Babylon, he sent the king of Assyria a challenge, to terminate their quarrel by a single combat: but his challenge was not accepted. In order to secure the peace and tranquillity of his allies during his absence, he made a kind of truce or treaty with the king of Assyria, by which it was agreed on both sides, that the husbandmen should not be molested, but should have full liberty to cultivate their lands, and reap the fruits of their labour. Therefore, after having viewed the country, examined the situation of Babylon, acquired a considerable number of friends and allies, and greatly augmented his cavalry, he marched away on his return to Media. liberty to accept it, till he had gained the consent of his father and mother; leaving therein a rare example to all future ages, of the respectful submission and entire dependence which all children ought to show to their parents on the like occasion, of what age soever they be, or to whatever degree of power and greatness they may have arrived. Cyrus married this princess on his return from Persia. When the marriage solemnity was over, Cyrus returned to his camp, and improved the time he had to spare in securing his new conquests, and taking all proper measures with his allies for accomplishing the great design he had formed. They understood by deserters, and by the prisoners brought every day into the camp, that the king of Babylon was gone into Lydia, and had carried with him vast sums of gold and silver. The common soldiers immediately concluded that it was fear which made him remove his treasures. But Cyrus judged he had undertaken this journey only to raise up some new enemy against him; and therefore he laboured with indefatigable application in preparing for a second battle. Above all things he applied himself to strengthen his Persian cavalry, and to have a great number of chariots of war, built after a new form, having found great inconveniences in the old ones, the fashion of which came from Troy, and had continued in use till that time throughout all Asia. When he came near to the frontiers,' he sent a Foreseeing (says Xenophon) that the preparations messenger to Cyaxares, to acquaint him with his ar- for war might take up a great deal of time, he pitched rival, and to receive his commands. Cyaxares did his camp in a very convenient and healthy place, and not think proper to admit so great an army into his fortified it strongly. He there kept his troops to the country; and an army that was going to receive a same discipline and exercise, as if the enemy had been farther augmentation of 40,000 men, just arrived from always in sight. Persia. He therefore set out the next day with what cavalry he had left, to join Cyrus; who likewise advanced forwards to meet him with his cavalry, that was very numerous and in good condition. The sight of these troops rekindled the jealousy and dissatisfaction of Cyaxares. He received his nephew in a very cold manner, turned away his face from him, to avoid receiving his salute, and even wept through vexation. Cyrus commanded all the company to retire, and entered into an explanation with his uncle. He spoke to him with so much temper, submission, and reason; gave him such strong proofs of the rectitude of his heart, his respect, and inviolable attachment to his person and interest, that in a moment he dispelled all his suspicions, and perfectly recovered his favour and good opinion. They embraced one another, and tears were shed on both sides. How great the joy of the Persians and Medes was, who waited the event of this interview with anxiety and trembling, is not to be expressed. Cyaxares and Cyrus immediately remounted their horses; and then all the Medes ranged themselves in the train of Cyaxares, according to the sign given them by Cyrus. The Persians followed Cyrus, and the men of each other nation their particular prince. When they arrived at the camp, they conducted Cyaxares to the tent prepared for him. He was presently visited by almost all the Medes, who came to salute him, and to bring him presents; some of their own accord, and others by Cyrus's direction. Cyaxares was extremely touched at this proceeding, and began to find, that Cyrus had not corrupted his subjects, and that the Medes had the same affection for him as before. Such was the success of Cyrus's first expedition against Cræsus and the Babylonians. In the council, held the next day in the presence of Cyaxares, and all the officers, it was resolved to continue the war. Not finding in Xenophon any date that precisely fixes the year wherein the several events he relates happened, I suppose with Usher, though Xenophon's relation does not seem to favour this notion, that between the two battles against Croesus and the Babylonians, several years passed, during which all necessary preparations were made on both sides for carrying on the important war which was begun; and within this interval I place the marriage of Cyrus. Cyrus, then, about this time thought of making a tour into his own country, about six or seven years after he had left it, at the head of the Persian army. Cyaxares, on this occasion, gave him a signal testimony of the value he had for his merit. Having no male issue, and but one daughter, he offered her in marriage to Cyrus, with an assurance of the