Ancient History: from the dispersion of the sons of Noe to the Battle of Actium and change of the Roman Republic into an Empire

Front matter

ANCIENT HISTORY: FROM THE DISPERSION OF THE SONS OP NOE, TO THE BATTLE OF ACTIUM, AND flange of tlje f§|amatt |§||$pttGftf. into an jgpnptM.. BY PETER FREPET, P.P. PROFESSOR OP HISTORY IN ST. MARY'S COLLEGE, BALTIMORE, AUTHOR OF MODERN HISTORY. Historia testis tem-iorum, lux veritatis, vita memotiæ, magistra vitæ, nuntia vetustatis. Cicer. lib. n. de Orat. c. IX, n. 36. BALTIMORE: METROPOLITAN PRESS. 1849. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year eighteen hundred and forty nine, by Louis Regis Deluol, in the Clerk's office of the District Court of Maryland. Sherwoed & Co., PrhlUrl,

Preface

. Besides the many advantages resulting from the general knowledge of history, there are various inducements for the study of ancient history in particular. The interest naturally attached to the revolutions, transactions, manners, customs, and lives of remarkable persons, of remote ages; the connexions which they have with the leading branches of polite literature; the facility which they afford for the understanding of the Greek and Latin classics, and of many historical books of the Old Testament; are surely reasons well calculated to convince every one of the importance of ancient history. Such, at least, was the opinion of the author of this volume. Aware of the difficulties which attend historical compositions, he has taken every precaution not lo introduce into its pages any thing either doubtful or not substantiated by some authority worthy of credit.

To effect his purpose, he has spared neither time nor trouble, and has imposed on himself the task of assiduous research in the best sources of information, and consulted the most approved writers, both ancient and modern. Equal care has been taken to avoid prolixity and excessive brevity; because the generality of readers or students have not sufficient leisure for the perusal of lengthy works; and, on the other hand, because excess ive brevity strips history of its principal usefulness and interest, by crowding together, within a few pages, a multitude of events with but few particulars and circumstances, and consequently without adequate means to distinguish the facts with precision, and to state with accuracy their various degrees of importance. Whatever may be in some lespects the utility of a mere compendium, it certainly cannot equal that of a more copious history, when written in a proper spirit; a hislory in which all prominent transactions being accompanied with suitable develop ments, appear in a more striking light, and can thus be easily and duly appreciated from facts of secondary importance.

For the same reason, and by the help of instructive details, the more copious history is suscep tible of a degree of interest which can never be imparted to the mere abbreviation. It has likewise been deemed far better (as in our Modern History) not to give a separate account of each nation, but to carry on the history of all the nations of antiquity together, by connecting its various parts as

PREFACE.

. far as might be consistent with the nature and the succession of events. Not only has this method been adopted by the ablest historians, such as Herodotus, Polybius, Justin, Prideaux, Petavius, Rollin, etc.; but it is manifestly more conformable to the course of nature. For nations do not exist in an isolated manner; they live, act and progress together in the succession of ages. They incessantly come in contact with one an other, either by hostile or by friendly relations. Pre-eminence, social or political, belongs sometimes to one, sometimes to another. Now these essential features must either disappear or be very imperfectly represented, in a historical work which, professing to treat of all the great nations of the earth, does not connect them in one narrative, but treats of every one separately.

The mind, in this case, instead of taking a grand view of the whole, is confined to a consideration of desultory subjects; the memory becomes confused by the multiplicity of particular histories, and in the end is rendered almost totally unable to distinguish what belongs to each of them. Add to this the inconvenience of being obliged to resort con tinually to repetitions or references, whenever mention is made of events in which two or more nations are concerned, as is always the case in for eign wars, coalitions, and treaties of peace. The truth of these remarks is strongly supported by the testimony of Polybius, a Greek historian not less admired for the solidity of his judg ment than for the extent of his learning. " Whoever," says he (Gen eral Hist b. i, c. 1), " is persuaded that the study of particular histories is alone sufficient to convey a perfect view and knowledge of the whole, may very properly be compared with one, who, on surveying the divided members of a body that was once endued with life, should persuade him self that he had thence obtained a just conception of all the comeliness and active vigor which it had received from nature.

