0444_Bk

|. ANCIENT HIS'tORY, 5
semi-historical, whose chronology is involved in doubt,
but whose records contain authentic information regarding
actual personages; and the historical, whose chronology
can be verified by the eclipses referred to therein, and
whose relation of events may in general be accepted as
trustworthy.
The earliest records handed down to us by Confucius,
begin shortly before the first of the three great dynasties
of Hsia _, Shang _ (or Yin J_), and Chou I_]• In
these he introduces us to Yao and Shun, whom he and his
successors have glorified as ideal Rulers, models for all
future ages.
YAO* _ known personally as T'ao T'ang Shih
_J _: J_ and imperially as T'ang Ti Yao, _ _ _, is
generally assigned to ]3. C. 2356. In character the Shn
describes him as being endowed by nature with reverence,
intelligence, refinement, and thoughtfulness. That as a
Ruler he had predecessors, whether universally acknow-
ledged or not, may be inferred from the state of government
and civilisation indicated in the Shu, but to him is
directly ascribed the earliest unification of the Empire, and
the elevation from their previous state of semi-barbarism
of" the black-haired race." To him is also attributed the
regulation of the Calender, a work of exceeding difficulty
in those early days, by the employment of astronomers.
He announced that the year consisted of 365 days and instituted,
or at least restored, the intercalary month for
the proper regulating of the year.