When we come to secular history, the very first chapter of the first book of the first history ever written deals with a question of commerce.  Herodotus, who has been called the Father of History, opens his work with a few introductory words stating that ’these are the researches which he publishes in the hope of thereby preventing the great and wonderful actions of the Greeks and Barbarians from losing their due meed of glory, and withal to put on record what were their grounds of feud’.  And then he plunges straight into his story, as follows:  ’According to the Persians best informed in history, the Phoenicians began the quarrel.  This people, who had formerly dwelt on the shores of the Erythraean Sea, having migrated to the Mediterranean and settled in the parts which they now inhabit, began at once, they say, to adventure on long voyages, freighting their vessels with the wares of Egypt and Assyria.  They landed at many places on the coast, and among the rest at Argos, which was then pre-eminent above all the states included now under the common name of Hellas.  Here they exposed their merchandise, and traded with the natives for five or six days; at the end of which time, when almost everything was sold, there came down to the beach a number of women, and among them the daughter of the king, who was, they say, agreeing in this with the Greeks, Io, the child of Inachus.  The women were standing by the stern of the ship intent upon their purchases, when the Phoenicians, with a general shout, rushed upon them.  The greater part made their escape, but some were seized and carried off.  Io herself was among the captives.  The Phoenicians put the women on board their vessel, and set sail for Egypt.  Thus did Io pass into Egypt, according to the Persian story, which differs widely from the Phoenician:  and thus commenced, according to their authors, the series of outrages.’[26]

Commerce is thus a striking example of the unity of mankind, being a practically universal form of human activity which arises as soon as man verges from the earliest stages of barbarism.  In the case of individuals it is easy to see how this desire to exchange commodities between one individual and another meant so great an increase in human efficiency that it had only to be thought of to be universally adopted.  The primitive savage, doing everything for himself, building his own hut, killing or finding his own food, and making his own clothes, such as they were, was an extremely versatile and self-sufficing person.  At the same time the comforts that he enjoyed were probably not very satisfactory.  His hut was almost certain to be draughty and to let in rain through the roof; his hunting and finding of food must have very often left him with his larder empty, and the state of his wardrobe was probably simple rather than satisfying.  It would inevitably happen that certain members of the tribe would show greater efficiency than others in doing a certain one of these various