kingdom of Media for her portion. Cyrus had a grateful sense of this advantageous offer, and expressed the warmest acknowledgments of it: but thought himself not at In this interval, ambassadors arrived from the king of India, with a large sum of money for Cyrus, from the king their master, who had also ordered them to assure him, that he was very glad he had acquainted him with what he wanted; that he was willing to be his friend and ally; and if he still wanted more money, he had nothing to do but to let him know; and that, in short, he had ordered his ambassadors to pay him the same absolute obedience as to himself. Cyrus received these obliging offers with all possible dignity and gratitude. He treated the ambassadors with the utmost regard, and made them noble presents; and taking advantage of their good disposition, desired them to depute three of their own body to the enemy, as envoys from the king of India, on pretence of proposing an alliance with the king of Assyria, but in fact to discover his designs, and give Cyrus an account of them. The Indians undertook this employment with joy, and acquitted themselves of it with great ability. I do not recognize in this last circumstance the upright conduct and usual sincerity of Cyrus. Could he be ignorant that it was an open violation of the law of nations, to send spies to an enemy's court under the title of ambassadors; which is a character that will not suffer those invested with it to act so mean a part, or to be guilty of such treachery? Cyrus prepared for the approaching battle, like a man who had nothing but great projects in view. He not only took care of every thing that had been resolved in council, but took pleasure in exciting a noble emulation amongst his officers, who should have the finest arms, be the best mounted, fling a dart, or shoot an arrow, the most dexterously, or who should undergo toil and fatigue with the greatest patience. This he brought about by taking them along with him a hunting, and by constantly rewarding those that distinguished themselves most. Wherever he perceived that the captains took particular care of their men, he praised them publicly, and showed them all possible favour, in order to encourage them. When he made them any feast, he never proposed any other capital of the country. They did not imagine that this prince, with half the number of forces they had, could think of coming to attack them in their own country: and they were strangely surprised to see him come, before they had time to lay up the provisions necessary for the subsistence of their numerous army, or to assemble all the forces they intended to bring into the field against him. SECTION V.-THE BATTLE OF THYMBRA, BETWEEN CYRUS AND CROESUS. diversions than military exercises, and always gave considerable prizes to the conquerors, by which means he excited surprising ardour throughout his whole army. In a word, he was a general who, in repose as well as action, nay, even in his pleasures, his conversations, and walks, had his thoughts entirely bent on promoting the good of the service. It is by such methods a man becomes an able and complete warrior. In the mean time, the Indian ambassadors, being returned from the enemy's camp brought word, that Croesus was chosen generalissimo of their army; that all the kings and princes in their alliance had agreed THIS battle is one of the most considerable events to furnish the necessary sums of money for raising the in antiquity, since it decided upon the empire of Asia troops; that the Thracians had already engaged between the Assyrians of Babylon and the Persians. themselves; that from Egypt a great reinforcement It was this consideration that induced M. Freret one was marching, consisting of 120,000 men; that ano- of my brethren in the Academy of Belles Lettres, to exther army was expected from Cyprus; that the Cili-amine it with a particular care and exactness; and the cians, the people of the two Phrygias, the Lycaonians, rather, because, as he observes, it is the first pitched Paphlagonians, Cappadocians, Arabians, and Phoni- battle, of which we have any full or particular account. cians, were already arrived; that the Assyrians were I have assumed the privilege of making use of the likewise come up together with the king of Babylon; labours and learning of other persons, but without that the Ionians, Etolians, and most part of the Greeks robbing them of the glory, as also without denying living in Asia, had been obliged to join them; that Cro- myself the liberty of making such alterations as I judge sus had likewise sent to the Lacedæmonians, to bring necessary. I shall give a more ample and particular them into a treaty of alliance; that the army was description of this battle than I usually do of such assembled near the river Pactolus from whence it was matters, because, as Cyrus is looked upon as one of the to advance to Thymbra, which was the place of greatest captains of antiquity, those of the military rendezvous for all the troops. This relation was con- profession may be glad to trace him in all his steps firmed by the accounts brought in both by the prison- through this important action; moreover, the manner ers and the spies. in which the ancients made war, and fought battles, forms an essential part of their