of his people, that he never engaged in any enterprize against his neigh ours, though his reign was very long, for he did not die till after having cigned fifty-three years. (21) PuraOrtis reigned twenty-two years. After the death of Doces, hi fon Phortes, called otherwife Aphraartes, fucceded, The ble sfinity between thefe two names, would mike one believe, that this is the king called in fcripture Arphead: But that opinion has many other fubftantial reafons to fupport it, as may be feen in father Montfaucon's learned differtation, of which I have made great ufe in this treatife. The page in Judith, That Arphaxad built a very frong city, and called it Ecbatana, has deceived mott authors, and made them beheve, that Arphaxad mu't be Dejoces, who was tainly the founder of that city. But the Greek text of Judith, which the vulgar tranflation renders ædificavit, fays only, () That Arphaxad added new building to Rebatana. And what can be more natural, than that the father not having entirely perfected fo confiderable a work, the fon fhould put the laft hand to it, and make fuch addition, as were wanting? cer (6) Phraortes, being of a very warlike temper, and not contented with the kingdom of Media, left him by his father, attacked the Perfians; and defeating them in a decifive battle, brought them under fubjection to his empire. Then frengthened by the acceflion of their troops, he attacked other neighbouring nations, one after another, till he made himself mailer of almost all the upper Afia, which comprehends all that lies north of mount Taurus, from Media as far as the river Halys, Elate with this good fuccef., he ventured to turn his arms against the Affyrians, at that time indeed weakened through the revolt of feveral nations, but yet very powerful in themfelves. Nabuchodonofor, their king, otherwife called Saofduchinus, raised a great army in his own country, and † fent ambaffadors to feveral other nations of the caft, to require their affillance. They all refufed him with contempt, and ignominioufly treated his ambaffadors, letting him fee, that they no longer dreaded that empire, which had formerly kept the greate part of them in a flavish subjection, The king, highly enraged at fuch infolent treatment, swore by his throne and his reign, that he would be revenged of all thofe nations, and put them every one to the fword. "He then pre. (η) Ενωκοδόμητα (m) A. M. 3147. Ant. J. C. 657, Her, e, 102, *Ife is called fo by Eufebius, Chron. ↑ The Greek text places these embafGr.. and by Guor, Syncel, Judithfies before the battle. prepared for battle, with what forces he had, in the plain of Ragau. A great battle enfued there, which proved fatal to Phraortes. He was defeated, his cavalry fled, his chariots were overturned and put into diforder, and Nabuchodonofor gained a compleat victory. Then taking advantage of the defeat and confufion of the Medes, he entered their country, took their cities, pufhed on his conquefts even to Ecbatana, forced the towers and the walls by ftorm, and gave the city to be pillaged by his foldiers, who plundered it, and tripped it of all its ornaments. The unfortunate Phraortes, who had escaped into the moun tains of Ragau, fell at last into the hands of Nabuchodonofor, who cruelly caufed him to be shot to death with darts. After that, he returned to Nineveh with all his army, which was ftill very numerous, and for four months together did nothing but feaft and divert himself with thofe that had accompanied him in this expedition. In Judith we read that the king of Affyria fent Holophernes with a powerful army, to revenge himself of thofe that had refufed him fuccours; the progrefs and cruelty of that commander, the general confternation of all the people, the cou rageous refolution of the Ifraelites to withstand him, in hopes that their God would defend them, the extremity to which Bethulia and the whole nation was reduced, the miraculous deliverance of that city by the courage and conduct of the brave Judith, and the compleat overthrow of the Affyrian army, are all related in the fame book. (p) CYAXARES I. reigned forty years. This prince fucceeded to the throne immediately after his father's death. He was a very brave, enterprizing prince, and knew how to make his advantage of the late overthrow of the Affyrian army. He first fettled himself well in his kingdom of Media, and then conquered all upper Afia. But what he had moft at heart was, to go and attack Nineveh, to revenge the death of his father by the deftruction of that great city. The Affyrians came out to meet him, having only the re mains of that great army, which was deftroyed before Bethu lia. A battle enfued, wherein the Affyrians were defeated, and driven back to Nineveh. Cyaxares, purfuing his victory, laid fiege to the city, which was upon the point of falling inevitably into his hands, but that the time was not yet come when God defigned to punish that city for her crimes, and for the calamities he had brought upon his people, as well as VOL. II. F (p) A. M. 3369. Ant. J. C. 635. Herod, l. i. c. 103-1066° other other nations. It was delivered from its prefent danger in the following manner. A formidable army of Scythians, from the neighbourhood of the Palus Mæotis, had driven the Cimmerians out of Europe, and was fill marching under the conduct of king Madyes in purfuit of them. The Cimmerians had found means to efcape from the Scythians, who were advancing into Media. Cyazares, hearing of this eruption, raifed the liege from be. fore Nineveh, and marched with all his forces against that mighty army, which, like an impetuous torrent, was going to over-run all Afia The two armies engaged, and the Medes were vanquished. The Barbarians, finding no other obftacle in their way, overfpread not only Media, but almost all Afia. After that, they inarched towards Egypt, from whence Pfammaticius diverted their courfe by prefents. They then returned into Paleftine, where fome of them plundered the temple of Venus at Afcalon, the most ancient temple dedicated to that goddefs. Some of thefe Scythians fettled at Bethfhean, a city In the tribe of Manaffeh, on this fide Jordan, which from them was afterwards called Scythopolis. The Scythians for the space of twenty-eight years were mafters of the upper Afia, namely, the two Armenias, Cappadocia, Pontus, Colchis, and