The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-09-15


600 foot; whereas Arrian declares, there
| were not more than 10000. Diodorus ST.
cuius confirms the former estimate" TINS
diversity among the historians is a most in
| structive fact, as it inculcates the extreme
caution with which their accounts of the
number of armies at that day should be re-
Iceived.-in this engagement, the Barba-
| rians (as the Greeks used to call all foreign
| nations,) are said to have lost 90, 900 foot
and $500 horse-rhe Macedonans only l2O
In the subsequent battle of Issus, Darius
is reported to have had 10000 troops-the
number of the Persians is not recorded in
the historian, to whom have referred. -
he fortune of war was again on the side of
Alexander--3ut the details of the havoc are
not displayed. 1t is merely said, that in the
engagement and the rout, the Persians lost a
great number of forces, both horse aud foot
but that very few were lost by the Con-
queror.
The battle of Arbela was however beyond
question the most memorable of all, that were
comprised within the Persian war; Darius
seems to have collected all his resources for
the last desperate effort-and for the first
time, the computation of his forces, enlisted
on the spot andn the very heart of his dorui-
Mons, somewhat approaches to that immense
multitude OF troops, which his predecessor
Aerxes is said TO have conducted out of his
dominions. Darius is represented to have
had 100000 foot and 40 600 norse-Alexan-
der not more than 40, 900 foot, and or 8 600
horse. According to Arrian, the Persians
lost SOC, 900 besides those who were taken
prisoners-which at least, says Kollin, was a
proof that the loss was very considerable on
their side" The Grecian Historian has
m ost probably exaggerated, in an extraor-
binary degree the extent of the Carnage,
in order to add to the Iustre of the Grecian
atchievement-althoug his computation of
the Persian army, at the battle of the Gra-
nacus, would SEEM to contradict this suppo-
sition. In this decisive victory. which secu-
red the crown of Persia on the brow If a.
lexander, he is said to have lost only 1900
men, most Of them horse.
The SCeptre of the EdSt was subseuuent-
| iy transferred into the hands of Rome-but
before Rome was powerful enough to at
chieVe these conquests, she was Obliged to
pass through series of wars. with the liza
liam States, with Spain, and Carthage on the
Coasts of Africa, in all of which She was
ultimately victorious. But in all of these
contests, there is one OILY, which bears the
smallest comparison with the destructive
battle of Wagram. Need remind the rea-
der of the celebrated battle of Nanne, in
which the great Hannibal at the head uf his
Carthagenians, after having traversed Spain
ana Gaui, descended the SHOWS of the Alps,
and marched into the very heart of tie Enc
my's country, seemed determined to decide
the fate OF Rome herseifs in this engage
ment, the Romans, inclusive of Allies, are
estimated 1T 3d. 900 foot, and little more
. than 6ooo horse-The Carthagenians, at
10000 foot and 10000 horse. The fate ofwar
was completely on the side of Hannibal--but
what diversitieS prevail among the histori-
ans IN their computations of the numbers of
the slain! Poybius estimates the loss of the
/ Homans at 70 900. Livy at $4,000. Hannibal
! is said to have lost 4 900 Gauis, 1900 Spani-
| ards and Africans, and 300 horse.
! HE most common students of History are
! acquainted with the final results of these
Con ests--the firm intrepidity of the Romans,
their dispatChing the great ocipio To Africa,
To play off upon the Carthagenians, their
own system Of invading the enemy's terrific
ry, the recall of Hannibal to defend his own
country, and the final fall of Carthage.
4 nese victories enabled the Romans to turn
their arms towards the East. The first very
memorable battle, which occurred iii that
Quarter, is that of Pydna, in when Paulus
lEmiiius commanded all army of 5 / 200 men
against Perseus, monarch of Macedon. -
25 900 of the Macedonians persisted and
| 1t is said, only loo of the Romans.
But the most extraordinary engagement
with HdS fought IN the East, was tile one,
in which Lucul!us defeated Tygrancs, X in.
of the Armenians. The latteris ,id'to have
commanded not less than 10000 krchers
| and Singers, S. 900 horse, of which II 900
were heavy earned Cavalry, 10000 foot, be-
sides pioneers, &c. to the amount of IS 900
Luculus is said to have commanded the
small corps of 10 or 10000 infantry, besides
horse and 1oo) archers. The result Of this
engagement is incredible. Some historians
represent the loss of the Armeuans at 90 900
OF the foot-and that of the Romans at not
more than loo
Comparisons have been often instituted be-
tween Bonaparte & Cesar. In the celebrated
battle OF Pharoaia which decided the Con-
tehtiops OF Pompey and Caesar for the En-
pre OF Rome and of the world the former
commanded 5000 men, besides cohorts
OF Volunteers. CAESARS army has been com
puted at $4,000. Pompey lost Is 900 men,
and $4,000 prisouers.--C1sar, according To
his own account, lost only 200 men with 80
centurioDs.
1T IS useles to burden the reader with
description of the wars, which arose during
the decline and fall of the Roman Empire
the irruption of the Goths and VandaIs-
the wars of Mahomet, and thetriumphs Of
the Turks. Indeed, between the periods that
we have past, and the operations of the pre-
sent age, what reasonable analogy can be
instituted The invention of Gun-powder