history. Cyrus's army was discouraged by this news. But that prince having assembled his officers, and represented to them the infinite difference between the enemy's troops and theirs, soon dispelled their fears and revived their courage. Cyrus had taken all proper measures, that his army should be provided with all necessaries; and had given orders, as well for their march, as for the battle he was preparing to give; in the doing of which he descended to an astonishing detail, which Xenophon relates at length, and which reached from the chief commanders down to the very lowest subaltern officers; for he knew very well that upon such precautions the success of enterprises depends, which often miscarry through the neglect of the smallest circumstances; in the same manner, as it frequently happens, that the playing or movement of the greatest machines is stopped through the disorder of one single wheel, though never so small. This prince knew all the officers of his army by their names; and making use of a low but significant comparison, he used to say, he thought it strange that a workman should know the names of all his tools, and a general should be so indifferent, as not to know the names of all his captains, which are the instruments he must make use of in all his enterprises and operations. Besides, he was persuaded, that such an attention had something in it more honourable for the officers, more engaging, and more proper to excite them to do their duty, as it naturally leads them to believe they are both known and esteemed by their general. When all the preparations were finished, Cyrus took leave of Cyaxares, who stayed in Media with a third part of his troops, that the country might not be left entirely defenceless. Cyrus, who well knew how advantageous it is always to make the enemy's country the seat of war, did not wait for the Babylonians coming to attack him in Media, but marched forwards to attack them in their own territories, that he might both consume their forage by his troops, and disconcert their measures by his expedition and the boldness of his undertaking. After a very long march he came up with the enemy at Thymbra, a city of Lydia, not far from Sardis, the 1Cycrop. 1. vi. p. 158. Ibid. p. 159. Ibid. p. 158-163. Ibid. I. v. p. 131, 132. Ibid. 1. vi. p. 160, 161. [Thymbra here mentioned, is properly placed by our author not far from Sardis, and to the east of that place in In Cyrus's army the companies of foot consisted of 100 men each, exclusively of the captain. Each company was subdivided into four platoons, which consisted of four-and-twenty men each, not including the person that commanded. Each of these divisions was again subdivided into two files, consisting of twelve men. Every ten companies had a particular superior officer to command them, which sufficiently answers to what we call a colonel; and ten of those bodies had again another superior commander, which we may call a brigadier. I have already observed, that Cyrus, when he first came at the head of the 30,000 Persians to the aid of his uncle Cyaxares, made a considerable change in the arms of his troops. Two-thirds of them till then made use of javelins only, or bows, and consequently could only fight at a distance from the enemy. Instead of these, Cyrus armed the greatest part of them with cuirasses, bucklers, and swords, or battle-axes; and left few of his soldiers light-armed. The Persians did not know at that time what it was to fight on horseback.10 Cyrus, who was convinced that nothing was of so great importance towards the gaining of a battle as cavalry, was sensible of the great inconvenience he laboured under in that respect, and therefore took wise and early precautions to remedy that evil. He succeeded in his design, and by little and little formed a body of the Persian cavalry, which amounted to 10,000 men, and were the best troops of his army. I shall speak elsewhere of the other change he introduced, with respect to the chariots of war. It is now time for us to give the number of the troops of both armies, which cannot be fixed but by conjecture, the great plain that expands between Mount Tmolus and by putting together several scattered passages of Xenophon, that author having omitted the material circumstance of acquainting us precisely with their numbers; which appears surprising in a man so expert in military affairs as that historian was. Cyrus's army amounted in the whole to 196,000 men, horse and foot. Of these there were 70,000 native Persians, viz. 10,000 cuirassiers of horse, 20,000 cuirassiers of foot, 20,000 pikemen, and 20,000 light armed soldiers. The rest of the army, to the number of 126,000 men, consisted of 26,000 Median, Armenian, and Arabian horse, and 100,000 foot of the same nation. Besides these troops, Cyrus had 300 chariots of war, armed with scythes, each chariot drawn by four horses abreast, covered with trappings that were arrow-proof; as were also the horses of the Persian cuirassiers. 