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 24 History of Art in Antiquitv. Relations of Persia with Greece. The downfall of Lydia brought about by Cyrus in one single battle, the campaign of Harpagus in Asia Minor, and soon after that the conquest of Egypt by Cambyses, created, in the sixth century before our era, an entirely novel situation for the antique world. Then, for the first time, the eastern coasts of the Mediterranean, from the mouth of the Nile to the Bosphorus, were in the grasp of an Asiatic empire. Previous to that date, such of the mighty commonwealths as had aspired to get an outlet on the western sea, as said the Assyrians, had only gained their purpose so far as the coast of Syria was concerned, and had laid hold for a while of the Phoenician seaboard. From this point, when they turned their eyes towards the main, they saw before them an immense sheet of water, a boundless horizon, not yet suspecting that behind it lay Europe. Europe is far, very far from Palestine; between the latter and the southern point of the Hellenic peninsula are no islands to serve as beacons and restii^g-places so as to shorten the voyage. Cyprus lies out of the beaten track, and Crete is very little nearer the continent to which it is allied. Hence, in those early days, merchantmen and war-ships alike would not have ventured to steer straight from Tyre or Sidon on their way to the coasts of Peloponnesus, the bays of Sparta and Aigos. Rather than expose themselves to such a venture, they preferred turning their prows to the northward, and creep along the coasts of Syria and Asia "Minor, passing close to Cyprus, Rhodes, and Cos. In this way they made the Sporades, the Cyclades, and, when there, Greece was at hand. It was certainly a long way round, but there was this to be said for it : they were sure to reach their goal in safety. They had no need to fear tempestuous weather, ior the way was sprinkled with straits and havens in which they could run their ships and wait till the wind had fallen ; but it was a circuitous route. Should we be required to give an estimate of the time it took to perform the journey, we should have to bount, not by days, but weeks, and we might almost say months. What a difference, how complete the change, on the day when, Asia Minor found herself under the sway of the king who resided at Susa, the day when the whole peninsula was divided Digitized by Google