its ambitions to its means. Yet, in his vast projects, which the powers were never likely to endorse, and without their endorsement were vain, he represented the real wishes and aspirations of his countrymen, and his death was the occasion for an extraordinary demonstration of popular grief. He died in extreme poverty, and a pension was voted to the two nieces who lived with him.
DEMADES (c. 380–318 B.C.), Athenian orator and demagogue.
He was originally of humble position, and was employed at one
time as a common sailor, but he rose partly by his eloquence and
partly by his unscrupulous character to a prominent position
at Athens. He espoused the cause of Philip in the war against
Olynthus, and was thus brought into bitter and life-long enmity
with Demosthenes, whom he at first supported. He fought against
the Macedonians in the battle of Chaeroneia, and was taken
prisoner. Having made a favourable impression upon Philip,
he was released together with his fellow-captives, and was instrumental
in bringing about a treaty of peace between Macedonia
and Athens. He continued to be a favourite of Alexander, and,
prompted by a bribe, saved Demosthenes and the other obnoxious
Athenian orators from his vengeance. It was also chiefly owing
to him that Alexander, after the destruction of Thebes, treated
Athens so leniently. His conduct in supporting the Macedonian
cause, yet receiving any bribes that were offered by the opposite
party, caused him to be heavily fined more than once; and
he was finally deprived of his civil rights. He was reinstated
(322) on the approach of Antipater, to whom he was sent as
ambassador. Before setting out he persuaded the citizens to
pass sentence of death upon Demosthenes and his followers, who
had fled from Athens. The result of his embassy was the conclusion
of a peace greatly to the disadvantage of the Athenians.
In 318 (or earlier), having been detected in an intrigue with
Perdiccas, Antipater’s opponent, he was put to death by Antipater
at Pella, when entrusted with another mission by the Athenians.
Demades was avaricious and unscrupulous; but he was a highly
gifted and practised orator.
A fragment of a speech (Περὶ δωδεκαετίας), bearing his name, in which he defends his conduct, is to be found in C. Müller’s Oratores Attici, ii. 438, but its genuineness is exceedingly doubtful.
DEMAGOGUE (Gr. δημαγωγός, from ἄγειν, to lead, and δῆμος,
the people), a leader of the popular as opposed to any other
party. Being particularly used with an invidious sense of a
mob leader or orator, one who for his own political ends panders
to the passions and prejudices of the people, the word has come
to mean an unprincipled agitator.
DEMANTOID, the name given by Nils Gustaf Nordenskiöld
to a green garnet, found in the Urals and used as a gem stone.
As it possesses high refractive and dispersive power, it presents
when properly cut great brilliancy and “fire,” and the name has
reference to its diamond-like appearance. It is sometimes known
as “Uralian emerald,” a rather unfortunate name inasmuch as
true emerald is found in the Urals, whilst it not infrequently
passes in trade as olivine. Demantoid is regarded as a lime-iron
garnet, coloured probably by a small proportion of chromium.
The colour varies in different specimens from a vivid green to a
dull yellowish-green, or even to a brown. The specific gravity
of an emerald-green demantoid was found to be 3.849, and that
of a greenish-yellow specimen 3.854 (A. H. Church). The hardness
is only 6.5, or lower even than that of quartz—a character
rather adverse to the use of demantoid as a gem. This mineral
was originally discovered as pebbles in the gold-washings at
Nizhne Tagilsk in the Ural Mountains, and was afterwards
found in the stream called Bobrovka, in the Sysertsk district
on the western slope of the Urals. It occurs not only as
pebbles but in the form of granular nodules in a serpentine
rock, and occasionally, though very rarely, shows traces of
crystal faces. (F. W. R.*)
DEMARATUS (Doric Δαμάρατος, Ionic Δημάρητος), king of
Sparta of the Eurypontid line, successor of his father Ariston. He
is known chiefly for his opposition to his colleague Cleomenes I.
(q.v.) in his attempts to make Isagoras tyrant in Athens and
afterwards to punish Aegina for medizing. He did his utmost to
bring Cleomenes into disfavour at home. Thereupon Cleomenes
urged Leotychides, a relative and personal enemy of Demaratus,
to claim the throne on the ground that the latter was not really
the son of Ariston but of Agetus, his mother’s first husband. The
Delphic oracle, under the influence of Cleomenes’ bribes, pronounced
in favour of Leotychides, who became king (491 B.C.).
Soon afterwards Demaratus fled to Darius, who gave him the
cities of Pergamum, Teuthrania and Halisarna, where his descendants
were still ruling at the beginning of the 4th century
(Xen. Anabasis, ii. 1. 3, vii. 8. 17; Hellenica, iii. 1. 6); to these
- ↑ Held by Franz Delitzsch, Dillmann and Lenormant.