3 There was moreover a considerable number of camels, upon each of which were two Arabian archers, back to back; so that one looked towards the head, and the other towards the tail of the camel. Croesus's army was above twice as numerous as that of Cyrus, amounting in all to 420,000 men, of which 60,000 were cavalry. The troops consisted chiefly of Babylonians, Lydians, Phrygians, Cappadocians, of the nations about the Hellespont, and of Egyptians, to the number of 360,000 men. The Egyptians alone made a body of 120,000. They had bucklers, that covered them from head to foot, very long pikes, and short swords, but very broad. The rest of the army was made up of Phoenicians Cyprians, Cilicians, Lycaonians, Paphlagonians, Thracians, and Ionians. Croesus's army was ranged in order of battle in one line, the infantry in the centre, and the cavalry on the two wings. All his troops, both foot and horse, were thirty men deep: but the Egyptians, who, as we have taken notice, were 120,000 in number, and who were the principal strength of Croesus's infantry, in the centre of which they were posted, were divided into twelve large bodies, or square battalions, of 10,000 men each, which had 100 men in the front, and as many in depth, with an interval between every battalion, that they might act and fight independent of, and without interfering with, one another. Croesus would gladly have persuaded them to range themselves in less depth, that they might make the wider front. The armies were in an immense plain, which gave room for the extending of their wings to right and left and the design of Croesus, upon which alone he founded his hopes of victory, was to surround and hem in the enemy's army. But he could not prevail upon the Egyptians to change the order of battle to which they had been accustomed. His army, as it was thus drawn out into one line, took up near forty stadia, or five miles in length. Araspes, who under the pretence of discontent had retired to Croesus's army, and had had particular orders from Cyrus to observe well the manner of that general's ranging his troops, returned to the Persian | camp the day before the battle. Cyrus, in drawing up his army, governed himself by the disposition of the enemy, of which that young Median nobleman had given him an exact account. sary for him to form as wide a front as possible, without too much weakening his battalions, to prevent his army's being inclosed and hemmed in. His infantry was excellent, and most advantageously armed with cuirasses, partisans, battle-axes, and swords; and provided they could join the enemy in close fight, there was little reason to believe that the Lydian bat talions, that were armed only with light bucklers and javelins, could support the charge. Cyrus therefore thinned the files of his infantry one half, and ranged them only twelve men deep. The cavalry was drawn out on the two wings, the right commanded by Chrysantas, and the left by Hystaspes. The whole front of the army took up but thirty-two stadia, or four miles in extent; and consequently was at each end near four stadia, or half a mile short of the enemy's front. Behind the first line, at a little distance, Cyrus placed the spearmen, and behind them the archers. Both the one and the other were covered by soldiers in their front, over whose head they could fling their javelins and shoot their arrows at the enemy. Behind all these he formed another line, to serve for the rear, which consisted of the flower of his army. Their business was to have their eyes upon those that were placed before them, to encourage those that did their duty, to sustain and threaten those that gave way, and even to kill those as traitors that fled; by that means to keep the cowards in awe, and make them have as great a terror of the troops in the rear, as they could possibly have of the enemy. Behind the army were placed those moving towers which I have already described. These formed a line equal and parallel to that of the army, and did not only serve to annoy the enemy by the perpetual discharges of the archers that were in them, but might likewise be looked upon as a kind of moveable forts, or redoubts, under which the Persian troops might rally, in case they were broken and pushed by the enemy. Just behind these towers were two other lines, which also were parallel and equal to the front of the army; the one was formed of the baggage, and the other of the chariots which carried the women, and such other persons as were unfit for service. To close all these lines, and to secure them from the insults of the enemy, Cyrus placed in the rear of all 2000 infantry, 2000 horse, and the troop of camels, which was pretty numerous. Cyrus's design in forming two lines of the baggage, &c. was not only to make his army appear more numerous than it really was, but likewise to oblige the enemy, in case they were resolved to surround him, as he knew they intended, to make the longer circuit, and consequently to weaken their line, by stretching it out so far. We have still the Persian chariots of war armed with scythes to speak of. These were divided into three bodies, of 100 each. One of these bodies, commanded by Abradates, king of Susiana, was placed in the front of the battle, and the other two upon the two flanks of the army. Such was the order of battle in the two armies as they were drawn out and disposed the day before the engagement. The next day, very early in the morning, Cyrus made a sacrifice, during which time his army took a little refreshment; and the soldiers, after having of fered their libations to the gods, put on their