thereby showing himself worthy to reign. He left behi 1 him a grateful memorial in the minds of his subjects, and 8" son and successor of a warlike, ambitious, and enterprising temper. Phraortes succeeded his father in the kingdom of Media. Few circumstances are recorded of him. He carried on wars with various success; subjected the Per sians to his power; made war with Nabuchodonosor, the king of Nineveh, in which he was unfortunate, and termi nated his career, together with his life, after a reign of twenty-two years.

This Nabuchodonosor is thought to have been the monarch of that name mentioned in the book of Judith, who sent Holofernes to invade Judea. The Assyrian empire was then much weakened, and fast declining, but was still too powerful for the Mees. In those ages, when the safety of a nation depended more on personal valor and military skill, than on riches and artful negotiations, the loss of a general battle produced very different effects on a rising nation, composed of hardy warriors, inflamed with a desire of conquest, and just beginning to be dazzled with the splendors of empire, from what it did on an ancient nation, immensely rich, voluptuous, effeminate, and drowning in its own luxuries. While, on the one hand, the Medes soon recovered their loss, and rose more terrible after the defeat and death of Phraortes; on the other, the defeat of the Assyrians before Bethulia, and the loss of a general and his army, seemed to break their spirit, and hasten on their final subversion.

B. C.

634.

Cyaxares I. succeeded his father Phraortes. He soon collected and drew after him an army composed of the fiery and unconquerable spirits from the mountains of Media. He pushed his conquests in every direction, united the barbarous tribes of Media under his standard, and soon became formidable to all the neighboring nations. But as his conquests lay chiefly among tribes and clans of uncivilized barbarians, we shall pass them over in silence.

The good fortune attending his arms, and the remembrance of the shameful defeat and death of his father in the Assyrian war, now roused him to seek revenge on that proud empire, which had so long tyrannized over many nations. He marched at the head of a powerful army toward Nineveh, encountered and defeated an Assyrian army thrown in his way, and laid close siege to the city. As the Assyrians were utterly unable to keep the field,

their only safeguard and dependence was the strength of their capital. But as nothing now remained of that warlike character, which distinguished and exalted their nation in formet ages, the siege was likely to be of short continuance, and must have ended in the speedy reduction and utter ruin of that city, had not Providence designed to procrastinate thei doom for a few more years.

Cyaxares was suddenly recalled to defend his own territo ries from the Scythians, who had poured down upon Media and were likely to overrun all Western Asia. This is the first irruption of that barbarous people mentioned in history. It was upwards of 600 years before the Christian era. The history of that people is curious and wonderful. They seem to have been designed as the instrument of Providence, to scourge the nations of the earth.

The northern and eastern wilds of Europe and Asia gave birth to a race of men in early ages, more properly called an immense collection of wandering tribes and families, than a nation. Their manner of life, both in war and peace, has been uniform and perpetual. Their courage was invincible, their armies innumerable, and they seemed to spring from sources inexhaustible. Though extremely fierce, and devoid of mental cultivation, yet their policy, in its kind, was keen, artful, and profound. Their invasions resembled the emigration of an entire province. They carried with them their families and effects; and the shock of their impression was adequate to the overturning of the greatest empires. In the most vigorous periods of the Roman empire, they shook its foundations; and, finally, in one tremendous inundation, desolated the whole civilized world.

As ancient Media lay nigh the Caspian Sea, and bordered on what is now denominated Circassia, the dominions of Cyaxares lay directly in their way into the interior of Western Asia. He therefore marched with all speed, and gave them battle; but was totally defeated, and obliged to fly before a victorious enemy. But, as the circumstances of this war between the savage Scythians and the Medes, not much more civilized, are but slightly known, and would be wholly uninteresting, were they otherwise, we nall not dwell upon them. It shall suffice to say, that Cyaxares, after struggling several years, with various fortune, found means to destroy or expel them from his dominions. He is said to have caused them to be invited

to feasts, made in various parts of his kingdom, where, in, the midst of intoxication, his guards, and other emissaries, fell upon them, and caused them to perish in a general massacre. The difficulties, however, attending so extensive and deep a conspiracy, leave room to doubt the authenticity of the story.

Cyaxares at length found leisure to renew his invasion of Nineveh. He met with little obstruction in opening the sicge; and, as his efforts were aided by the king of Babylon, a powerful and warlike prince, with whom he had formed an alliance, the reduction of the city soon followed, as we have formerly noted.

Cyaxares pursued his conquests, leaving only Chaldea to the king of Babylon; and, having extended his territories, and enriched his armies with treasures and spoils of immense value, he returned to Media in great glory; where the enervating influence of Assyrian luxury soon became visible, and, among other causes, concurred in transferring the empire from the Medes to the Persians.

