The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-03-01
a behave manifested itselfin marau6ine expo-
dttionst too obscure to have survived in tsaat-

4 a ioAAve manifested itselfin maraudipe expe-
fdttions TOO obscure to have survivod in trsdi-
4 ten. SO 80
Al length, In the sixth cen fury, before Christ,
! Il was rekindled by CRHsrs, King OF Lydia.
! who. having conquered the greater part Of
As'a Minor, subdued some OF the Ionian cities,
and made an alliance with others. The men,
ton OF CR'Esus leads the author into one OF
his digressions, In which he snccincily gives
the history OF that King, As well rs oi tue
the J.ydians themselves. (GTsUs having
bern brought on the stand, the progress OF mas
personal history brings us into contact with
CYRUS. the reat. The rise Of that great chiei-
tain, and the ascendancy which ne acquired
over his countrymen, afford noble theme for
the dieplay Of our authors skin In telling
| story. As CYRUS was King of the Persians,
Of course he feels himself bound TO tell us all
he knows about that remarkable nation.-
The reader having been accurately Informed
of ali that relates TO both CYRus and CREsUs,
and the subjects Of both, is prepared to see
the two come in contact, and the latter he
crushed 10 atoms. He is scarcely heard of
again, but his conqueror pursues his career,
and is at length brought before Baby
Ion, tue Great, then in all her glory
This circums lance affords the historian leis-
uTe TO tell us all he knows of Baby Ion. her
history, her size, her strength, the marvellous
height OF her walls, and the wonders that ex-
listed within their compass. CYRUS dies, his
son CAMBYsEs succeeds HIM, and he leads an
army into Egypt. Here, now, is An occasion
for Introducing Egypt, her history, and her
stnpcndous monuments. CAMBYsks having
m Hrdered his own brother SMERDIs. is sue.
ceeded by all impostor OF the same name, and
he having been put to death, the conspirators
agree TO raise DARIUS, the son Of HYsTAsrEs,
TO the throne. This DARIUS, bent, it would
seem. on universal conquest, passes over the
Hellespont, attacks the Scythians and is forced
to retreat with immense loss The mention
OF the Scythians leads to another DEPRESSION
In which he gives as an account of their man.
hers, customs and government. DARIUS hav-
ing conceived great dislike to certain of the
Greek States, particularly the Athenians,
sends an army, under OATS and ARrIpnE.
RUEs, to chastise them. The Persians, Tor the
first time, come in contact with the Athenians
at Marathon, and are ANONYMOUSLY defeated
DARIUS is enraged beyond measure at this
insult, but he dies shortly after and leaves TO
his son AERXEs the task Of obtaining redress
Having now brought his story to a crisis. he
proceeds with great animation to narrate the
history OF the expedition which the las manned
monarch led against Greece-the michtiest
that the world ever beheld All the nations
OF ASIA even As far as India marched under
the banner Of the Persian monarch The eat.
tie on thousand hills scarcely sufficed 10
furnish them with meal, and they drank
mighty rivers dry as they passed Seventeen
hundred thousand soldiers, and six hundred
thousand sailors and marines, were brought
from Asia, and he had allies among the Thra
Clans and others in Greece, who turnis he'd him
with three hundred thousand more. 1t is |
computed that the followers of the carnp wer.
eq ualIy numerous, so that more than five mil |
lions of human beings engaged in ii1is frantic
and fatal expedition. The authority of HERO
DoTUs has been called severely in cues ton. on |
account OF his statement with regard 10 these |
II unbers. THUcYDIDEs probably had it in |
view, when he said that the Pelopomusian |
war was the greatest that ever had taken
P'ace, ana IL gave occasion to .JUvENAL, many
centuries after, to stigmatiZe Greece as IA ma
ION OF liars t"mendax Grecia is the phrase
ne "Ses)' nut the catalogue is given with AS
huch regularity rs though it han been copied
rom some record, and We are told by HERO.
'olus tnat one did actually exist in the shape
u pillar planted at Sardis by order Of |
kERXHs, who had the names and numbers ot
III the nations engaged in the expedition en-.
'faVed upon 1t in both Persian and Grecian
characters. The editors of the work under
contend s,outIy for the yeraci,y
IT the old Halicarnassian.
Ahe IMPRESSIONS to which we have alluded |
IRE not all that occur in the work Of HERopo.
us Each one Of them suggests numberIess
'Lhers, and all are filled with episodes, anec-
Totes, gossip, and every other species of in.
ormatIon that The author can collect He has
een everywhere, and he knows everything
nd every body, and he unbosoms himself to
he reader with d simplicity and familiarity
which is absolutely charming. II is like talk.
ns with an old friend, in the easy stvle of
amiiiar friendship. But we have no more
pace to spare, and can only say that if the
dl,on In question he executed as it PROPOSES
o be, the work must be very valuable.