90

MANNERS, CUSTOMS, ETC., OF THE ANCIENT MEDES.

hostilities. The eclipse, although unexpected by the Medes and Lydians, who were ignorant of the regular motions of the heavenly bodies, had been foretold to the Greeks by Thales, an astronomer of Miletus.

In order to render this peace more firm and sacred, the two monarchs added to it the sanction of an intermarriage, and Halyattes gave his daughter Aryenis to Astyages, the eldest son of Cyaxares. The manner of contracting an alliance by these people deserves to be mentioned. Among other ceremonies which they used in common with the Greeks, the two contracting parties made incisions in their own arms, and licked one another's blood.

means in a forward state among them. Cyaxares is thought by some to have been their first king that coined gold money. These pieces were, perhaps, the coins which subsequently received the name of Daries, from the belief that they were first struck by Darius. The Medes had a great reverence for diviners and soothsayers, and were much addicted to the practice of augury. The priests took from the spoils of conquest whatever they chose, under pretext of dedicating it to the gods. They had neither temples, altars, nor statues, to aid their religious worship, nor did they, like many other ancient nations, believe the gods to be born of men. They offered up sacrifices on the summits of mountains, to the sun, moon, earth, fire, water, and winds.

The government of Media was despotic, from the accession of Arbaces to the throne; but the kings, though they claimed to be nearly equal to the gods themselves, had not the power of reversing their own decrees; hence the Scriptures speak of the laws of the Medes and Persians as unalterable. The monarch administered justice in his own person, and in order that he might be properly qualified for this business, particular care was taken to educate the

The first care of Cyaxares, after the peace with the Lydians, was to renew the siege of Nineveh. Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon, with whom he had contracted an alliance, joined him in the war against the Assyrians; and by a union of the forces of these two powers, Nineveh was taken and destroyed, 606 B. C. Cyaxares died shortly after this event. Astyages succeeded his father Cyaxares B. C. 595. He is supposed to be the monarch called in Scripture Ahasuerus. His reign, though long, is not marked by any considerable event. He had two children, Cyaxares and Mandane: the latter was married to Camby-kings' sons in a knowledge of the laws of the country. ses, son of Achemenes, King of Persia. From this marriage sprung Cyrus, already mentioned in the history of Babylonia. On the death of Astyages, the throne was occupied by Cyaxares II., his son, frequently called Darius the Mede. This prince, in conjunction with his nephew Cyrus, captured Babylon. On the death of Cyaxares and Cambyses, the kingdoms of Media and Persia both devolved on Cyrus; and after this period, they are to be regarded as one empire. The further history of this celebrated monarch will be given in our account of Persia.

CHAPTER L.

Manners, Customs, &c., of the Ancient Medes·

Celebrated Characters - Antiquities.

THE Medes differed more widely from the Babylonians and Assyrians than the two latter nations from one another. The Medes are said to have been originally very warlike, though in the time of Cyrus they had become effeminate and luxurious, and were charged with corrupting the Persian plainness and simplicity. They were celebrated for the use of the bow, with which they fought on horseback. Their arrows are said to have been poisoned with a bituminous liquor, which burnt the flesh with such intensity that water increased the heat, and dust alone could assuage it. An ancient writer, quoted by Eusebius, affirms that they maintained a breed of dogs for the purpose of devouring their friends, parents, and relations, when they were at the point of death, because they looked upon it as dishonorable to die on a bed, or be laid in the ground. But we do not find this strange account substantiated by any trustworthy author.

Slavery existed among the Medes, but the severity of this institution was mitigated by strict laws.

Celebrated Characters. If the accounts which have been handed down to us are worthy of credit, several of the Median kings were persons of extraor dinary merit. The mingled prudence, moderation, and wisdom of Phraortes, distinguish him as infinitely superior to the ordinary race of ambitious and bloody founders of empires. Arbaces seems to have been an able soldier, an enlightened statesman, and a generous man. Cyaxares I. was unquestionably a monarch of more than ordinary ability, and a similar remark may be applied to Cyaxares II.; but the value of any general observations upon topics like these will appear small, when we consider that different authors assign different dates, names, and actions to these individuals.

Antiquities. However obscure the early history of Media may be, there are existing proofs that it was a populous country at a very remote date. Every portion of it now displays the ruins of cities, aqueducts, and walls, some of great antiquity. Near the city of Teheran, are the ruins of the ancient Rhaga, now Rei, to which the Jews were removed after the Babylonish captivity, as mentioned in the Book of Tobit. For three miles, in every direction, are seen burnt bricks, mounds, mouldering walls, towers and tombs.

