Through this sacred conventionalism Niebuhr broke fearlessly, and,
though at times overcritical, he struck from the early history of
Rome a vast mass of accretions, and gave to the world a residue
infinitely more valuable than the original amalgam of myth, legend,
and chronicle.
His methods were especially brought to bear on students' history by
one of the truest men and noblest scholars that the English race
has produced--Arnold of Rugby--and, in spite of the inevitable
heavy conservatism, were allowed to do their work in the field of
ancient history as well as in that of ancient classical literature.
The place of myth in history thus became more and more understood,
and historical foundations, at least so far as _secular_ history was
concerned, were henceforth dealt with in a scientific spirit. The
extension of this new treatment to _all_ ancient literature and
history was now simply a matter of time.
Such an extension had already begun; for in 1829 had appeared
Milman's _History of the Jews_.
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