But let these broken parts be again placed in order, restored to all their first activity and life, and be once more offered to his view; he will then be ready to acknowledge, that all his former notions were as remote from the truth as the shadows of a dream are different from realities. For, though some faint conception of the whole may perhaps arise from a careful examination of the parts, no distinct or perfect knowledge can ever be expected from it. In the same manner it must also be confessed, that particular relations are by no means capable of yielding any clear or extensive view into general history; and that the only method which can render this kind of study both entertaining and instructive, is that which draws together all the several events, and ranges them in their due place and order, distino-uish ing also their connexion and their difference."

This method then (however common at present the opposite practice) is by far preferable to any other. In order to render it, throughout this book, still more useful and easy, a few prominent facts called epochs are V

PREFACE.

. sdected, to which all the other events that immediately precede or fi illow, may be easily referred. For the same reason, care will be taken not to perplex the mind of the reader with the various systems of cbronolugy that are or have been in use among the learned. Only that system will be used throughout this volume, which has been the most commonly adopted, and according to which there elapsed four thousand years from the creation of the world to the coining of oui Saviour. Thus, the years fur Ancient History will be simply dated before the birth us Christ in their regular succession, as they are dated from the birth of Christ for Modern History. The usual nutice of the religion, government, laws aud manners of the different nations of antiquity, will find its proper place in those periods of their existence, in which any one of them acted a prominent part in the history of the world.

By being thus distributed, and placed at certain intervals, particulars of this kind will not be tedious, and may rather con tribute to the interest of the wurk by intruducing variety into the other wise monotonous detail of political or military transactions. Should it appear to any one that too much praise fi.r virtue, is bestowed on the ancient heroes of Greece and Rome, we wuuld beg leave lo ob serve, 1. that we no where intend to represent their virtues as perfect; on the contrary, it is readily acknowledged lhat the best moral qualities us the ancients were often disgraced in the same persons by the existence of gross vices, and still more frequently tainted by the base motive of ain bitiun or vanity. 2. It is nevertheless true that many admirable acliuns of patriotism, justice, clemency, magnanimity, continency, temperance. etc. were perfurmed by the Egyptians, Persians, Greeks and Rumans of old.

This fact cannot be denied ; hut, whilst it should serve as a severe rebuke to those Christians who are nut ashamed to be less virtuuus than pagans, it merely shows, what is otherwise known from the principles us the true religion, that man is nut universally and essentially corrupt; that he is free to do good or evil ; and that Lite Almighty is ever ready to lend him a gracious assistance in the discharge us his duties. It shows, on the other hand, that social virtues and deeds of merely natural hunesty can be found in false religions, even among the heathens, however far from the kingdom of Gud ; and cunsequently lhat they cannot, by themselves, afford any gruund for hope, and much less fur security, with regard to the future state of man's immortal soul. 1(1111 H/«U1U tU lillC* Itllll*'.

UlUIV Ul IIIUII u 1 1 t t I 1 ■ i i 1 i - i I ,.1-ryji. Our work opens with a brief sketch of the histury us our first parents, of their primitive innocence, their subsequent disobedience and fall, and of the awful catastrophe brought about by the crimes of their descendants, and which destroyed all mankind, with the exception of one vir tuous family destined by Almighty Gud to repeople the earth after the deluge. We however leave the particulars of these momentous events 1* VI

PREFACE.

. to Sacred History, to which they peculiarly belong. Our object being the civil history of the ancient world, the present volume ought properly to begin with the dispersion of the sons of Noe, which was soon follow ed by the foundation of the first states and empires. From that remote periud our History proceeds as far as the change of the Roman republic into a monarchy, or the reign of Cæsar Augustus, during which a new and still more important era began. This narrative therefure includes an interval of about twenty-two centuries, divided into six parts or epochs, as follows : The first part extends from the dispersion of the sons of Noe (B. C. 2247), to the close of the Trojan war (1184), including 1063 years. The 2d from the close of the Trojan war (B. C. 1184), to the building of Rome (B. C. 753), 431 years.

The 3d from the building of Rome (B. C. 753), to the destruction of the Babylonian, and the rise of the Persian empire (B. C. 536), 217 years. The 4th from the rise of the Persian empire (B. C. 536), to its overthrow, and the death of Alexander the Great, (B. C. 324), 212 years. The 5th from the death of Alexander the Great (B. C. 324), to the end of the Punic wars and of Grecian independence, or the destruction of Carthage and Corinth (B. C. 146), 178 years. The 6th from the destruction of Carthage and Corinth (B. C. 146), to the battle of Actium and change of the Roman coinmonweallh into an empire (B. C. 31), 115 years. CONTENTS.