Hamadan, of comparatively modern date, is supposed to be on or near the site of the ancient Ecbatana. It presents numerous vestiges of the ruined city. In this region is Besittoon, which forms a high rock, cut smooth on one side, and impending over the road like a canopy. On an almost inaccessible point, are sculptured a group which represents a procession. There are also other remarkable excavations and sculptures. This rock is supposed to be the mountain called Bajistanon, mentioned in the history of Semiramis, and The practice of polygamy, so destructive to domestic where she is said to have made a garden, and caused happiness, was carried by the Medes to a great excess. her image, with one hundred guards around her, to be According to Strabo, it was even enforced by law. chiselled on the rocks. Such are some of the antiquiThey were noted for their celebration of birth-days, ties of this region which belong to the Median period their distinction of ranks, their forms of salutation, of its history. Others are of a later date; and as Media and the eagerness with which they adopted for- became, and still is, an important province of Persia, eign fashions. The arts and sciences were by no they will be noticed in the account of that kingdom.

CHAPTER LI.

Geographical View.

present kingdom of Persia, or Iran, is bounded north by Tartary and the Caspian Sea; on the Afghanistan and Beloochistan; on the south by rsian Gulf, and on the west by the territories key in Asia. Its extent is 480,000 square or one fourth that of the United States; its popis 12,000,000.

ern Persia embraces Persia Proper, the ancient Susiana, and Carmania; Ancient Persia emnot only these territories, but Hyrcania, ParFedrosia, Aria, Bactriana, Sogdiana. Persia is the province now called Fars or Farsistan. rent of the nation, according to Scripture, was a son of Shem. The Persians were an ancient whose first king, known to history, lived in the f Abraham. The Kajanides were a race of

Boynton's Stylography Bosto

nearly superseded the Sabeism of Babylonia Assyria, after the conquest of Cyrus. The Sab worshipped images, while the Magians regarded as idolatry; and hence a strong repugnance betv these two ancient modes of faith. The Persian stroyed the idols of all nations whom they conqu The modern Guebres preserve the Magian doct but their number is small.

Persia Proper is a country of rugged mountains sandy deserts, interspersed with fertile valleys. ( inally, the people were hardy and brave, and h they became the conquerors of the adjacent territo

Media, now the province of Irak Arabi, has already described. Here are the cities of Ispahan Teheran; the former was once the capital, but king now holds his court at the latter. The M and Persians are supposed to have been originall same people.

Susiana, now Khusistan, was small in extent, of great fertility. Strabo says that its harvests yie

of whom the celebrated Giamschid was a two hundred fold of corn. The northern part Hant. The Magi or Magians were the priests, mountainous; the southern, flat. The inhabitants ught the worship of fire as the emblem of deity. to be the descendants of Cush, were long celeb: ter was the reformer of this religion. Magianism for their skill in archery. The capital was Susa. its soft melancholy eye furnishes many an ill to the poets.

Gedrosia, now Beloochistan, is composed mountains and sandy plains. In traversin deserts, the vast armies of Semiramis and Cy nearly destroyed, and here Alexander and h suffered intensely from the heat of the climate want of water.

Aria was an extensive tract, including the Afghanistan, with a part of Tartary. It was a embraced under three divisions; Aria in the Margiana in the north, and Arachosia in th The people, called Arii, were of the same rac Medians and Persians. It is supposed tha derived its name of Iran, from these. The d divided by a range of mountains, running e west, anciently called Paropamisus, now Elbo

Parthia lay to the north. The people were race of Scythian or Tartar warriors, who fo horseback. Though partially subject to Pers early period, they were never thoroughly con and after the fall of the Persian empire, became the seat of a powerful kingdom. The of this country will be hereafter given; it i part of Independent Tartary.

e name, in Syriac, signifies a vine, which is approate, as grapes are produced here in perfection. These are the countries which form the present gdom of Persia. They lie between 25 and 38 Frees of north latitude; - in the south the climate is rly that of Georgia and Florida; in the north it is The southern portion was fertile in vines, f ilar to Virginia. A large portion of the territory olives. The inhabitants were of Scythian orig

ccupied with arid deserts and barren mountains; some of the loveliest valleys in the world, such as se of Shiraz, Cashmere and Ispahan, are found in -sia. The roses here are the finest that are known.

Hyrcania, lying on the south-eastern border Caspian Sea, was noted for its tigers and s

the country became subject to Parthia after the of the Persian empire. It constitutes the m part of modern Persia, and bears the name of deran and Ghilan.

Bactriana lay on the northern side of the pamisus Mountains, and was that portion of In dent Tartary now called Koondooz. It was a country, and early became the seat of a civilia important kingdom. It was conquered by Cyr afterwards by Alexander.