armour. Never was sight more beautiful and magnificent: coat-armours, cuirasses, bucklers, helmets, one could not tell which to admire most: men and horses all finely equipped, and glittering in brass and scarlet. When Abradates was just going to put on his The Persian troops had been generally used to engage four-and-twenty men in depth, but Cyrus thought fit to change that disposition. It was neces-cuirass, which was only of quilted linen, according to the fashion of his country, his wife, Panthea, came and presented him with a helmet, bracers, and brace lets, all of gold, with a coat-armour of his own length, cers, and even Abradates himself, were uneasy at the plaited at the bottom, and with a purple-coloured movement, which the two wings of the Lydian army plume of feathers. She had got all this armour prepared made, in order to attack them on the two flanks: without her husband's knowledge, that her present Those troops alarm you, says he; believe me, those are might be more agreeable from surprise. In spite of the very troops that will be the first routed; and to you, all her endeavours to the contrary, when she dressed Abradates, I give that as a signal of the time when you him in this armour, she could not refrain from shed-are to fall upon the enemy with your chariols. In fact, ding tears. But notwithstanding her tenderness for the event happened just as Cyrus had foretold. Afhim, she exhorted him to die with sword in hand, ter Cyrus had given such orders as he thought neces rather than not signalize himself in a manner suitable sary every where, he returned to the right wing of his to his birth, and the idea she had endeavoured to give army. Cyrus of his gallantry and worth. Our obligations, When the two detached bodies of the Lydian says she, to that prince are infinitely great. I was his troops were sufficiently extended, Croesus gave the prisoner, and as such was destined for him; but when signal to the main body, to march up directly to the I came into his hands, I was neither used like a captive, front of the Persian army, whilst the two wings, that nor had any dishonourable conditions imposed on me for were wheeling round upon their flanks, advanced on my freedom. He treated me as if I had been his own each side; so that Cyrus's army was enclosed on brother's wife; and in return I assured him you would three sides, as if it had three great armies to engage be capable of acknowledging such extraordinary good-with; and as Xenophon says, looked like a small ness.-O Jupiter! cried Abradates, lifting up his eyes square drawn within a great one. towards heaven, grant, that on this occasion I may approve myself a husband worthy of Panthea, and a friend worthy of so generous a benefactor! Having said this, he mounted his chariot. Panthea, not being able to embrace him any longer, kissed the chariot he rode in; and when she had pursued him with her eyes as far as she possibly could, she retired. 1 As soon as Cyrus had finished his sacrifice, given his officers the necessary orders and instructions for the battle, and put them in mind of paying the homage that is due to the gods, every man went to his post. Some of his officers brought him wine and victuals: he ate a little without sitting down, and caused the rest to be distributed amongst those that were about him. He took a little wine likewise; and poured out a part of it, as an offering to the gods, before he drank; and all the company followed his example. After this he prayed again to the god of his fathers, desiring he would please to be his guide, and come to his assistance; he then mounted his horse, and commanded them all to follow him. As he was considering on which side he should direct his march, he heard a clap of thunder on the right, and cried out, Sovereign Jupiter, we follow thee. And that instant he set forwards, having Chrysantas on his right, who commanded the right wing of the horse, and Arsamas on his left, who commanded the foot. He warned them above all things to pay attention to the royal standard, and to advance equally in a line. The standard was a golden eagle at the end of a pike, with its wings stretched out; and the same was ever after used by the kings of Persia. He made his troops halt three times before they arrived at the enemy's army; and after having marched about twenty stadia, or two miles and a half, they came in view of them. When the two armies were within sight of each other, and the enemies had observed how much their front exceeded that of Cyrus, they made the centre of their army halt, whilst the two wings advanced projecting to the right and left, with design to enclose Cyrus's army, and to begin their attack on every side at the same time. This movement did not at all alarm Cyrus, because he expected it. Having given the word for rallying the troops, Jupiter leader and protector, he left his right wing, promising to rejoin them immediately and help them to conquer, if it was the will of the gods. He rode through all the ranks, to give his orders, and to encourage the soldiers; and he, who on all other occasions was so modest, and so far from the least air of ostentation, was now full of a noble confidence, and spoke as if he was assured of victory: Follow me, comrades, says he, the victory is certainly ours: the gods are for us. He observed that many of his offi 1 Cyrop. 