army. He was, however, shortly obliged to raise the siege, in consequence of an irruption of the Scythians into Media, who thought his absence a fit opportunity to devastate his dominions; and for twenty-eight years they kept possession of a great part of his territories in Upper Asia, at which period he conquered them. A. M. 3378. 626. In this year Cyaxares again besieged Nineveh, and, assisted by Nabopolassar, took the city, and killed Saracus the king, and then, prosecuting his victories, made himself master of all the cities of the kingdom of Assyria, except Babylon and Chaldea, which belonged to Nabopolassar. Shortly after this expedition Cyaxares died, and left his dominions to his son A. C. 595. ASTYAGES. History records nothing particuA. M. 3409. lar of this king, but that he had two children, whose names are famous, namely, Cyaxares and Mandana; Mandana was married to Cambyses, the son of Achemenes, king of Persia. A. M. 3444. CYAXARES II. This prince is called in Scripture Darius the Mede. Cyrus having taken Babylon, in conjunction with his uncle Cyaxares, left it under his government; but on the death of his uncle, and his father Cambyses, he united the kingdoms of the Medes and Persians, which were thenceforward considered as one empire. Before entering upon the history of the Persian empire, a short account must be given of Lydia, because Crœsus, its king, has a considerable share in the events to be related. EXERCISES.- What was the conduct of Dejoces on ascending the throne? How did he ameliorate the condition of his people? What were his ideas regarding the majesty of kings? Was his conduct productive of bad consequences subsequently? Who succeeded Dejoces? Against whom did he make war? What was his success? Of what rash conduct was he guilty? How did Nabuchodonoser punish his temerity? How did Cyaxares revenge the death of his father? Who succeeded Cyaxares? What were the names of his children? How long did Astyages reign, and who succeeded him? THE HISTORY OF THE LYDIANS. PART V. CHAPTER I. OF THE KINGS OF LYDIA. THE kings of Lydia are called by Herodotus Atyadæ, that is, descendants from Atys; and Lydus gave the name of Lydians to that people, who before this time were called Mæonians. The Atyada were succeeded by the Heraclidæ, who possessed this kingdom for the space of 505 years. A. M. 2781. ARGO, Son of Hercules, was the first of the Heraclidæ who reigned in Lydia; the last was Candaules. This prince was married to a lady of exquisite beauty, and continually boasted of her charms to others; in short, nothing would satisfy him but that Gyges, one of his officers, should see and judge of her beauty. For this purpose the king placed Gyges, as he imagined, in a secret place, where he might see the queen; but, notwithstanding his precaution, the queen perceived him as he retired, and resolved to take signal vengeance on her husband for the injury he had done her. Accordingly she conspired with Gyges, who murdered Candaules, and thus became possessed of his queen and his throne. A. M. 3286. The murder of Candaules raised a sedition A. c. 718. among the Lydians; and the two parties referred the matter to the Delphic oracle, which declared in favour of Gyges, who, after reigning thirty-eight years, died, and was succeeded by his son A. M. 3324. A. C. ARDYS, who reigned forty-nine years, but of 680. whom nothing is recorded. A. M. 3373. SADYATTES now ascended the throne. He made war against the Milesians; but as sieges in those days were nothing more than blockades, they were carried on very slowly, and lasted many years. This king died before he had finished that of Miletus, and was succeeded by his son A. M. 3385. A. c. 619. king of Media. HALYATTES, who made war against Cyaxares, He also drove the Cimmerians out of Asia, and attacked and took the cities of Smyrna and Clazomenæ. He prosecuted the siege of Miletus (begun by his father), which terminated in the following manner. Halyattes, upon an answer received from the Delphic oracle, sent an ambassador into the city to propose a truce for some months; Thrasybulas, tyrant of Miletus, hearing of his coming, ordered all the provisions that could be collected to be brought into the public market, and commanded the citizens, on a certain signal, to assemble as for a feast. His wishes were fulfilled, and the Lydian ambassador returned to his master, telling him that it would be impossible to reduce the city by famine, as it was well stored with provisions of every kind. EXERCISES. By what names are the kings of Lydia called in history? What is said of Argo, son of Hercules? Name the kings of Lydia who succeeded Argo. What city did Halyattes besiege? What induced him to raise the siege? Relate the story of Gyges. CHAPTER II. CONTINUATION OF THE HISTORY OF LYDIA. A. M. 3422. CRESUS Succeeded Halyattes, and his very name A. c. 582. conveys the idea of immense wealth. The riches of this prince are ascribed to certain mines situated between Pergamos and Atarna, and also to the little river Pactolus, the sands of which were gold. Although so immensely rich, Croesus did not place his chief delight in wealth, but cultivated literature and the sciences, and his court was resorted to by the wise men of Greece. Solon, one of the most celebrated among them, visited Croesus, who, to do him honor, received him in all his regal grandeur, dressed in the most magnificent manner, in robes glittering with diamonds. 