Bactra, the ancient capital, called the mo cities, was a splendid place. It now bears the n Balkh, and is reduced to insignificance.

Sogdiana, lay between the Oxus and laxartes It was a fine country, and now bears the na Bucharia. Maracanda, or Samarcand, was th tal. It is now inhabited by the Usbec Tartars shall have occasion, hereafter, to give a more p lar description of some of these countries, w} treat of their separate history.

Such were the countries* which constitut central part of the Persian empire in its early It afterwards added Assyria and Babylon, and ferred its capital to the latter. It then extend conquests westward to Europe, involving Egy Asia Minor in its gigantic dominions. The conquest, which set westward for several cen broke at last upon Greece, and rolling back overwhelmed the whole Persian empire in ruins

CHAPTER LII.

1000 to 800 В. С.

History of Persia - Kaiomurz - Giam

schid.

the middle of the tenth century A. D.* It was com from vague traditions, and the few fragments of an Persian literature that survived the destruction of national records by the Greeks and Parthians, and fanatical ravages of the first Mahometan conque

- the mighty empires which have flourished The facts in the early history of Persia are disgu ast, that of Persia is perhaps the most remark- by a multitude of fictions - the invention of the cluding the modern kingdom, it has endured, - and it is difficult to separate the truth from a succession of vicissitudes almost unparal- fanciful embellishments of the story. The poer more than 2500 years. It has been by turns Firdusi, however, comprises almost all that As of foreign enemies, and the sport of internal writers can produce on the subject of Persian his n; yet it has ever been subjected to despotic before the Mahometan conquest.

rnately elevated to the summit of glory and The first monarch of Persia is called Kaiom y, and plunged into misery and degradation. His descent is traced to Noah, and he is said to ] agh the history of Persia, as a prominent flourished eight or nine centuries before Christ. begins with the reign of Cyrus after the was the founder of the race of kings called Pais of Babylon, still, Persia Proper furnishes dians, or Early Distributors of Justice. His act 'a much more ancient date. have been magnified into miracles; his enemies ources of the history of this country are more thought to be deevs, or magicians, and his confeder t and diversified in their nature than those the lions and tigers of the forest. After a succes

nations which have hitherto occupied our . The earlier ages of Persian, as of all other are wrapt in fable and obscurity; but if we vestigate the rise and progress of a nation, we altogether reject the mythology which contraces of its origin. Yet in drawing from rces, a distinction must be made between ords which have been handed down pure, and ser traditions which, being the growth of more mes, should be viewed with greater suspicion.

of brilliant exploits, he retired to Balkh, his cap where he died, or resigned the crown to his son shung. The latter was a virtuous king, and inve many useful arts; among others, that of striking from flints, and that of irrigating land in agricultu

Giamschid, or Jumsheed, was the fourth king of dynasty, and is one of the most celebrated of al fabulous heroes of Persia. His power and riches the theme of multitudes of the historians and roma writers of the country, by whom he is extolled as

r we possess entitled to credit, respecting the great reformer of his age. A long course of periods of Persian history, has been gathered perity, however, made him proud and arrogant, De sources: first, from the pages of the Jewish he was punished by the invasion of Zohak, princ

s; secondly, from the Greek historians, and rom the writings of native Persians. Of these may particularize two-the Zendavesta and Nameh.

endavesta is a collection of the sacred books ncient Persians. In this work are contained traditions of the nation, and the religious sysmoral code ascribed to Zerdusht or Zoroaster, Persian legislator. This is still the sacred he Guebers, or worshippers of fire. The Shah or Book of Kings, is a great epic or historical :itten by Firdusi, the Homer of Persia, about

Syria, who defeated and put him to death.

* The Shah Nameh, though claiming to be a history, is c celebrated as a poem. It is written in purer Persian than any considerable work, and is read and admired, by educated Pers to the present day. The copies which now exist appear to undergone great mutilations. No two copies agree, in the or the verses or the phraseology, for twenty couplets together. V episodes are omitted, many verses are rejected, and some have not more than 40,000 verses, while the original poem cont 60,000. A specimen of this work is afforded in the life of Al der, who is called Sikander, and represented as the son of L King of Persia, by the daughter of Failukus (Philip) of Mac other respects, the history of Alexander is given with tole accuracy as to the main outline.