Iberia; during which time they fpread defolation wherever they came. The Medes had no way of getting rid of them, but by a treacherous ftratagem. Under pretence of cultivating and ftrengthening the alliance they had made together, they invited the greateft part of them to a general feaft, which was made in every family. Each mafler of the feaft made his guests drunk, and in that condition were the Scythians maffacred. The Medes then re-poffeffed themselves of the provinces they had loft, and once more extended their empire to the banks of the Halys, which was their ancient boundary weftward. (4) The remaining Scythians, who were not at the banquet, having heard of the mailacre of their countrymen, fled into Lydia to king Halyattes, who received them with great hu manity. This occafioned a war between thofe two princes. Cyazares immediately led his troops to the frontiers of Lydia. Many battles were fought during the fpace of five years with almoft equal advantage on both fides. The battle fought in the fixth year was very remarkable on account of an eclipfe of the fun, which happened during the engagement, when on a fudden the day was turned into a dark night. Thales, the Milefian, had foretold this eclipfe. The Medes and Lydians, (2) Her. 1. i. c. 74. who who were then in the heat of the battle, equally terrified with this unforeseen event, which they looked upon as a fign of the anger of the gods, immediately retreated on both fides, and made peace. Siennefis, king of Cilicia, and Nabuchodonofor, king of Babylon, were the mediators. To render the friendship more firm and inviolable, the two princes agreed to ftrengthen it by the tie of marriage, and agreed, that Halyattes fhould give his daughter Aryenis, to Aftyages, eldeft fon of Cyaxares. The manner thefe people had of contracting alliance with one another, is very remarkable. Besides other ceremonies, which they had in common with the Greeks, they had this in particular; the two contracting parties made themselves incifions in the arms, and licked one another's blood. (r) Cyaxares's first care, as foon as he found himself again in peace, was to refume the fiege of Nineveh, which the eruption of the Scythians had obliged him to raife. Nabopolafar, king of Babylon, with whom he had lately contracted a par ticular alliance, joined with him in a league against the Affyrians. Having therefore united their forces, they befieged Nineveh, took it, killed Saracus the king, and utterly detroyed that mighty city. God had foretold by his prophets above an hundred years before, that he would bring vengeance upon that impious city for the blood of his fervants, wherewith the kings thereof had gorged themfelves, like ravenous lions; that he himself would march at the head of the troops that fhould come to befiege it; that he would cause confternation and terror to go before them; that he would deliver the old men, the mothers, and their children, into the mercilefs hands of the foldiers; that all the treasures of the city fhould fall into the hands of rapacious and infatiable plunderers; and that the city itfelf fhould be fo totally and utterly deftroyed, that not fo much as a footftep of it fhould be left; and that the people should ask hereafter, Where did the proud city of Nineveh ftand? But let us hear the language of the prophets themfelves: () Woe to the bloody city (cries Nahum) it is all full of lies and robbery; (t) he that dafheth in pieces is come up before thy face. The Lord cometh to avenge the cruelties done to Jacob and to Ifrael. (u) I hear already the noife of the whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the prancing horfes, and of the bounding chariots. The horfeman lifteth F 2 (r) A. M. 3378. Ant. J. C. 626. Her. 1. i. c. 206. iii. z. (t) ii, 1, 2. (u) iii. 2, 3. In Herodotus be is called Labynetus. up (s) Nahum mp both the bright fword, and the glittering fpear. (w) The field of his mighty men is made red; the valiant men are in fearlet. They shall feem like torches, they fhall run like the Fightning. (x) God is jealous; the Lord revengeth, and is furious. The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burnt at his prefence: Who can stand before his indignation? And who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? (y) Behold, I am against thee, faith the Lord of hofts: I will ftrip thee of all thy ornaments. () Take ye the spoil of filver, take the fpoil of gold; for there is no end of the ftore and glory out of all the pleafant furniture. She is empty, and void, and waste. Nineveh is deftroyed; fhe is overthrown; the is defolate. (a) The gates of the rivers fhall be opened, and the palace fhall be diffolved. And Huzzab fhall be led Away captive; the fhall be brought up, and her maids fhall lead her as with the voice of doves tabering upon their breasts. (6) I fee a multitude of flain, and a great number of carcaftes; and there is no end of their corpfes; they tumble upon their corpfes. (c) Where is the dwelling of the lions, and the feeding-place of the young lions, where the lion, even the old lion walked, and the lion's whelp, and none made them afraid: Where the lion did tear in pieces enough for bis whelps, and ftrangled for his lionefles, and filled his holes with prey, and his dens with rapine: (d) The Lord fhall deftroy Aflur. He hall depopulate that city, which was fo beautiful, and turn it into a land where no man cometh, and into a defart. It shall be a dwelling-place for wild beafts, and the birds of night hall lurk therein. Behold, fhall it be faid, fee that proud city, which was fo ftately, and fo exalted; which faid in her heart, I am the only city, and befides me there is no other. All they that pafs by her fhall fcoff at her, and fhall infult her with hiflings and contemptuous geftures. The two armies enriched themselves with the fpoils of Nimeveh; and Cyaxares profecuting his victories, made himself matter of all the cities of the kingdom of Affyria, except Babylon and Chaldea, which belonged to Nabopolaffar. After this expedition Cyaxares died, and left his dominions to his fon Aftyages. ASTY. (y) iii. 5. (a) ii. 9, 10. (d) Zephan, ii. 13-151 t This is a noble image of the cruel avarice of the Affyrian kings, ubo pillaged and plundered all their neighbour ing nations, especially Judea, and carried away the spoils of them to Nineweb. |