Extent of A

Persia.

Persia properly the name of

province of this vast

MOST ancient and celebrated empire of Asia, extending in length from the mouth of the river Araxes to that of the river Indus, about 1840 of our miles, and in breadth from the river Oxus, to the Persian gulf, about 1080 of the same miles. It is bounded on the north by the Caspian sea, the river Oxus, and Mount Caucasus; on the east, by the river Indus and the dominions of the Great Mogul; on the south, by the Persian gulf and the Indian ocean; and on the west, by the dominions of the Grand Signior.

We learn from Sir William Jones, the illustrious president of the Asiatic Society, that Persia is the name of only one province of this extensive empire, which by enly one the present natives, and all the learned Mussulmans who reside in the British territories in India, is called Iràn. It has been a practice not uncommon in all ages to denominate the whole of a country from that part of it with which we are best acquainted; and hence have the Europeans agreed to call Iran by the name of that province of which Shirauz is the capital: See SHIRAUZ.

empire.

3

Various names of

try.

The most ancient name, however, of this country was that of Elam, or, as some write it Elam, from Elam the coun- the son of Shem, from whom its first inhabitants are descended. Herodotus calls its inhabitants Cephenes; and. in very ancient times the people are said to have called themselves Artai, and the country where they dwelt Artea. In the books of Daniel, Esdras, &c. it is called by the names of Pars, Pharas, or Fars, whence the modern name of Persia; but whence those names have been derived, is now uncertain.

Opinions That Persia was originally peopled by Elam the son especting of Shem, has been very generally admitted; but the its first po- truth is, that of the ancient history of this distinguished empire very little is perfectly known. For this ignorance, which at first seems strange, satisfactory reasons may easily be assigned; of which the principal are the superficial knowledge of the Greeks and Jews, and the loss of Persian archives or historical compositions. "That the Grecian writers before XENOPHON had no acquaintauce with Persia, and that their accounts of it are wholly fabulous, is a paradox too extravagant to be seriously mentioned; but (says Sir William Jones) their connection with it in war or peace had been generally confined to bordering kingdoms under feudatory princes; and the first Persian emperor, whose life and character they seem to have known with tolerable accuracy, was the great CYRUS." Our learned author, however, is so far from considering Cyrus as the first Persian monarch, that he thinks it evident a powerful monarchy had subsisted in Iran for ages before the accession of that hero; that this monarchy was called the Mahélédian dynasty; and that it was in fact the oldest monarchy in the world. The evidence upon which the pre

sident rests this opinion, is the work of a Mahometan traveller, compiled from the books of such Persians as fled from their country upon the innovation in religion made by Zoroaster: and if these books, of which a few still remain, be genuine, and the Mahometan a faithful compiler, facts of which Sir William has not the smallest doubt, the evidence is certainly sufficient to bear the superstructure which he has raised upon it.

human

If the Persian monarchy was thus ancient, it is natu- Perhaps the ral to suppose that Persia or Iran was the original seat original of the human race, whence colonies were sent out or seat of the emigrated of themselves to people the rest of the habi- race. table globe. This supposition is actually made by our ingenious author, who strongly confirms it by remarks on the most ancient language of Persia, which he shows to have been the parent of the Sanscrit, as well as of the Greek, Latin, and Gothic (see PHILOLOGY). He therefore holds, as a proposition firmly established, "that Iran or Persia, in its largest sense, was the true centre of population, of knowledge, of languages, and of arts; which instead of travelling westward only, as it has been fancifully supposed, or eastward, as might with equal reason have been asserted, were expanded in all directions to all the regions of the world." He thinks it is from good authority that the Saxon Chronicle brings the first inhabitants of Britain from Armenia; that the Goths have been concluded to come from Persia; and that both the Irish and old Britons have been supposed to have proceeded from the borders of the Caspian: for all these places were comprehended within the ancient Iran.

