THE

ANCIENT HISTORY

OF

THE EGYPTIANS, CARTHAGINIANS, ASSYRIANS,
BABYLONIANS, MEDES AND PERSIANS,
GRECIANS, AND MACEDONIANS.

BY M. ROLLIN,

LATE PRINCIPAL of the UNIVERSITY OF PARIS, PROFESSOR OF ELOQUENCE IN THE ROYAL
COLLEGE, AND MEMBER OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF INSCRIPTIONS

AND BELLES-LETTRES.

TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH.

THE EIGHTEENTH EDITION.

REVISED, CORRECTED, AND ILLUSTRATED WITH MAPS.

IN SIX VOLUMES.

VOL. II.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR THOMAS TEGG AND SON, 73, CHEAPSIDE.
R. GRIFFIN AND CO. GLASGOW.

TEGG AND CO. DUBLIN.

ALSO J. AND S. A. TEGG, SYDNEY AND HOBART TOWN.

MDCCCXXXVIII.

30V2238

BUNGAY: STEREOTYPED AND PRINTED BY JOHN CHILDS AND SON.

THE FOUNDATION OF THE EMPIRE OF THE PERSIANS AND MEDEs,

BY CYRUS CONTAINING THE REIGNS OF CYRUS, OF CAMBYSES,

AND SMERDIS THE MAGIAN.

CHAP. I. The history of Cyrus

Page

ART. I. The history of Cyrus from his infancy to the siege of

Babylon

SECT. I. Cyrus's education

II. Cyrus's journey to his grandfather Astyages, and his re-

turn into Persia

2

ib.

4

III. The first campaign of Cyrus, who goes to succour his

uncle Cyaxares against the Babylonians

IV. The expedition of Cyaxares and Cyrus against the Baby-

lonians. The first battle

V. The battle of Thymbra, between Cyrus and Croesus

VI. The taking of Sardis and of Croesus

ART. II. The history of the besieging and taking of Babylon by

Cyrus

SECT. I. Predictions of the principal circumstances relating to the

siege and the taking of Babylon, as they are set down

in different places of the Holy Scriptures

1. The prediction of the Jewish captivity at Babylon, and

of the time of its duration.

2. The causes of God's wrath against Babylon

3. The decree pronounced against Babylon. Prediction

of the calamities that were to fall upon her, and of

her utter destruction

4. Cyrus called to destroy Babylon, and to deliver the

Jews

5. God gives the signal to the commanders, and to the

troops, to march against Babylon

6. Particular circumstances set down relating to the siege

and the taking of Babylon.

18

31

40

44

III. The completion of the prophecy which foretold the total

ruin and destruction of Babylon

46

47

ib.

48

51

55

58

SECT. II. A description of the taking of Babylon

IV. What followed upon the taking of Babylon

ART. III. The history of Cyrus, from the taking of Babylon to the

time of his death

SECT. I. Cyrus takes a journey into Persia. At his return from

thence to Babylon, he forms a plan of government for

the whole empire. Daniel's credit and power

II. The beginning of the united empire of the Persians and

Medes. The famous edict of Cyrus.

III. The last years of Cyrus. The death of that prince

Character and Eulogy of Cyrus.

בית הספרים הלא

והאוניברסיטאי

ירושלים

SECT. IV. Wherein Herodotus and Xenophon differ in their ac-

counts of Cyrus

CHAP. II. The history of Cambyses

III. The history of Smerdis the Magian

IV. The manners and customs of the Assyrians, Babylonians,

Lydians, Medes, and Persians

ART. I. Of their government

SECT. I. Their monarchical form of government. The respect they

paid their kings. The manner of educating their chil-

dren

II. The public council, wherein the affairs of state were con-

sidered

III. The administration of justice

IV. The care of the provinces

V. Administration of the revenues

ART. II. Of their war

SECT. I. Their entrance upon military discipline

II. Their armour

III. Chariots armed with scythes

IV. Their discipline in peace as well as war

V. Their order of battle

VI. Their manner of attacking and defending strong places

1. Their way of attacking places

2. Their manner of defending places

VII. The condition of the Persian forces after Cyrus's time

. 102

. 106
. 113

115

. 116

Their marriages, and the manner of burying the dead

ART. V. The cause of the declension of the Persian empire, and

of the change that happened in their manners

SECT. I. Luxury and magnificence

II. The abject submission and slavery of the Persians

III. The wrong education of their princes another cause of the

declension of the Persian empire

IV. Their breach of faith and want of sincerity

BOOK V.

THE HISTORY OF THE ORIGIN AND FIRST SETTLEMENT OF THE

SEVERAL STATES AND GOVERNMENTS OF GREECE

ART. I. A geographical description of ancient Greece

Greece, properly so called

155

156

The Grecian isles

ART. II. Division of the Grecian history into four several ages

ART. III. The primitive origin of the Grecians

ART. IV. The different states into which Greece was divided

ART. V. Colonies of the Greeks sent into Asia Minor

The Grecian dialects

. 161

. 165

167

ART. VI. The republican form of government almost generally

established throughout Greece

ART. VII. The Spartan government. Laws established by Ly-

2. Institution. The division of the lands, and the prohibition

of gold and silver money

3. Institution. The public meals

4. Other ordinances

Page

172

173

174

Reflections upon the government of Sparta, and upon the laws of

Lycurgus

1. Things commendable in the laws of Lycurgus

2. Things blamable in the laws of Lycurgus

ART. VIII. The government of Athens. The laws of Solon. The

history of that republic from the time of Solon to the reign of

Darius the First

ART. IX. Illustrious men who distinguished themselves in arts and

sciences

Of the seven wise men of Greece.

180

ib.

185

189

BOOK VI.

THE HISTORY OF THE PERSIANS AND GRECIANS.

CHAP. I. The history of Darius intermixed with that of the Greeks 224

SECT. I. Darius's marriages. The imposition of tributes.

The

insolence and punishment of Intaphernes. The death

of Oretes. The story of Democedes a physician. The

Jews permitted to carry on the building of their temple.

The generosity of Syloson rewarded

ib.

II. Revolt and reduction of Babylon

III. Darius prepares for an expedition against the Scythians.

A digression upon the manners and customs of that

nation

VI. The revolt of the Ionians

VII. The expedition of Darius's army against Greece

1. The state of Athens. The characters of Miltiades,

Themistocles, and Aristides

2. Darius sends heralds into Greece, in order to sound

the people, and to require them to subunit

267

3. The Persians defeated at Marathon by Miltiades. The

melancholy end of that general.

268

VIII. Darius resolves to make war in person against Egypt

and against Greece: is prevented by death. Dispute

between two of his sons, concerning the succession to

the crown. Xerxes is chosen king

277

CHAP. II. The history of Xerxes, connected with that of the Greeks 282

SECT. I. Xerxes, after having reduced Egypt, makes preparations

for carrying the war into Greece. He holds a council. The pru-

dent speech of Artabanes. War is resolved upon

SECT. II. Xerxes begins his march, and passes from Asia into

Europe, by crossing the straits of the Hellespont upon a bridge

of boats

SECT. III. Enumeration of Xerxes's forces. Demaratus delivers

his sentiments freely upon that prince's enterprise

295

SECT. IV. The Lacedæmonians and Athenians send to their allies

to require succours from them, but to no purpose. The com-

mand of the fleet given to the Lacedæmonians

SECT. V. The battle of Thermopyla. The death of Leonidas

SECT. VI. Naval battle near Artemisium

298

303

308