1. vi. p. 170. * Ibid. 1. vii. p. 172. He had really a God for his guide, but very different from Jupiter. Cyrop. l. vii. p. 173-176 In an instant, on the first signal Cyrus gave, his troops faced about on every side, keeping a profound silence in expectation of the event. The prince now thought it time to sing the hymn of battle. The whole army answered to it with loud shouts, and invocations of the god of war. Then Cyrus, at the head of some troops of horse, briskly followed by a body of foot, fell immediately upon the enemy's forces that were marching to attack the right of his army in flank and having attacked them in flank, as they intended to do him, put them into great disorder. The chariots then driving furiously upon the Lydians, completed their defeat. In the same moment, the troops of the left flank, knowing by the noise that Cyrus had begun the battle on the right, advanced to the enemy. And immediately the squa ron of camels was made to advance likewise, as Cyrus had ordered. The enemy's cavalry did not expect this; and their horses at a distance, as soon as ever they were sensible of the approach of those animals (for horses cannot endure the smell of camels), began to snort and prance, to run foul upon, and overturn, one another, throwing their riders, and treading them under their feet. Whilst they were in this confusion a small body of horse, commanded by Artageses, pushed them very warmly, to prevent them from rallying; and the chariots armed with scythes falling furiously upon them, they were entirely routed with a dreadful slaughter. This being the signal which Cyrus had given Abradates for attacking the front of the enemy's army, he drove like lightning upon them with all his chariots. Their first ranks were not able to stand so violent a charge, but gave way, and were dispersed. Having broken and overthrown them, Abradates came up to the Egyptian battalions, which being covered with their bucklers, and marching in such close order that their chariots had not room to pierce amongst them, gave him much more trouble, and would not have been broken, but for the violence of the horses that trod upon them. It was a most dreadful spectacle to see the heaps of men and horses; overturned chariots, broken arms, and all the direful effects of the sharp scythes, which cut every thing in pieces that came in their way. But Abradates's chariot having the misfortune to be overturned, he and his men were killed, after they had signalized their valour in an extraordi nary manner. The Egyptians then marching forwards in close order, and covered with their bucklers, obliged the Persian infantry to give way, and drove them beyond their fourth line, as far as to their ma chines. There the Egyptians met a fresh storm of arrows and javelins, that were poured upon their heads from the moving towers; and the battalions of the Persian rear-guard advancing sword in hand, hindered their archers and spearmen from retreating any farther, and obliged them to return to the charge. Cyrus in the mean time having put both the horse and foot to flight on the left of the Egyptians, did not lose time in pursuing the fugitives. But, pushing on directly to the centre, he had the mortification to find his Persian troops had been forced to give way; and rightly judging, that the only means to prevent the Egyptians from gaining farther ground, would be to attack them behind, he did so, and fell upon their rear: the cavalry came up at the same time, and the enemy was pushed with great fury. The Egyptians, being attacked on all sides, faced about every way, and defended themselves with wonderful bravery. Cyrus himself was in great danger; his horse, which a soldier had stabbed in the belly, sinking under him, he fell in the midst of his enemies. Here was an opportunity, says Xenophon, of seeing how important it is for a commander to have the affection of his soldiers. Officers and men, equally alarmed at the danger in which they saw their leader, ran headlong into the thick forest of pikes, to rescue and save him. He quickly mounted another horse, and the battle became more bloody than ever. At length Cyrus, admiring the valour of the Egyptians, and being concerned to see such brave men perish, offered them honourable conditions, if they would surrender, letting them know, at the same time, that all their allies had abandoned them. The Egyptians accepted the conditions; and, as they prided themselves no less upon their fidelity than on their courage, they stipulated, that they should not be obliged to carry arms against Croesus, in whose service they had been engaged. From thenceforward they served in the Persian army with inviolable fidelity. Xenophon observes, that Cyrus gave them the cities of Larissa, and Cyllene, near Cumæ, upon the sea-coast, as also other inland places, which were inhabited by their descendants even in his time; and he adds, that these places were called the cities of the Egyptians. This observation of Xenophon's, as also many others in several parts of his Cyropædia, in order to prove the truth of what he advances, show plainly that he meant that work as a true history of Cyrus, at least with respect to the main substance of it, and the greatest part of the facts and