Of this first Persian monarchy we have no historical Accounts of accounts; and must therefore, after having thus menthe birth, &c. of tioned it, descend at once to the era of Cyrus. This Cyrus. prince is celebrated both by sacred and profane historians; but the latter are at no small variance concerning his birth and accession to the throne. According to Herodotus, Astyages, the last king of the Medes, being warned in a dream, that the son who was to be born of his daughter Mandane, should one day be lord of Asia, resolved to marry her, not to a Mede, but to a Persian. Accordingly he chose for her husband one Cambyses, a man of a peaceable disposition, and of no very high station. However, about a year after they were married, Astyages was frightened by another dream, which made him resolve to dispatch the infant as soon as it should be born. Hereupon the king sent for his daughter, and put her under confinement, where she was soon after delivered of a son. The infant was committed to the care of one Harpagus, with strict or ders to destroy it in what manner he thought proper. But be, having acquainted his wife with the command he had received, by her advice gave it to a shepherd, desiring him to let it perish by exposing it. But the T 2

shepherd,

Persia. shepherd, out of compassion, exposed a still-born child which his wife happened to be then delivered of, and brought up the son of Mandane as his own, giving him the name of CYRUS.

When the young prince had attained the age of ten years, as he was one day at play with other children of the same age, he was chosen king by his companions; and having, in virtue of that dignity, divided them into several orders and classes, the son of Artembares, a lord of eminent dignity among the Medes, refused to obey his orders; whereupon Cyrus caused him to be seized, and whipped very severely. The boy ran crying to his father; and he immediately hastened to the king's palace, loudly complaining of the affront his son had received from the son of a slave, and intreating Astyages. to revenge, by some exemplary punishment, the indignity offered to him and his family. Astyages, commanding both the herdsman and his son to be brought before him, asked the latter, how he, who was the son of so mean a man, had dared to abuse the son of one of the chief lords of the kingdom? Cyrus replied, that he had done no more than he had a right to do; for the boys of the neighbourhood having chosen him king, because they thought him most worthy of that dignity, and performed what he, vested with that character, had commanded, the son of Artembares alone had slighted his orders, and for his disobedience had suffered the punishment he deserved. In the course of this conversation Astyages happening to recollect, that his grandson, whom he had ordered to be destroyed, would have been about the same age with Cyrus, began to question the shepherd concerning his supposed son, and at last obtained from him a confession of the whole truth.

Astyages having now discovered Cyrus to be his grandson, sent for Harpagus, who also confessed that he had not seen Mandane's son destroyed, but had given him to the shepherd; at which Astyages was so much incensed, that, having invited Harpagus to an entertainment, he caused him to be served with the flesh of his own son. When he had done, the king asked him whether he liked his victuals; and Harpagus answering, that he had never tasted any thing more delicious, the officers appointed for that purpose brought in a basket, containing the head, hands, and feet of his son, desiring him to uncover the basket, and take what he liked best. He did as they desired, and beheld the mangled remains of his only child without betraying the least concern, so great was the command which he had over his passions. The king then asked him, whether he knew with what kind of meat he had been entertained. Harpagus replied, that he knew very well, and was always pleased with what his sovereign thought fit to ordain; and having thus replied, with a surprising temper he collected the mangled parts of his innocent son, and went home.

Astyages having thus vented his rage on Harpagus, began next to consult what he should do with Cyrus. The magi, however, eased him of his fears with regard to him, by assuring him, that as the boy had been once chosen king by his companions, the dream had been already verified, and that Cyrus never would reign in any other sense. The king, being well pleased with this answer, called Cyrus, and, owning how much he had been wanting in the affection which he ought to have had towards him, desired him to prepare for a journey ३.

into Persia, where he would find his father and mother Persia. in circumstances very different from those of the poor shepherd and his wife with whom he had hitherto lived. Cyrus, on his arrival at his father's house, was received with the greatest joy. When he grew up, he soon became popular on account of his extraordinary parts; till at last his friendship was courted by Harpagus, who had never forgot the cruel treatment he received from Astyages. By this means a conspiracy was formed against Astyages; who being overthrown in two successive engagements, was taken prisoner and confined for life.

