: and confequently more diverting and acceptable to the reader; whence they were preferred to those of the latter, in which we find nothing calculated to raife admiration. This natural inclination in a writer, to adopt fuch accounts as he thinks will prove most agreeable to his reader, has been too much Xenocountenanced by Plato, who, in giving a character of Xeno- phon's phon's Cyropædia, tells us, that he rather defcribed, in that writings work, what a worthy and juft prince ought to be, than gave and cha us a true hiftory of what that prince really was. From this racter. paffage Diogenes Laertius concludes 2, that Plato looked on the inftitution of Cyrus as a fiction: Tully paffes the fame judgment on this performance, faying b, that Xenophon's Cyrus was not intended for a true history, but to serve as a model of a juft empire. Most of the modern critics have declared themfelves of the fame opinion; and we muft own, that as Xenophon was both a great commander and philofopher, he has woven into that history many of his own maxims of war and policy but it does not follow frem hence, that the ground-plot of the work, and the most material tranfactions he relates, may not be called a true hiftory. That he intended it for fuch, is plain; for, in the very beginning of the work, he acquaints us, that he had taken great care and pains to inform himself of Cyrus's birth, education, and character: and that it is really fuch, its conformity with holy writ fufficiently fhews: wherefore, 'bating his military and political defcants and digreffions, the remaining part, bare matters of fact, is to be looked upon as a true hiftory. He was efteemed by the antients a writer of great judgment and penetration; and, having lived in the court of Cyrus the younger, had opportunities of being better informed of what he wrote concerning that great prince than Herodotus could have: and as he confined himself to this fubject alone, no doubt but he examined all matters relating to it, with more care and exactness than the other, who wrote of fo many different fubjects and nations. And these are the motives that have induced us to follow Xenophon, in what relates to Cyrus, rather than Herodotus, or those who have copied after him (D). Cyrus. the flood 1749. 599. The true CYRUS was the fon of Cambyfes, either king of Perfia, or a biftory of man of the first rank in that country, and of Mandane the daughter of Aftyages king of the Medes (E). He was born a year after his uncle Cyaxares, the brother of Mandane. He lived the first twelve years of his life with his parents, in Perfia (F), where he was educated after the Perfan manner, and Bef. Chr. inured to hardfhips, and fuch exercifes as might enable him to go through the toils and fatigues of war. When he was twelve years old, his mother Mandane took him with her into Media, to his grandfather Aftyages, who, from the many things he had heard of that young prince, had a defire to fee him. During the time of his refidence at this court, the sweetness of his temper, his generous behaviour, and conftant endeavour to oblige all men, gained him the affections of the Medes, and fuch an intereft among the leading men of that nation, as did afterwards much contribute to the erecting of the great empire he afterwards founded d His early WHEN he was about fixteen years of age, he firft entered prowess. the school of war, and gave extraordinary proofs both of his courage and conduct, as we have related elsewhere. The he returned to his father in Perfia, where he remained till he was forty years of age, when he was recalled to the af fiftance of his uncle Cyaxares ". next year ASTYAGES king of the Medes, was fucceeded, as we have fhewn in the hiftory of that people, by his fon Cyaxares, brother to Mandane, Cyrus's mother f. This prince was fcarce feated on his throne, when he was informed, that Nerigliffar king of Babylon was preparing a powerful army to invade Media; that he had already engaged feveral princes, and, amongst others, Cræfus king of Lydia; and that he had dispatched embafladors into Cappadocia, Phrygia, Caria, Paphlagonia, Cilicia, and even to the Indies, to inftil jealoufies into the feveral • XENOPH. Cyropæd. d XENOPH. Cyropæd. 1. i. p. 36. 1. i. p. 44, 45, &c. See before, p. 41. (E) Both Herodotus and Xenophon agree in this, viz. that the mother of Cyrus was Mandane, daughter to Aftyages; but Ctefias would have us believe, that Cyrus was no ways related to Aftyages, or Aftigas, as he is pleafed to call him. (F) The name of Perfia at that time extended only to one province of that large empire, which was afterwards known by the name of Perfia; for the whole Perfian nation could at that time raife but 120,000 men (2). But, after the conquefts of Cyrus, it took in that vast tract, which extended east and weft from the Indus to the Tigris, and north and fouth from the Cafpian fea to the ocean. (2) Cyropæd. 1. i. princes princes of thofe countries, and to ftir them up against the Medes and Perfians, as afpiring to an univerfal monarchy. Cyaxares therefore called Cyrus, out of Perfia, to his affistance; and, upon his arrival with a body of thirty thousand Perfians, appointed him commander in chief both of the Medes and PerJiansh (G). the flood 1791. 557. He had not been long in Media before Cyaxares had occafion to employ him. The king of Armenia, who had hitherto lived in fubjection to the Medes, looking upon them as ready to be swallowed up by the powerful alliance formed against Year of them, thought fit to lay hold of that opportunity, and shake off the yoke accordingly, he refused to pay the ufual tribute, and to fend his quota of auxiliaries, which he was obliged to fur- Bef. Chr. nifh in time of war. As this was a matter of dangerous confequence, and which might prompt other dependent ftates to do the fame, Cyrus thought it neceflary to crufh this revolt with Reduces the utmost expedition; and therefore marching immediately Armenia. with a chofen body of horse, and covering his defign as if he intended only to hunt on the hills of Armenia, he entered that country before the inhabitants had any intelligence of his march ; furprised the king, and all his family; and, having obliged him to pay the ufual tribute, and fend his quota of auxiliaries, restored him to his kingdom, and returned in triumph to his army in Media i. BOTH parties had now been employed three years together, in forming their alliances, and making preparations for war. In the beginning of the fourth year, the confederate armies on i Idem, 1. iii. p. 62-76. h XENOPH. 