Cyaxares was succeeded by his son Astyages, whose reign was long and prosperous. Astyages was succeeded by his son Cyaxares II., called in the Bible Darius the Median. Dan. v. 31. Astyages had also a daughter, named Mandane, who married Cambyses, king of Persia. These were the parents of the great Cyrus, who put a period to the latter As syrian, and effected the union of the Median and Persian empires.

CHAPTER V.

THE PERSIAN EMPIRE, FROM THE BIRTH OF CYRUS, TO THE CONQUEST OF THE LESSER ASIA.

THE legal heir to a splendid fortune, or to an imperial throne, has little honor in comparison with him, who, by the force of his genius, breaks the power of depressing circumstances, bears down all impediments, removes the various difficulties and embarrassments, with which weak men are encompassed, and carries along with him a whole nation to the elevated summit of empire. However much we may be disposed to ascribe it to a fortunate concurrence of events, it will appear, on careful attention, to arise from that astonishing power, some men have over others, of

combining and directing their exertions to proper objectsfrom their great energy of character-from their commanding and comprehensive views of human affairs-from their quick discernment in the choice of expedients-from their bold and masterly projection of grand schemes, and from their diligence and perseverance in every pursuit.

With such a genius Cyrus was endowed. He found his native country but small, and inhabited by an inconsiderable people. The territories of the ancient Persians, it is said by good authorities, comprehended but a small part of that vast country now bearing their name; which extends from the river Indus to the Euphrates. They were allies and dependants of the Medes, who, under Cyaxares the First, the great grandfather of Cyrus, had destroyed Nineveh, and subjugated many neighboring countries, as already noticed. West of them lay the kingdom of Babylon, immensely opulent, and still powerful, but declining under the administration of a dynasty of weak and vicious monarchs.

As the Medes had put a period to the first Assyrian empire, the Assyrians of Babylon viewed them with an eye of jealousy, and waited only for a convenient time to make war on so powerful and dangerous a neighbor. This soon presented; and Neriglissar, king of Babylon, having drawn into his alliance Cresus, king of Lydia, and many neighboring princes and tributaries, took the field. Cyaxares the Second had, just before this, succeeded to the throne of his father Astyages. He was alarmed at the prospect of so formidable a war, which seemed likely to overwhelm his dominions. He immediately sent to Cambyses, king of Persia, requesting that Cyrus might be sent to his aid at the head of the Persian auxiliaries.

Cyrus then first appeared as the commander of an army, and fully justified the expectation of those who had seen his wisdom, discreetness, and valor, on former occasions. He displayed all the activity, the humanity, the address, the for titude, and the personal authority of a great commander. A general battle was fought, in which the king of Babylon was slain, the Assyrian army totally defeated, their allies dispersed, and their affairs rendered desperate. But as the victory was wholly owing to the conduct of Cyrus, the king of Media was filled with chagrin, envy, and discontent. He soon after returned home, and left Cyrus to prosecute the war at his own discretion.

The Assyrians were unable to collect another army sufficient to cope with Cyrus. He therefore penetrated into Chaldea, took every fortress that lay in his way, ravaged the country, and marched to the gates of Babylon. But the stupendous height and impenetrable thickness of the walls, the lofty towers, and gates of solid brass, and the multitude of men within, seemed to indicate a longer siege and more obstinate defence than Cyrus was prepared to undertake. Before that city could be taken, he had once more to try his fortune in the open field.

He therefore returned with his victorious army to Media, to his uncle Cyaxares; and from thence revisited his father Cambyses, in his native country, Persia, after an absence of about seven years.

It was now pretty clearly foreseen, that Cyrus was rising to the empire of Asia. His great qualities as a general, the sublimity and grandeur of his designs, the celerity of his movements, the martial order of his camps, and the tremendous impetuosity of his battles, in addition to the lustre of his character in private life, presaged his future greatness, and seemed to set him foremost in the first rank of men then living; and, as we shall see hereafter, entitled him to the highest character of all the monarchs of Asia.

On his approach towards the borders of Media, as just related, his uncle Cyaxares met him with coolness. And well might he have been alarmed for the safety of his kingdom and the security of his crown, had Cyrus been of that dark, perfidious character, which many great conquerors have too clearly shown to the world. But Cyrus had the address to dispel his fears, quiet his jealousies, and conciliate his affections; so that the just apprehensions of mankind of a rupture between the Medes and Persians were removed; Cyrus, doubtless, well understanding how important the strict union of those two warlike powers was to the accomplishment of his designs, and also foreseeing how likely it was that he should one day reign over both.

The rapid growth of the Persian arms, under Cyrus, had now excited general attention from Egypt to India. A league was formed among the principalities of Asia, at the head of which was Belshazzar, king of Babylon, and Cresus, king of Lydia.

But, before we proceed, it is necessary to draw the reader's attention, for a moment, aside from the line we are tracing. The Lydians were an ancient people of Lesser