The account given by Xenophon of the rise of Cyrus is much more consonant to Scripture; for he tells us, that Babylon was conquered by the united forces of the Medes and Persians. According to him, Cyrus was the son of Cambyses king of the Medes, and Mandane the daughter of Astyages king of Persia. He was born a year after his uncle Cyaxares, the brother of Mandane. He lived till the age of twelve with his parents in Persia, being educated after the manner of the country, and inured to fatigues and military exercises. At this age he was taken to the court of Astyages, where he resided four years; when the revolt of the Medes and Persians from the Babylonians happened, and which ended in the destruction of the Babylonish empire, as related under the article BABYLON.

7

While Cyrus was employed in the Babylonish war, His war before he attacked the metropolis itself, he reduced all with the the nations of Asia Minor. The most formidable of Lydians. these were the Lydians, whose king Croesus assembled a very numerous army, composed of all the other nations in that part of Asia, as well as of Egyptians, Greeks, and Thracians. Cyrus being informed of these vast preparations, augmented his forces to 196,000 men, and with them advanced against the enemy, who were assembled near the river Pactolus. After long marches, he came up with them at Thymbra, not far from Sardis, the capital of Lydia. Besides the horse and foot, which amounted to 196,000, as already observed, Cyrus had 300 chariots armed with scythes, each chariot drawn by four horses abreast, covered with trappings that were proof against all sorts of missive weapons: he had likewise a great number of chariots of a larger size, upon each of which was placed a tower about 18 or 20 feet high, and in each tower were lodged 20 archers. These towers were drawn by 16 oxen yoked abreast. There was moreover a considerable number of camels, each mounted by two Arabian archers, the one looking towards the head, and the other towards the hinder part of the camel. The army of Croesus consisted of 420,000 men. The Egyptians, who alone were 120,000 in number, being the main strength of the army, were placed in the centre. Both armies were drawn up in an immense plain, which gave room for the extending of the wings on either side; and the design of Croesus, upon which alone he founded his hopes of victory, to surround and hem in the enemy's army. When the two armies were in sight of each other, The battle Croesus, observing how much his front exceeded that of of Thym Cyrus, made the centre halt, but commanded the two wings to advance, with a design to inclose the Persian army, and begin the attack on both sides at once. When the two detached bodies of the Lydian forces were sufficiently extended, Croesus gave the signal to the

was:

main

bra.

8.

main body, which marched up to the front of the Persian army, while the two wings attacked them in flank; so that Cyrus's army was hemmed in on all sides, and, as Xenophon expresses it, was inclosed like a small square drawn within a great one. This motion, however, did not at all alarm the Persian commander; but, giving his troops the signal to face about, he attacked in flank those forces that were going to fall upon his rear so vigorously, that he put them into great disorder. At the same time a squadron of camels was made to advance against the enemy's other wing, which consisted mostly of cavalry. The horses were so frightened at the approach of these animals, that most of them threw their riders, and trod them under foot; which occasioned great confusion. Then Artageses, an officer of great valour and experience, at the head of a small body of horse, charged them so briskly, that they could never afterwards rally; and at the same time the chariots, armed with scythes, being driven in among them, they were entirely routed. Both the enemy's wings being thus put to flight, Cyrus commanded his chief favourite Abradates to fall upon the centre with the large chariots above mentioned. The first ranks, consisting mostly of Lydians, not being able to stand so violent a charge, immediately gave way; but the Egyptians, being covered with their bucklers, and marching so close that the chariots had not room to penetrate their ranks, a great slaughter of the Persians ensued. Abradates himself was killed, his chariot overturned, and the greatest part of his men were cut in pieces. Upon his death, the Egyptians, advancing boldly, obliged the Persian infantry to give way, and drove them back quite to their engines. There they met with a new shower of darts and javelins from their machines; and at the same time the Persian rear advancing sword in hand, obliged their spearmen and archers to return to the charge. In the mean time Cyrus, having put to flight both the horse and foot on the left of the Egyptians, pushed on to the centre, where he had the misfortune to find his Persians again giving ground; and judging that the only way to stop the Egyptians, who were pursuing them, would be to attack them in the rear, he did so; and at the same time the Persian cavalry coming up to his assistance, the fight was renewed with great slaughter on both sides. Cyrus himself was in great danger; for his horse being killed under him, he fell among the midst of his enemies: but the Persians, alarmed at the danger of their general, threw themselves headlong on their opponents, rescued him, and made a terrible slaughter; till at last Cyrus, admir ing the valour of the Egyptians, offered them honourable conditions: letting them know at the same time, that all their allies had abandoned them. They accepted the terms offered them; and having agreed with Cyrus that they should not be obliged to carry arms against Croesus, they engaged in the service of the conqueror, and continued faithful to him ever after.

