Page:Light and truth.djvu/146

144 be thought impregnable. The walls are said to have been 350 feet high, and so broad, that six chariots could go abreast upon them.

Cyrus the Great, the predestined conqueror of Babylon, took it by surprise, whilst the inhabitants, lulled into a false security, were indulging themselves in all the extravagance of riotous and intemperate feasting.

Cyrus spent the last part of his life in consolidating his vast conquests, being greatly beloved not only by his own natural subjects, but by those of the conquered nations. [Rollin.]

, or, (Ezra iv. 7; Esther i. 8,) was a king over an hundred and seven and twenty provinces. He reigned from India even unto Ethiopia. This Ethiopia seems to have been the kingdom of Abyssinia, in Africa. One of the wives of Ahasuerus was Esther, the daughter of Abihail, a Jewish captive, whom the king of Media and Persia had taken in the room of Vashti, the queen. In the third vear of Ahasuerus's reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants: the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces being before him. This prince was remarkable for his goodness and generosity. He reigned about forty-nine years. In the beginning of his reign, he fought a bloody battle against his brother Hystaspes, governor of Bactriana, who had revolted; in which a great number of Persian nobles lost their lives. Artaxerxes having at length entirely defeated his enemies, put to death all who had engaged in this conspiracy. By this victory he secured to himself the quiet possession of the empire.

In the revolt of the Egyptians against Persia, supported by the Athenians, Inarus was made their king. The Athenians sent their army to the aid of their besieged countrymen, who sailed up one of the arms of the Nile. The Persian fleet, which kept out at sea, followed them and attacked their rear, whilst the army discharged showers of darts upon them from the banks of the river: thus only a few ships escaped, which opened themselves a way through the enemy's fleet, and all the rest were lost. Here ended the fatal war carried on by the Athenians for six years in Egypt: which kingdom was now united again to the Persian empire, and continued so during the rest of