Part I. From The Dispersion Op The Sons Of Noe

(B. C. 2217), TO THE CLOSE OF THE TROJAN WAR (b. C 1 184). Pago. Taje. Kings os Egypt 25 Government, laws and manners of the ancient Egyptians,. . . 28 Religion of the Egyptians — Origin, progress and extent of Idolatry 30 Barrier opposed to Idolatry,.. . 32 Hebrews or Israelites, ib. Rise and progress of the Grecian States, 34 Kingdom of Troy, ib. Siege and destruction of Troy, 37 Brief introductory account of the first ages of the world,. . 13 The Creation and the Deluge,, ib. Dispersion of men after the deluge — Beginning of all civil history, 16 Rise of the earliest states, 91 Babylonians. Assyrians, Phenicians, &.c ib. Egyptians, 21 Fertility and Monuments of Egypt, 22

Part II. From The Close Of The Trojan War

(B. C 1184), TO THE BUILDING OF ROME (B C 753) Page. Page. The Israelites under their kings, 48 Reign of Saul, ib. Reign of David, 49 Reign of Solomon, 51 Schism of the Ten Tribes, 52 Kings of Juda from Roboam to Achaz — Prophets, ib. Egypt during the second period, 56 Rise of Carthage, ib. Political situation of Greece after the Trojan war, 39 Grecian colonies and dialects, ib. Assyrian Empire under Ninus . and Semiramis, 41 Description of Babylon, 42 Semiramis continued — Ninyas, 44 Decline and fall of the first Assyrian Empire, ib. Learning, Industry, Religion, and Manners of the Assyrians and Babylonians CONTENTS.

Part III. From The Building Of Rome

(B. C 753), TO THE DESTRUCTION OF THE BABYLONIAN AND RISE OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRE, (B. C. £36). Page. Page. Sennacherib, 84 Asarhaddon, 85 Saosduchinus, or Nabuchodonosorl 87 Saracus, or Chinaladanus 88 Kings of Babylon, 89 Nabopolassar, ib. Nabuchodonosor II, or the Great, 90 Decline of the Babylonian Empire, 92 Crœsus — the Lydians, 93 Cyrus — the Persians, 94 First campaigns of Cyrus at the head of the Persians and Medes, 95 Decisive battle of Thymbra or Thybarra between Cyrus and Crœsus, 97 New Conquests of Cyrus — Fall of Babylon — Foundation of the Persian Empire, 100 Religion, Government, Laws, and Manners of the ancient Persians — Causes of their rapid progress, and of their subsequent decline, 104 Building of Rome 58 Romulus, 60 Numa Pompilius, 64 Tullus Hostilius 65 Ancus Martius, £7 Tarqninius Priscus, or Tarquin the Elder, 68 Servius Tullius, 69 Grecian Colonies in Italy, Sicily and Gaul, 70 Greece during the third period, 73 Sparta or Lacedæmon— Legislation of Lycurgus, ib.

Contest between the Spartans and the Argives 77 Messenian Wars 78 Athens: its revolutions and government, 79 Solon — Pisistratus ib. Second Assyrian, afterwards Babylonian Empire : comprising also the contemporary history of the Medes, Israelites, Jews and Egyptians, 83 Kings of Ninive, ib. Theglathphalasar, ib. Salmanasar, 84

Part IV. From The Foundation Of The Persian Empire

(b. C 536), TO ITS OVER THROW, AND THE DEATH OF ALEXANDtli. THE GREAT (b. C. 324). Page. Page. Reign of Cyrus — Death and character of that prince,. . . 107 First successors of Cyrus — Cambyses and Smerdis, Ill Tarquin the Proud, the last of the Roman kings 113 Rome a Republic — Consuls — War against Porsenna — Battle of Regillus, which insured the existence of the commonwealth, 114 Revolutions in Athens, CONTENTS. IX Page. Persian Empire 118 Reign of Darius Hystaspes till the beginning of his war against the Greeks, ib. Page. Great qualities and exploits of Agesilaus — League against Sparta — Peace of Antalcidas, 176 Theban war,. . . 179 War between the Greeks and Persians, commenced under Darius, 122 General state of Greece at the close of the Theban war,.. . 187 Religion, Manners and Institutions of Greece, 188 War between the Greeks and Persians, continued under Xerxes, 128 Religion of the Greeks — Oracles, 189 War between the Greeks and Persians, concluded under Artaxerxes — Longimanus,. . 135 National manners of the Greeks — Solemn Games, 191 Grecian institutions and schools of Philosophy, 192 Defeat of the Carthaginians in Sicily — Great qualities of Gelon, prince and sovereign of Syracuse 140 Roman Commonwealth ; from the expulsion of the Decemviri, to the entire subjection of the Latins, 194 The Roman Commonwealth from the institution of the Dictatorship to the expulsion of the Decemviri, 141 Censors, Quæstors, and Military Tribunes ib.