The next morning Cyrus advanced towards Sardis, and Croesus marched out to oppose him at the head of the Lydians only for his allies had all abandoned him. Their strength consisted mostly in cavalry; which Cyrus being well apprised of, he ordered his camels to advance; by whom the horses were so frightened, that they became quite ungovernable. However, the Lydians dismounted, and for some time made a vigorous,

resistance on foot; but were at last driven into the city, Persia. which was taken two days after: and thus the Lydian empire was totally destroyed.

After the conquest of Sardis, Cyrus turned his arms Reduces against Babylon itself, which he reduced in the manner Babylon. related under that article. Having settled the civil government of the conquered kingdoms, Cyrus took a review of all his forces, which he found to consist of 600,000 foot, 120,000 horse, and 2000 chariots armed with scythes. With these he extended his dominion all over the nations to the confines of Ethiopia, and to the Red sea; after which he continued to reign peaceably over his vast empire till his death, which happened about 529 before Christ. According to Xenophon, he His death. died a natural death; but others tell us, that, having engaged in a war with the Scythians, he was by them overthrown and cut in pieces with his whole army, amounting to 200,000 men. But this is very impro bable, seeing all authors agree that the tomb of Cyrus was extant at Pasargada in Persia in the time of Alexander the Great; which it could not have been if his body had remained in the possession of the Scythians,. as these authors assert.

In the time of Cyrus, the Persian empire extended from the river Indus to the Ægean sea. On the north it was bounded by the Euxine and Caspian seas, and on the south by Ethiopia and Arabia. That monarch kept his residence for the seven cold months at Babylon, by reason of the warmth of that climate; three months in the spring he spent at Susa, and two at Ecbatan during the beat of summer. On his deathbed he appointed his son Cambyses to succeed him in the empire; and to his other son, Smerdis, he gave several considerable governments. The new monarch immediately set about the conquest of Egypt; which he accomplished in the manner related in the history of that country.

12

Having reduced Egypt, Cambyses next resolved to Cambyses turn his arms against the Carthaginians, Hammonians, conquers and Ethiopians. But he was obliged to drop the first Egypt. of these enterprises, because the Phoenicians refused to supply him with ships against the Carthaginians, who were a Phoenician colony. However, he sent ambassadors into Ethiopia with a design to get intelligence of the state and strength of the country. But the Ethiopian monarch, being well apprised of the errand on which they came, treated them with great contempt. In return for the presents sent him by Cambyses, he sent his own bow; and advised the Persians to make war upon the Ethiopians when they could bend such a strong bow as easily as he did, and to thank the gods that the Ethiopians had no ambition to extend their dominions beyond their own country.

nians.

