CHAPTER XXXII.

A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE KINGS OF PERSIA, FROM CYRUS, TO DARIUS CODOMANUS, CONQUERED BY ALEXANDER THE GREAT.

THE history of the Jews after their return from the captivity in Babylon, is so closely connected with that of their Persian rulers, that it seems necessary to give a short account of the kings who reigned in Babylon after Cyrus, until the conquest of that empire by Alexander the Great. During this long period of about 200 years, the Jews lived in subjection to these Persian-Babylonian princes, and their personal characters, and the wars in which they engaged, had necessarily an important influence on the condition of the Jews. We shall therefore devote the present chapter to giving a slight sketch of the reigns of the kings who succeeded to the dominions of Cyrus, in the East.

CAMBYSES. Cyrus the Great was succeeded on the throne by his eldest son Cambyses, called Ahasuerus in Ezra; a prince, in every respect unworthy of his renowned father, and of his exalted station. He and his brother Smerdis,* were unfortunately for themselves and their subjects, not brought up after the Persian manner, in

* Cyrus left only two sons, Cambyses and Smerdis; the latter is called Tanaoxares by Xenophon, and Mergis by Justin.

simple, hardy habits, and taught to obey, before they were trusted to command; but they were left in the palace, under the care of women and servile attendants, whose only care was to flatter their caprices, and render them homage and adulation, which seldom fails to corrupt the heart, and weaken the intellect. Plato, the Grecian philosopher, gives this account of the bad education of the sons of Cyrus, and he justly reproaches this great prince with leaving Cambyses vast provinces and immense riches, while he had not given him the means of preserving them, by teaching him the right use of such unbounded power: this effeminate bringing up of their princes, Plato regards as one of the leading causes of the fall of the Persian Monarchy.

The first act of Cambyses, was to declare war against Egypt. He had conceived a violent hatred against its king Amasis, either on account of some personal affront, according to Herodotus, or because Amasis refused to pay him the tribute which he had paid to his father Cyrus. He took three years to make his preparations, and in the fourth year, set out on his expedition, with a vast army, composed of troops of various nations, and supported at sea by a fleet of Phonician vessels; he crossed the intervening desert, and entered Egypt; but by this time Amasis was dead, and Psammenitus his son, who succeeded, was making vigorous efforts for the defence of his kingdom,

Before Cambyses could enter Egypt, it was necessary to become master of Pelusium, and he is said to have effected this by a singular stratagem. Availing himself of the gross superstition. of the people, he placed in front of his army a number of cats, dogs, and other animals worshipped by them, so that the puzzled Egyptians were afraid of shooting their arrows, or rushing on to the attack of the Persians, for fear of injuring their own gods; in this manner Cambyses gained an easy victory, and stormed the city. Soon after, Psammenitus gave him battle, but was totally defeated, and Cambyses, at the end of six months, found himself master of all Egypt. At first, he treated Psammenitus with lenity, but on his making some attempts to regain his throne, he put him to death, by forcing him to drink bull's blood. After committing many cruelties, and causing the dead body of Amasis to be taken out of the tomb, and treated with every possible indignity, Cambyses resolved the following year, to make war upon the Ethiopians. In order to gain information of the country, he sent thither ambassadors, with costly but useless presents, such as perfumes, golden bracelets, and wine, and haughtily demanded the submission of the people. He had wished to make war upon Carthage, but the Phoenicians refused to lend him their fleet for this conquest, as the Carthaginians were originally a colony from their own city of Tyre, and therefore Cambyses was obliged to give up this design, but

turned his thoughts to the conquest, equally impracticable, of Ethiopia. When his ambassadors appeared before the king of Ethiopia, (now Nubia,) they and their demands were treated with derision, and in return for the presents they brought, the king of Ethiopia sent Cambyses a powerful bow, which he bent in presence of the ambassadors, saying, "When the Persians shall be able to use a bow of this size and strength, with as much ease as I have now bent it, then let them come and attack the Ethiopians; meanwhile, let them thank the gods for not having put into the hearts of the Ethiopians, a wish to extend their dominions beyond their own country."

Enraged at this reply, Cambyses ordered his army to commence their march immediately, without taking any steps to provide for their support. One division, which he sent across the desert to attack the Ammonians, and destroy the famous temple to Jupiter, was lost on the march, being met by a violent wind, and overwhelmed and buried under the sand. The main body under his command, pursued their way amidst incredible difficulties, being in such want of provisions, that hundreds perished daily of hunger and fatigue: they fed on roots, and the leaves of trees, then on their beasts of burden, and at last on each other; for so dreadful was the famine, that lots were drawn, and the wretched man on whom the lot fell was slaughtered, to serve as food for his yet more wretched