1. i. p. 58. (G) This army confifted of 30,000 men, all infantry; for the Perfians had yet no cavalry; but they were all chofen men, and raised after a particular manner. First of all, Cyrus chofe out of the nobility two hundred and one officers; each of thefe was ordered to chufe four more of the fame rank, which made a thoufand in all; and these were called ouório, or men of the fame dignity, and eminently diftinguished themfelves on all occafions. Every one of these was ordered to raife among the people ten pikemen lightly arm ed, ten flingers, and ten bow both fides took the field; and, being come in fight of each Defeats other, a battle foon enfued, which proved very unfortunate the Baby- for the Babylonians; for Nerigliffar their king was killed, and lonians. Crafus king of Lydia, who, upon his death, took upon him Neriglif- the command of the army, was obliged to quit the field, and far killed. retire in the utmost confufion to his camp, from which he was Crefus driven the next day by Cyrus, at the head of the Hyrcanians, defeated. who had revolted to him the night before k. Cyrus referved for himself all the horses that were taken, in order to form a 'and his allies 1. The Baby- NERIGLISSAR was fucceeded by Laborofoarehod, in whose lonians re-reign two Babylonian lords, Gobryas and Gadates, provoked by his volt to cruelty, went over, with the provinces they governed, to CyCyrus. rus, who by that means got footing in Affyria, which greatly contributed to the reduction of Babylon m. Laborofearched marched out against Gadates, but was by Cyrus driven back with great flaughter to his metropolis, where he continued, fuffering Cyrus to ravage the whole country unmolested, till the seafon of the year obliged him to put an end to the campaign, which he did with the reduction of three fortreffes on the frontiers of Media o. LABOROSO ARCHOD was foon after murdered by his own fubjects, who raised Nabonadius to the throne, in his room. Xenophon reprefents him as a wicked princee: and that fuch was his character, fufficiently appears by what is faid of him in Daniel; but while he attended his pleafures, his mother Nitocris, a woman of great understanding, and a mafculine fpirit, took thofe precautions which we have mentioned in the Babylonian hiftory, for the fecurity of the metropolis and empire. WHILE the queen was thus employed, Cyaxares came to Cyrus's camp; and, after several confultations, they determined to alter their method; and, inftead of contenting themselves only with ravaging the enemy's territories, they thought it was neceflary to employ their troops in taking of towns and fortreffes, that fo they might make themselves masters of the country, and diftrefs the city of Babylon, by intercepting their provifions 9. Accordingly, they took many cities, and brought * See before, p. 41. • Ibid. 1. vii. 1 XENOPH. Cуropæd. 1. iv. p. 87-104. n XENOPH. Cyropæd. 1. v. p. 123–140. P Cyropæd. 1. vi. p. 156. under under fubjection intire provinces, without meeting with any Cyrus's confiderable refiftance from the Babylonians. The progrefs fuccefs Cyrus made in thofe conquefts roufed at laft Nabonadius, who, ageinft taking along with him great part of his treasures, left Babylon, the Baby and repaired to Craefus king of Lydia, by whofe affiftance and lonians. intereft he concluded a formidable alliance with the Egyptians, Greeks, Thracians, and all the nations of the Leffer Afia. Thefe Crœfus various nations, under the conduct of Crafus, who was by the commands king of Babylon appointed chief commander of all his forces, the confeaffembled near the river Pactolus, and from thence advanced to Thymbra, which was the place appointed for the general rendezvous. Cyrus, being informed of thefe vaft preparations by one of his intimate friends, who by his order had fled over to the enemy as a deferter, put himself in a condition to oppofe them and, having increased the number of his forces by new levies, he took leave of Cyaxares, who remained in Media with a third part of the troops, that the country might not be left intirely defenceless; and marched forwards to meet the confederate forces in their own territories, in order to confume their forage, and difconcert their measures by the quickness of his march, and boldness of his undertaking. After a long march, he came up with the enemy at Thymbra, a city of Lydia, not far from Sardis, the metropolis of that country. Cy-The army rus's army was one hundred and ninety-fix thoufand ftrong, of Cyrus; horfe and foot; befides thefe troops, he had three hundred chariots, armed with fithes, each chariot drawn by four horfes abreaft, covered with trappings that were proof against all forts of miffive weapons: he had likewise a great number of other chariots of a larger fize, upon each of which he placed a tower about eighteen or twenty feet high; and in each tower were lodged twenty archers: thefe chariots were drawn by fixteen oxen, yoked abreaft. There was, moreover, a confiderable number of camels, each mounted by two Arabian archers, the one looking towards the head, and the other towards the hinder-part, of the camel. The army of Craefus was twice as of the con numerous as that of Cyrus, amounting in the whole to four federates. hundred and twenty thousand men. Both armies were drawn up on an immenfe plain, which gave room for the extending of their wings to the right and left; and the defign of Græfus, upon which alone he founded his hopes of victory, was to furround and hem in the enemy's army he placed the Egyptians, who alone made a body of one hundred and twenty thoufand men, and were the main ftrength of the army, in the centre r. ! XENOPH. Cyropæd. 1. vi. p. 156, &c. P. 167-172. Idem, 1. vi. N4 WHEN |