13

Cambyses was no sooner informed of this answer by His unsuchis ambassadors than he flew into a violent passion; and cessful expedition ordered his army immediately to begin their march, against without considering that they were neither furnished Ethiopia with provisions nor any other necessary. When he ar- and the rived at Thebes in Upper Egypt, he detached 50,000 Hammo men, with orders to destroy the temple of Jupiter Ammon but all these perished in the desert; not a single person arriving either at the oracle, or returning to Thebes. The rest of the army, led by Cambyses himself, experienced incredible hardships; for not being provided with any necessaries, they had not marched a fifth part of the way when they were obliged to kill and

ea

Persia.

14 He murders his brother.

His death.

16

eat their beasts of burthen. When these failed, the soldiers fed on grass and roots, as long as any could be found; and at last were reduced to the dreadful necessity of eating one another; every tenth man, on whom the lot fell, being condemned to serve as food for his companions. The king, however, obstinately persisted in his design; till, being apprehensive of the danger he himself was in, he retreated to Thebes, after having lost the greatest part of his army.

Cambyses was a man of a very cruel and suspicious temper, of which he gave many instances; and the following proved indirectly the cause of his death.-We have already observed that the king of Ethiopia sent his bow in return for the presents brought to him by the ambassadors of Cambyses. The only man in the Persian army who could bend this bow was Smerdis the king's brother; and this instance of his personal strength so alarmed the tyrant, that, without any crime alleged, he caused him to be murdered, This gave occasion to one Smerdis, a magian, who greatly resembled the other Smerdis in looks, to assume the name of the deceased prince, and to raise a rebellion against Cambyses who was generally hated for his cruelty; and this he could the more easily do, as the chief management of affairs had been committed to this Smerdis during the king's absence. Cambyses, on receiving the news of this revolt, immediately ordered his army to march, in order to suppress it; but as he was mounting his horse, his sword, slipping out of its scabbard, wounded him in the thigh. On this accident, he asked the name of the city where he was; and being told that it was Ecbatan, he said in the presence of all his attendants, "Fate has decreed that Cambyses the son of Cyrus shall die in this place." For, having consulted the oracle of Butus, which was very famous in that country, he was told that he should die at Ecbatan. This he had always understood of Ecbatan in Media, and had therefore resolved to avoid it. Being now, however, convinced that his end approached, he assembled the chief Persian lords who served in the army, and having told them that his brother was certainly dead, he exhorted them never to submit to the impostor, or suffer the sovereignty again to pass from the Persians to the Medes, to which nation Smerdis belonged, but to use their utmost endeavours to place one of their own blood on the throne.

As the king's wound mortified, he lived but a few days after this; but the assembly supposing that he had spoken only out of hatred to his brother, quietly submitted to the impostor, who was thus for a time established on the throne. Indeed, from his conduct during the short time which he enjoyed the kingdom, he appears to have been not at all undeserving of a crown. Reign of He began with granting to all his subjects an exemption Smerais the from taxes and military service for three years, and magian. treated all of them in the most beneficent manner. To secure himself on the throne the more effectually, he married Atossa the daughter of Cyrus; thinking, that in case of a discovery he might hold the empire by her title. She had before been married to her brother Cambyses, on a decision of the magi that a king of Persia might do as he pleased; and by virtue of this decision Smerdis also married her as her brother. The extreme caution of Smerdis, however, promoted the discovery of

