The New York herald., 1870-05-02


myriad OF which was OF the value or 81, ,ooooOo.n
such treasure we in this age know nothing OF.
dsmembered, and the kingdoms OF Babylon, Nine.
yeh and Medea formed from ITS ruins. Between
Sssa 4n s se e ws ws y
rIans devastated the three kingdoms, remaining 4
their masters until the people disposed Of them BY
with wine, at feasts TO which. by concert, each |
family OF Assyrians had invited them upon an |
Cyazares after repeated Efforts succeeded In utterly
destroying Ninevch, tho last city that held out
,e n aao s % andep oe
ment which was the beginning OF the famous empire
OF the Medes and Persians.
aggressive reference OH account Of the influence he
o. this time exerted. Vast riches IN most klngdoms
but Croesus Thought 1t unworthy for any person,
much less king, 10 surrender himself TO these. MOI
only was ne vastly rich ana an 70 for
and science; he patr0nized the learned ana Wise OF
all nations; 80 much so that they all made particular
effort to visit his dominions to receive mis- assist
ance His court was the ordinary residence OF the
seven wise men Of Greece. 1t was with him tLat
possession OF these characteristics enttle Orsus TO
most honorable mention aud memory, and he should
be regarded si, "a AZ representatiye king az es.
king OF Persia, which by conquest he enlarged until
I comprised oil the terrtnry between the Tgris and
Cyazares retained Mcdea. lie finding himself in.
volved in terrible war with tho kings OF several
10 Cyrus for aid, Wno set ont at once with army.
Tue vast preparations made on both sides cullnin-
maYkable events o OF aneent tmesowSel, e decided
the empire Of Asia against the Assyrians and In a-
y0r OF the Persians. This battle has always been
the study or great commanders because the
military genius there displayed by Cyrus makes him
rank as one OF the greatest Of generals After ,educ
turned his whole power against Babylon. which he
determined upon destroying. lie accomplished its
vast bitches prepared by seiniranis. and MARCHING
his army over its dry bed into the city at night,
While is nmsolants s were , engaged In some general
ramis fell. and the destruction ceased not until not
even Its walls remained to tell the story OF its gran
deur. LN4
With the reunion of what constituted the first
Assyrian empire the conqucsts Of Cyrus seemed to
fectng system OF government for the vast country
he had acquired. This he accomplished most wisey'
All historians agree that In this task he was greatly
aided by the wisdom and counsel OF Daniel the
Prophet, who obtained position Of great power
and influence. II WAS no doubt. he who obtained
hap happy did the empire become under The reign Of
Sya Syys 'fss es9F2a3 W. 2Ha3ve s aa fstaea ass e s hs
ss@%Sa ss7ea yeans nsf no dea s eSS0s s Years ss
in crime as his father mad been ii virtue. He caused
the death Of his only brother, Sme:dis married his
youngest sister who was very beautiful and after
Smerdis Happily his reign was cht short by dealh.
having lasted less than eight years. 1t was not gen.
ealy known that Cambyses had caused the death
OF his brother smerdis, which made it possible for
Smerdis the Magan to usurp the throne, giving out
that ne was the True Smerdls. He was exposed by
one OF his wives at the instance " nobenlan
named Darius, who managed to stay him,
and was then unanimously named King by
soon after becoming king. Darius, with an army OF
1000 C0j men marched Into Europe to chastise the
oyaSarns II The expsdson resated dsastousy to
Darius, Who could not even bring the ScJthians to
battle. They continuity retired before him. and left
him to be defeated by the scarcity Of provisions,
from which cause Darius came near losing his whole
army, and was obiiged to beat hasy retreat to his
own country. Darius then determined upon the
conquest OF India, which ne accomplished. or the
particulars OF this campaign no records are
ies though IL known oa aat In dadia a., Temaned
tributes OF f50o.0Oo sterling. Darius was the only
conquerer who ever subiugated India suit
% the twentieth that had been added to Persia ''''0
During the reign Of Darius the ionans revolted
against Persian control, and succeeded In involving
the Athenians with them; they furnished the
lonans twenty ships, by the aid Of which Sards
that he formed solemn resolve to destroy
Greece. Thus began that inlpacable strife OF the
Persans against tue GrecaGs by which % Persian
Greeks performed the most remarkable exploits
known in mililary history. Tnese coming more,
properly under Grecian summary, 1t will only be
marked here that diltiades Oh the plains OF Mara.
thon; Leonidas at Thermopyl@; Thenistocles at Sa.
lams; Arlssiies at Plate g; Leotychides at Mycae,
and Simon at Eurymedop, taught the Persian mon.
archs that they were not To be subdued by them,
though ihey should expend their mghtest power III
their attempts.
so exhausted was the empire from tue Crecian
wars that when the Egyptians revolted during the
reign OF Darius II. be found himself unable 10 sub
due them. The superb empire made ami left by
Cyrus the Great under such admirable government
was now becoming thoroughly corrupted ana de-
bauched, and was gwen all species OF icentlous-
ness. Its former glory rapidly departed, and the ee
meniS OF destruction were actively at work prcpar
ing 1t for the blow Alexander Of Maced0n was soon
to deal IL, rom which 1t was destined never to re-
cover.
After the dismembern,ent OF the Macedonian en-
pre Persia partially recovered, but became the field
FOR constant barbarian inroads which kept the king
dom in poverty and misery. Under Ch6slon, about
the year 600, the empire again extended from the
Indus TO the Mediterranean. Justinian I. waged a
successful war sagainst ChosrOn and COM
PEELED a disadvantageous peace. This was
annulled by Chosron H., Who again raised
Persia to its former greatness by conquerIng
Egypt, Ethiopia, Lydia aud Yemen. These sudden
conquests were soon lost and the partially resusci-
tated empire passed into rapid decline At no
time since has Persia exerted any considerable In
iuence upon surrounding nations. Under Timour in
the fourteenth century, and the Turks ia the if
eenth, 1t decaycd rapidy In the sixteenth century
it became nearly extinct aud as nation 1t remains
virtually SO to this day.