Conquest of the cities of Veii • and Falerii — Camillus, 195 Origin of the office of Dictator, ib. Rome taken by the Gauls,. . . . 197 Rise of the Plebeian Tribunes, 143 Plebeian Consuls — Patrician Ædiles— Prætors, 199 Banishment of Marcius Coriolanus, 144 Final and complete subjection of the Latin tribes to the Roman power, 200 The Agrarian law— Ambition and punishment of Spurius Cassius, 146 Affairs of Sicily and Carthage, 201 Generosity and patriotism of the Fabian family, 147 Macedonian Kingdom — Reign ofPhilip, 204 Dictatorship of Quintius Cincinnatus, 151 Demosthenes and Æschines,... 208 Political situation of the Persian Empire, 211 The laws of the Twelve Tables — Tyranny and expulsion of the Decemviri, . ... 153 Alexander the Great, 212 His accession to the throne, and first exploits, ib.

Prosperity and splendor of Athens under the administration of Pericles, 155 Alexander undertakes the conquest of Asia — Fall of the Persian Empire, 215 Peloponnesian war, 160 Trial and death of Socrates,.. 168 Disturbances in Greece — Further conquests of Alexander in Asia — His return to Babylon, death and character, 223 Expedition of Cyrus the Younger — Retreat of the Ten Thousand, X CONTENTS.

Part V. From The Death Of Alexander The Great

(b. C 324), TO THE END OF THE PUNIC WARS AND OF GRECIAN INDEPENDENCE, OR THE DESTRUCTION OF CARTHAGE AND CORINTH (B. C. 146). Page. Page. First Punic war, 259 Dismemberment and partition of Alexander's empire,.... 229 Kingdom of Egypt, 234 Rome after the first Punic war, 265 Kingdom of Syria, 235 Carthage after the first Punic war — Revolt of the Mercenaries, ib. Kingdom of Macedonia — Sparta under the contemporary kings Agis and Cleomenes,... 237 Manners, Government, Character and Religion of the Carthaginians, 267 Second Punic war, 269 History of the Achæan League under Aratus, 241 Achæan League under Philopœmen, 243 Affairs of Carthage and Sicily — Agathocles, tyrant of Syracuse, 246 War of the Romans against the Samnites, 248 267 Scipio and Annibal continued,. 282 Antiochus the Great, king of Syria, 283 Philip, king of Macedonia, .... 286 Perseus— Fall of Macedonia,.. 289 Eastern nations, especially the Jews under the Asmoneans or Maccabees, 291 ...Its beginning and first results, 249 ...Its renewal and progress,. . . 251 ...Its close, 254 Third Punic war and destruction of Carthage, 297 War of the Romans against Pyrrhus — Adventures and death of that prince 256 End of Grecian independence, and destruction of Corinth,.. 299

Part VI. From The End Of The Punic Wars And Of Grecian

INDEPENDENCE, OR THE DESTRUCTION OF CARTHAGE AND CORINTH (B. C. 146), TO IHE BATTLE OF ACTIUM AND CHANGE OF THE ROMAN COMMONWEALTH INTO AN EMPIRE (B . C. 31). Page. Page. Observations on the prodigious increase of Roman power and on the causes which led to the change of the commonwealth into an empire 303 Disturbances excited by the Gracchi, . 313 Scipio Æmilianus — his death and character, 317 War against Jugurtha, 320 Affairs of the Romans in Spain, 310 Invasion and defeat of the Teutones and Cimbri, 323 Insurrection in Sicily, CONTENTS. XI Page. Page.