store disce

his imposture. He had married all his predecessors Persia. wives, among whom was one Phedyma, the daughter of Otanes a Persian nobleman of the first rank. Otanes, 17 who suspected that the king was not Smerdis the son of His in poCyrus, sent a trusty messenger to his daughter, desiring vered. to know whether he was so or not; but Phedyma, having never seen this Smerdis, could not give any answer. Her father then desired her to inquire at Atossa, who could not but know her own brother. However, he was again disappointed; for Phedyma acquainted him that all the king's wives were lodged in distinct and separate apartments, without being allowed to see each other. This greatly increased the suspicions of Otanes; upon which he sent his daughter a third message, desiring her, the next time she should be admitted to the king's bed, to take an opportunity of feeling whether he had ears or not: for Cyrus had formerly caused the hears of Smerdis the magian to be cut off for some crime of which he had been guilty; so that, if the king had ears, she might then be assured that he was Smerdis the son of Cyrus. The event showed that the suspicions of Otanes were just; and Phedyma having acquainted her father that the king had no ears, a conspiracy was immediately formed against him. While the conspirators were debating about the proper means of carrying A conspitheir designs into execution, Darius the son of Hystaspes racy formed against happening to arrive at Susa where his father was gover- him. nor, they all agreed to make him privy to their design. He told them, at their first meeting, that he thought nobody in the empire but himself had known that Smerdis the son of Cyrus was dead, and the throne usurped by one of the magi; that he had come with a design to kill the usurper, without imparting his design to any one, that the glory of such an action might be entirely his own. But since others were apprised of the imposture, he insisted that the usurper should be dispatched without delay. Otanes, on the other hand, was for puting off the enterprise till some better opportunity offered; but Darius protested, that if they did not make the attempt that very day, he would prevent any one from accusing him, by disclosing the whole matter to the impostor himself.

In the mean time, Smerdis and his brother had by great promises prevailed on Prenaspes (the executioner of the true Smerdis) to bind himself by an oath not to discover the fraud they had put on the Persians, and even to make a public speech, declaring that the present king of Persia was really the son of Cyrus. At the time appointed, he began his discourse with the genealogy of Cyrus, putting his hearers in mind of the great favours the nation had received from that prince. After having extolled Cyrus and his family, to the great astonishment of all present, he confessed the whole transaction with regard to the death of Smerdis; telling the people that the apprehensions of the danger he must inevitably run by publishing the imposture had constrained him to conceal it so long; but now, not being able any longer to act such a dishonourable part, be acknowledged that he had been compelled by Cambyses to put his brother to death with his own hand, and that the person who possessed the throne was Smerdis the magian. He then begged pardon of the gods and men for the crime he had committed; and fulminating many imprecations against the Persians if they failed to reco

Persia.

19

He is kil led.

ver the sovereignty, he threw himself headlong from the top of the tower on which he stood, and died on the spot.

In the meantime the conspirators, who were advan· Icing towards the palace, were informed of what had happened; and Otanes was again for deferring the execation of their enterprise: but Darius insisting upon the danger of delay, they proceeded boldly to the palace; and being admitted by the guards, who did not suspect them, they killed both the usurper and his brother; after which they exposed their heads to the people, and declared the whole imposture. The Persians at this were so enraged, that they fell on the whole sect, and killed every one of the magi they could meet with; and had not the slaughter been stopped by night, not one of the order would have been left alive. The day on which this slaughter happened was afterwards celebrated by the Perians with the greatest solemnity, and called by the name of Magophonia, or the slaughtor of the Magi. On that festival the magi durst not appear abroad, but were obliged to shut themselves up in their houses. Smerdis the magian reigned only eight months.

When the tumult was a little subsided, the conspira. tors, who were seven in number, met together in order to elect a new king, or to determine what form of government they should next introduce. Otanes was for a republic; but being overruled by the rest, he declared, that as he was determined not to be a king, neither would he be ruled by one; and therefore insisted that he and his family should ever afterwards remain free from subjection to the royal power. This was not only granted, but it was further agreed by the other six, that whoever was chosen should every year present Otanes with a Median vest, a mark of great distinction among the Persians, because he had been the chief author of the enterprise. They further agreed to meet at a certain place next morning at sunrise on horseback, and that he whose horse first neighed should be king. This being overheard by Oebores, who had the care of Darius's horses, he led a mare over-night to the place, and brought his master's horse to her. The next morning, the horse remembering the place, immediately neighed for the mare; and the five lords dismounting, Darius Hy-saluted Darius as their king. staspes chosen king.

