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Bird, H. E. (Henry Edward), 1830-1908

"Chess History and Reminiscences"

The term
Assyria, then, denoting Persia in general, is used here in a well
known figurative sense "per synecdechen," a part taken for the
whole, just as the term Fers is employed to at this day to denote
the whole of Persia, whereas it is only the name of a single
insignificant province of that kingdom. Finally, the once splendid
empire of Assyria, of Media, and of Persia, had all passed away
long before Anna Comnena wrote, so that one name is just as
likely to be employed by her as another. (Forbes.)
------
The European origin of chess, or rather the supposed time of
its first introduction through the Arabs into Spain 713, 715,
though resting on a general consensus of agreement may yet prove
to be ill matured, for though it is clear that Spain did get
knowledge of it at the conquest and occupancy during Al Walid's
reign by the armies under Musa Ibn Nosseyr and Tarik Ibn Yeyzad
it is not so certain, if the Romans were acquainted with it at
the time of the edict, 830 years earlier, that it may not have
been known in some parts of Europe before the time supposed,
besides which we have the Asiatic Society's statement, through
its Persian M.


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