66 Notwithstanding the novelty of such splendor, Solon, unmoved, looked upon this outward pomp as the indication of a little mind. His indifference displeased Croesus, who ordered that all his magnificent apartments, costly furniture, jewels, statues, and paintings, should be shown him, determined if possible to conquer the philosopher's indifference; but Solon possessed too much dignity of soul to be moved by such things, and had no idea of estimating a king by his outward appendages. When he returned to Croesus, the latter asked him who among mankind, in his travels, he found the most truly happy. "One Tellus," replied Solon, a citizen of Athens, a very honest, good man, who having lived all his days without indigence, and seen his country florishing, left his children universally esteemed!" Such an answer appeared to Croesus ignorant and absurd. However, he flattered himself that he should be ranked at least in the second degree of happiness, and accordingly asked him who was next in felicity to Tellus. Solon replied, "Cleobis and Biton of Argos, two brothers, who had left the world a perfect pattern of fraternal and filial affection; for that upon a solemn festival, when their mother, a priestess of Juno, had to go to the temple, the oxen that were to draw her not being ready, the two sons put themselves to the yoke, and drew their mother's chariot thither, a distance of more than five miles. All the mothers of the place, ravished beyond measure, congratulated the priestess on being the parent of such sons; and she, in the transport of her joy, entreated the goddess to reward her children with Heaven's best gift. Her prayers were heard; her two sons fell asleep in the temple, and died in a soft slumber. In honor of their piety, the people of Argos consecrated statues to them in the temple of Delphi." "What, then," said Croesus, in an angry tone, "do you not reckon me among the happy?" Solon, who scorned to flatter, was yet unwilling to exasperate, and he therefore calmly replied," King of Lydia! besides other advantages, the gods have bestowed on the Grecians a spirit of moderation and reserve, which has produced among us a popular philosophy accompanied by a generous freedom, void of pride or ostentation, unsuited to the courts of kings; this philosophy does not allow us to glory in our own prosperity, or to admire happiness in others, which perhaps may prove only transient or superficial." Solon was dismissed after these remarks, which served only to mortify Croesus, not to reform him. It was not long before Croesus experienced the truth of Solon's words. He had two sons: one, being dumb, was a perpetual subject of affliction to him; the other, named Atys, was distinguished by every good quality, and was his delight. The father dreamed one night that this beloved child was to perish by iron, which dream made a great impression upon the king's mind, who took care to remove out of the young prince's way every thing made of iron, and no mention was made before him of armies, wars, or sieges. One day there was to be a grand hunting match for the killing a wild boar, which had ravaged the neighborhood; and all the young lords of the court were to attend. Atys earnestly importuned his father to allow him to be present, at least as a spectator. The king could not refuse, but entrusted him to the care of a discreet young prince, named Adrastus, who had taken refuge at his court. This very Adrastus, as he was aiming his javelin at the boar, unfortunately killed Atys. Words are inadequate to describe the grief of the parent when he heard of the fatal accident, and the innocent author of the death of the prince stabbed himself with his own sword upon the funeral pile of the unfortunate Atys. Two years were spent in mourning for the death of Atys, the afflicted father being wholly occupied with the loss he had sustained; but the reputation of Cyrus increasing, and the power of the Persians augmenting, Croesus thought it his duty to rouse from inactivity. As he was very religious in his way, he sent messengers to all the different oracles of Greece and Africa, to inquire what Croesus was doing on a certain day, at an hour before agreed on. His orders were punctually observed, and of all the oracles none answered truly but that of Delphi. The answer was given in verse, and in substance was as follows: "I know the number of the grains of sand on the sea-shore, and the measure of the ocean's vast extent. I can hear the dumb, and him that has not yet learned to speak. A strong smell of a tortoise boiled in brass, together with sheep's flesh, has reached my nostrils-brass beneath, brass above." And, indeed, the king, thinking to do something that could not be guessed at, employed himself in boiling |