Zal-Rustem - The Legend of Sohrab.

of prince

had received from his father the club of his ZOHAK, by this victory, became sovereign of Persia. Sam. This tremendous weapon, which had Some writers suppose him to have been an Arab; the terror of Persia's enemies, was soon per others think him identical with the Nimrod of Scrip- the Tartars. Afrasiab demanded who that ture, as the chronology of these events is by no means that made such havoc in his ranks. Or fixed. All accounts represent him as a tyrant, delight- attendants replied, "Seest thou not that he v ing in blood. The courage of Gao, or Kanah, a black- club of the mighty Sam - that he is a youth smith, delivered the nation from his sanguinary rule. of whose soul is renown?" Afrasiab, desp To save his sons, who were doomed to be the victims enemy, hastened to attack him. Rustem perc of the despot's cruelty, this man flew to arms, roused intention, and observing that he was almost his countrymen, and using his apron as a banner, he threw aside his club and rushed to the comba overthrew and slew the usurper, and placed Feridoon, a short but violent contest, the Persian hero s the legitimate prince, upon the throne. In these prince and bore him off his saddle; but I accounts, the first glimmerings of truth break through breaking, Afrasiab fell to the ground, and hi the veil of fiction that obscures the early history of Persia. The blacksmith received for his reward the city of Ispahan with its dependencies as a feudal principality, and in memory of this revolution, his apron was laid up in the treasury of the Persian kings, and enriched with jewels of inestimable value. It continued to be the royal standard till it was captured by the earliest Mahometan invaders, and sent to the Khalif Omar. This singular trophy affords a strong confirmation of the traditions of that period.

The Persian historians expatiate with enthusiasm upon the justice, wisdom, and glory of Feridoon, whose virtues and prosperity acquired for him the title of the

crowded to his defence in such numbers that i impossible for Rustem to recover his prisor the rich crown and girdle of the Tartar mained in the possession of the victor, whose was completed by the entire defeat of the en we may believe the Persian authors, Rusten this battle no less than 1160 men with his ov

Kai Koos reigned over Persia during the of Rustem. He was vain and proud, and a have been in continual distress from the un result of schemes which were prompted by his: but which he had not the ability to consumma life is connected with a thousand romantic i

tered all his future life.

Fortunate. In the reign of his grandson, flourished which appear with great effect in the poem of the celebrated Rustem, the Hercules, or national hero, Among them, we find the singular and affec of Persia, whose miraculous birth and marvellous of the combat between Rustem and his son S exploits form the darling subject of the Shah Nameh. which the Persian hero gained a victory tha This hero was the son of Zal, the prince of Seistan, who was born with white hair, and consequently The poet commences this episode by cal received from his father the name of Zal, or "old fellow." Sam, the father of Zal, was prime minister of Persia. Believing that this white-headed child was not his own son, but the offspring of a magician, he daughter-fearing to lose her infant if the trut exposed him on the top of the mountain Elburz.

tale full of tears. Young Sohrab was an ille son of Rustem, and unknown to his father mother had written to Rustem that his chi

known. Sohrab, when he grew up, left his and sought fame under the banner of Afrasia

heroes, excepting only his father. He had ca may and death into the ranks of the Persians, terrified their boldest warriors. At last, Ru solved to encounter him, under a feigned nan

According to the poetical legend, Zal was nurtured on this mountain by a griffin. After a time, his he gained a renown beyond that of all conte father, being warned by a supernatural admonition, took his son home, and brought him up at the Persian court. In his manhood he accompanied his father to Caubul and Seistan, over which countries Sam had been appointed governor. One day Zal, while engaged They met three times. At the first, they p in the chase in a forest, came to a tower, and saw mutual consent, though Sohrab had the ad standing on one of its turrets a young lady of exqui- At the second, the youth obtained a vict site beauty. They mutually gazed and loved, but granted life to his unknown father. At t there appeared no means by which the enamored Zal meeting, Sohrab received a mortal wound, could ascend to the battlements. After much embar- Writhing in the pangs of death, he warned rassment, an expedient occurred to the maiden. She queror to shun the vengeance inspired by loosened her dark and beautiful tresses, which fell in woes, and bade him dread the rage of the ringlets to the foot of the tower, and enabled the Rustem, who must soon learn that he had young hero to climb up to her. This lady proved to son Sohrab. These words were like death to be Rudabah, the daughter of Mehrab, King of Caubul. The love occasioned by this extraordinary interview gave rise to a marriage, and Rustem was born of this union. Seven nurses were assigned for his support, but these proved insufficient, and a flock of sheep were added to suckle the robust infant! Such is the fabulous account of the birth of the Persian hero.

The deeds of Rustem have been magnified into

hero. When he recovered from the first s called for proofs of what Sohrab had intimate dying youth tore open his mail, and showe which his mother had placed on his arm, v discovered to him the secret of his birth a him seek his father. The sight of his ow rendered Rustem insane. He cursed hims attempted to commit suicide, but was preve