Marius continued — War of the Allies, or the Confederate War- First war against Mithridates — -Civil war between Marius and Sylla — Victories, power, abdication and death of Sylla, 327 Conquest of Gaul by Julius Cæsar 359 Disastrous expedition of Crassus against the Parthians,.... 368 Rival pretensions of Pompey and J. Cæsar — Civil war — Battle of Pharsalia, and death of Pompey, 372 Exploits of Sertorius in Spain, and Spartacus in Italy, 337 Civil war continued — Victories, dictatorship and death of Julius Cæsar, 377 Second war against Mithridates — Splendid victories of Lucullus, 339 Rome after the death of Cæsar — Second Triumvirate, consisting of Mark Antony, Octavius and Lepidus — Battle of Philippi, and ruin of the republican party, 384 War against the pirates — Extraordinary success and reputation of Pompey, 344 Third and last war against Mithridates — Further conquests of Pompey — Affairs of Pontus, Armenia, Syria and Palestine, 346 Octavius and Mark Antony continued — New civil war — Battle of Actium, and change of the Roman commonwealth mto an empire, 388 Consulate of Cicero — Catiline's conspiracy detected and suppressed, 349 Cato the Younger, 352 First Triumvirate — Pompey, J. Cæsar, and Crassus, 355 Chronological table 397 Table of authors FRO.W THE DISPERSION OF THE SONS OF NOE (B. C. 2247), TO THE .

CLOSE OF THE TROJAN WAR (B. C. 1184). BRIEF INTRODUCTORY ACCOUNT OF THE FIRST AGES OF THE WORLD. THE CREATION AND THE DELUGE.* We learn from the sacred pages that God created the world in the space of six days. The concluding part of this great work of his om nipotence was the creation of our first parents, Adam and Eve. God formed 1he body of Adam of the slime of the earth, and animated that body with a soul, or spiritual substance, which he endowed with un derstanding and nee-will, in order that man might know and love his Creator. The Lord then, having " cast a deep sleep " upon Adam, took one of his ribs, and with it he formed Eve, the first woman, and the mother of all men (B. C about 4,000). ' ' Adam and Eve were created in the state of innocence, and placed in a most beautiful garden or earthly paradise.

God allowed them to eat of all the fruits of that delightful abode, except the fruit of one tree, which he forbade them to eat, under the penalty of becoming subject to death. This precept, although an easy one, was not long complied with by Adam and Eve. The devil, or fallen angel, whom pride had made an * From the Book of Genesis, i — ix. enemy of God, being jealous of their happiness, resolved to destroy it, by inducing them to transgress the divine command. Under the form of a serpent, he addressed Eve, as the weaker of the two, and sug gested to her that, if they should eat of the forbidden fruit, " their eyes would be opened, and they would be as gods, knowing good and evil." Eve, seduced by the promises of the tempter, not only ate of the fruit, but offered some to Adam, who, through a criminal condescension for his wife, shared in her disobedience.

Their eyes were indeed opened, but in a manner quite contrary to their expectation. They saw the good which they had lost, and the abyss of evils into which they had cul pably fallen. The Lord summoned them before him ; and, after pronouncing his malediction against the serpent, the occasion of their fall, be condemned the woman to bring forth children in sorrow, and to be subject to man ; and man himself to eat his bread in the sweat of his brow, till his body should return into its original dust. He then drove them from the earthly paradise, and placed at the entrance an angel with a flaming sword, to prevent their return. Thus did Adam and Eve lose, in a moment, both for themselves and for their posterity, the state of primitive innocence, and, besides bringing a train of spiritual evils into the world, doomed themselves and their descendants to hard labor, misery, disease and death.

God, however, did not leave our first parents without hope. He promised to them, that of the woman would one day be born a Saviour, who should crush the serpent's head, that is, destroy the empire of the devil, rescue mankind from the slavery of sin, and become, to all that obey him, the source of salvation. Adam had many children; but the Holy Scripture mentions only three in particular, viz. Cain, Abel and Seth. Cain, perceiving that the sacrifices of Abel were more pleasing than his own in the sight of the Almighty, under the influence of jealousy and haired, became his brother's murderer. In punishment of this crime, he was condemned to be a fugitive and vagabond upon the earth, and became the father of a posterity wicked like himself. On the contrary, piety was preserved among the descendants of Seth, the third of the three brothers.

When Adam died, Seth succeeded him in the capacity of patriarch, and imitated the virtue of Abel. His son Enos began to use solemnity in the worship and invocation of God ; and Henoch, the fifth patriarch after him, deserved for his eminent piety to be taken by God from this world, and to be reserved to come in the end of ages, to prepare men for the second coming of Christ. The posterity of Seth continued long in their adherence to virtue and religion, and for that reason were called the sons of God ; whereas