File:Babylonian Marriage Market, by Edwin Long.jpg

Identifier: historiesofherod00hero (find matches)
Title: The histories of Herodotus
Year: 1904 (1900s)
Authors: Herodotus Cary, Henry, 1804-1870, tr. trl
Subjects: History, Ancient
Publisher: New York : D. Appleton and Co.
Contributing Library: Harold B. Lee Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University

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reason of the rapidity of the current:and for this reason they make their vessels of skins and notof wood, and at their return to Armenia with their asses theyconstruct other vessels in the same manner. Such, then, isthe description of their boats. For their dress, they wear alinen tunic that reaches down to the feet; over this they putanother garment of wool, and over all a short white cloak;they have sandals peculiar to the country, very like the Boeo-tian clogs. They wear long hair, binding their heads withturbans, and anoint the whole body with perfumes. Everyman has a seal, and a staff curiously wrought; and on everystaff is carved either an apple, a rose, a lily, an eagle, or some-thing of the kind; for it is not allowable to wear a stick with-out a device. Such, then, is their manner of adorning thebody. The following customs prevail among them: this, in myopinion, was the wisest, which I hear the Venetians, of Illyria,also practise. Once in every year the following course was
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^ 1-1 wo< < <o P3 196-198) CUSTOMS OF THE BABYLONIANS 77 pursued in every village: whatever maidens were of a mar-riageable age, they used to collect together and bring in a bodyto one place; around them stood a crowd of men. Then acrier, having made them stand up one by one, offered them forsale, beginning with the most beautiful; and when she hadbeen sold for a large sum, he put up another who was next inbeauty. They were sold on condition that they should be mar-ried. Such men among the Babylonians as were rich and de-sirous of marrying used to bid against one another, and pur-chase the handsomest. But such of the lower classes as weredesirous of marrying did not require a beautiful form, but werewilling to take the plainer damsels with a sum of money. Forwhen the crier had finished selling the handsomest of the maid-ens, he made the ugliest stand up, or one that was a cripple,and put her up to auction for the person who would marry herwith the least sum until she was adju

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