herbs and roots, especially hellebore, were sold in large quantities. One
principal reason why the religious games or political assemblies of the
states were fixed upon to hold fairs was, that during them all hostilities
were suspended; and every person might go with his merchandize in safety to
them, even through an enemy's country. The priests, so far from regarding
these fairs as a profanation of the religions ceremonies, encouraged them;
and the priests of Jupiter, in particular, advanced large sums on interest
to such merchants as had good credit, but had not sufficient money with
them.

The island of Delos calls for our particular attention, as the grand mart
of the Athenians, as well as of the rest of Greece, and of the other
countries in the Mediterranean, which at this period were engaged in
commerce. The peace of this island always remained undisturbed, from an
opinion that it was under the special protection of Apollo and Diana; and
when the fleets of enemies met there, out of respect to the sacredness of
the place, they forbore all manner of hostilities. There were also other
circumstances which contributed to render it a place of great importance to
commerce: its commodious situation for the navigation from Europe into
Asia; its festivals, which brought immense crowds to it (and as we have
just observed, wherever a multitude of Greeks were collected, by
superstitious rites or amusements, commerce was mingled with their duties
and pursuits); and the bias which its original, or at least its very early
inhabitants, had to commerce: all these combined to render it a place of
great importance to commerce. Its trade consisted chiefly in slaves:
according to Strabo, in the time of Perseus, king of Macedonia, above
10,000 slaves came in and went out daily. The corn, wine, and other
commodities of the neighbouring islands; the scarlet linen tunics,
manufactured in the island of Amorgos; the rich purple stuffs of Cos; the
highly esteemed alum of Melos, and the valuable copper, which the mines, of