transactions. This judicious reflection Monsieur Freret makes upon this passage. The battle lasted till evening. Croesus retreated, as fast as he could, with his troops to Sardis. The other nations, in like manner, that very night directed their course, each to their own country, and made as long marches as they possibly could. The conquerors, after they had eaten something, and posted the guards, went to rest. In describing this battle, I have endeavoured exactly to follow the Greek text of Xenophon, the Latin translation of which is not always faithful. Some military men, to whom I have communicated this description, find a defect in the manner in which Cyrus drew up his forces in order of battle; as he placed no troops to cover his flanks, to sustain his armed chariots, and to oppose the two bodies of troops which Croesus had detached to fall upon the flanks of Cyrus's army. It is possible such a circumstance might have escaped Xenophon in describing this battle. It is allowed, that Cyrus's victory was chiefly owing to his Persian cavalry, which was a new establish ment, and entirely the fruit of that prince's care and activity in forming his people, and perfecting them in a part of the military art, of which, till his time, they had been utterly ignorant. The chariots armed with scythes did good service, and the use of them was ever after retained by the Persians. The camels, too, were not unserviceable in this battle, though Xenophon makes no great account of them; and observes that in his time they made no other use for them than for carrying the baggage. I do not undertake to write a panegyric upon Cyrus, or to magnify his merit. It is sufficient to take notice, that in this affair we see all the qualities of a great general shine out in him. Before the battle, an admirable sagacity and foresight in discovering and disconcerting the enemy's measures; an infinite exactness in the detail of affairs, in taking care that his army should be provided with every thing necessary, and all his orders punctually executed at the times fixed; a wonderful application to gain the hearts of his soldiers, and to inspire them with confidence and ardour: in the heat of action, what a spirit and ac-' tivity; what a presence of mind in giving orders as occasion requires; what courage and intrepidity, and at the same time what humanity towards the enemy, whose valour he respects, and whose blood he is unwilling to shed! We shall soon see what use he made of his victory. But what appears to me still more remarkable, and more worthy of admiration than all the rest, is the constant care he took, on all occasions, to pay that homage and worship to the Deity, which he thought belonged to him. Doubtless the reader has been surprised to see, in the relation I have given of this battle, how many times Cyrus, in sight of all his army, makes mention of the gods, offers sacrifices and libations to them, addresses himself to them, and implores their succour and protection. But in this I have added nothing to the original text of the historian, who was also a military man himself, and who thought it no dishonour to himself or his profession to relate these particular circumstances. What a shame, then, and a reproach would it be to a Christian officer or general, if on a day of battle he should blush to appear as religious and devout as a pagan prince; and if the Lord of hosts, the God of armies whom he acknowledges as such, should make a less impression upon his mind, than respect for the false deities of paganism did upon the mind of Cyrus! As for Cræsus, he makes no great figure in this action; not one word is said of him in the whole engagement. But that profound silence which Xenophon observes with regard to him, seems, in my opinion, to imply a great deal, and gives us to understand that a man may be a powerful prince, or a rich potentate, without being a great warrior. But let us return to the camp of the Persians. It is easy to imagine what must be the affliction and distress of Panthea, when the news was brought her of Abradates's death. Having caused his body to be brought to her, and leaning her head upon her knees, quite out of her senses, with her eyes steadfastly fixed upon the melancholy object, she thought of nothing but feeding her grief and indulging her misery with the sight of that dismal and bloody spectacle. Cyrus being told what a condition she was in, ran immediately to her, sympathised with her affliction, and bewailed her unhappy fate with tears of compassion, doing all that he possibly could to give her comfort, and ordering extraordinary honours to be shown to the brave deceased Abradates. But no sooner was Cyrus retired, than Panthea, overpowered with grief, stabbed herself with a dagger, and fell dead upon the body of her husband. They were both buried in one common grave upon the very spot, and a monument was erected for them, which was standing in the time of Xenophon. SECTION VI.-THE TAKING OF SARDIS AND OF CRESUS. THE next day in the morning Cyrus marched towards Sardis.** If we may believe Herodotus, Cro Cyrop. 1. vii. p. 184-186. Herod. l. i. c. 79-84. *[This city, famous as being the capital of the unfortunate Croesus, and afterwards of the Persian provinces of Asia Minor, and still more celebrated in after ages as one |