20

Darius Hystaspes was elected king of Persia in the year 522 B. C. Immediately after his accession, he promoted the other six conspirators to the first employments in the kingdom, married the two daughters of Cyrus, Atossa and Artystona, Parmys the daughter of the true Smerdis, and Phedyma the daughter of Otanes, who had detected the imposture of the magian. He then divided the whole empire into 20 satrapies or governments, and appointed a governor over each division, ordering them to pay him an annual tribute. The inhabitants of Colchis, with some others, were enjoined only to make annual presents, and the Arabians to furnish every year such a quantity of frankincense as equal led the weight of 1000 talents. Thus Darius received the yearly tribute of 14,560 Eubœic talents, upwards of 260,000 pounds sterling.

Under Darius, the building of the temple of Jerusalem, which had been obstructed by Cambyses and Smerdis, went on successfully, and the Jewish state was entirely restored. The most remarkable of Darius's other

21

the Baby

transactions were his expeditions against Babylon: Persia. against Scythia, India, and Greece. The expedition against Babylon took place in the year 517 B. C. when the people, unable to bear the oppression of the Persians, Revolt of and likewise discontented because the seat of government lonians. was removed from their city to Susa in Persia, took the opportunity of the troubles which happened in the reigns of Cambyses and Smerdis, to store their city with all kinds of provisions sufficient to serve them for many years; after which they broke out into an open rebellion, and thus quickly brought upon them Darius with all his forces. The Babylonians perceiving themselves shut up by so numerous an army, turned all their thoughts towards the supporting of a long siege, which they imagined would tire out the king's troops. To prevent the consumption of their provisions, they took the most barbarous and cruel resolution that ever was put in execution by any nation. They agreed among themselves to get rid of all unnecessary mouths; and therefore, gathering together all the old men, women, and children, they strangled them without distinction; every one being allowed only to keep the wife he liked best, and a maid-servant to do the work of the house. The siege continued for a year and eight months; nor was there any likelihood of its being ended, when Zopyrus, one of Darius's chief commanders, put him in possession of it by the following stratagem. He cut off his nose and ears, and having mangled his body with stripes in a most cruel manner, he fled to the Babylonians thus disfigured, pretending that he had been so treated by Darius for advising him to raise the siege. Being intrusted with the command of some forces, he cut off several parties of the Persian army, whom Darius thus sacrificed in order to raise the character of Zopyrus the higher among the Babylonians. In this manner he so much established his credit, that at last he was made commander in chief of all the Babylonish forces, and the guard of the city committed entirely to his care; and no sooner was this done than he delivered it up to Darius, who, to prevent their rebelling a second time, beat down the walls of that metropolis to the height of 50 cubits. Three thousand of the most active in the rebellion were impaled; the rest pardoned. As they had destroyed most of their women, the neighbouring nations were commanded to furnish them with wives, and 50,000 women were sent to that city, by which means it was prevented from being depopulated. Zopyrus was rewarded with the highest honours, and had the whole revenues of Babylon bestowed on him for life.

22

After the reduction of Babylon, Darius undertook a His unsucScythian expedition, directed against those nations which cessful exlie between the Danube and the Tanais. His pretext pedition for this war was, to revenge the calamities which these against the nations had brought upon Asia about 120 years before, Scythians. when they invaded and subdued Media; keeping it in subjection for the space of 28 years, as we have related under that article. In this expedition he was attended with an army of 700,000 men. With these he marched to the Thracian Bosphorus; which having passed on a bridge of boats, he reduced all Thrace. From Thrace he advanced to the Danube, where he had appointed his fleet to meet him. This river he passed on another bridge of boats, and entered Scythia. His enemies, however, were too wise to oppose such a formidable power in the open field; and therefore retired before him, wasting

the