clapped spurs to his horse, and sprang forward in order to leap over it. That very instant Philopomen threw his javelin, and laid him dead on the spot. His head being struck off, and carried from rank to rank, gave new courage to the victorious Achæans. They pursued the fugitives with incredible ardour as far as Tegea, entered the city with them, and, being now masters of the field, the very next day they encamped on the banks of the Eurotas. The Achæans did not lose many men in this battle, but the Lacedæmonians lost four thousand, without including the prisoners, who were still more Their baggage and arms were also ta

numerous.

ken by the Achæans.

The conquerors, struck with admiration at the conduct of their general, to whom the victory was entirely owing, erected a brazen statue to him in the same attitude in which he had killed the tyrant, which statue they afterward placed in the temple of Apollo at Delphos.

Mantinea was richly decorated with public edifices. It had eight temples, besides a theatre, a stadium and hippodrome, and several other monuments, many of which are enumerated by Pausanias.

Some imperfect remains of the theatre are still visible, the walls of which resemble those around the town. But none of the sites of the temples or other structures can be identified; and everything, except the walls which enclose the city, is in a state of total dilapidation.

These walls were constructed of unbaked bricks, which resisted, even better than stone, the battering of warlike engines, but were not proof against the effects of water; for one of the kings of Sparta, forming a ditch round the town, and turning the river Ophis into it, dissolved thereby the fabric of the walls. They enclose a circle, in which the city stood; and were fortified with towers, most of them square, but others of a circular form. The whole

exhibits an interesting and very perfect example of Grecian fortification. There were eight gates, not one of which, however, retains its lintel. The walls are surrounded by a fosse, which is still supplied with water by the Ophis.

MEMPHIS.

THERE are said to be in Upper Egypt thirty-four temples still in existence, and five palaces. The most ancient of these have been constructed chiefly of sandstone and a few of calcareous stone. Granite was only used in obelisks and colossal statues. But, after the seat of empire was removed to Memphis, the latter material was commonly used.

Memphis, according to Herodotus, was built eight generations after Thebes, by Menes; but Diodorus attributes its origin to Uchoreus, one of the successors of Osymandyas, king of Thebes. To reconcile this want of agreement, some authors ascribe the commencement of this city to Menes, and its completion and aggrandizement to Uchoreus, who first made it a royal residence.

The occasion of its being erected is thus given by Savary: "A king of Egypt having turned the course of the Nile, which diffused itself over the sands of Libya, and the Delta being formed from the mud of its waters, canals were cut to drain Lower Egypt. The monarchs, who till then had resided at Thebes, removed nearer the mouth of the river, to enjoy a more temperate air, and to be more ready to defend the entrance of their empire. They founded the city of Memphis, and endeavoured to make it equal to the ancient capital; decorating it with many temples, among which that of Vulcan drew the attention of travellers, by its grandeur and the sumptuousness of its rich ornaments. Another temple be

side the barren plain was dedicated to Serapis, the principal entrance to which had a sphinx avenue. Egypt has always been oppressed with sands, which, accumulating here, half buried some of the sphinxes, and others quite up to the neck, in the time of Strabo; at present they have entirely disappeared. To prevent this disaster, they built a large mound on the south side, which also served as a barrier against the inundations of the river and the encroachments of an enemy. The palace of the kings and a fortress built on the mountain defended it on the west, the Nile on the east, and to the north were the lakes, beyond which were the plain of mummies, and the causeway which led from Busiris to the great pyramids. Thus situated, Memphis commanded the valley of Egypt, and communicated by canals with the Lakes Mæris and Mareotis. Its citizens might traverse the kingdom in boats; and it therefore became the centre of wealth, commerce, and arts; where geometry, invented by the Egyptians, flourished. Hither the Greeks came to obtain knowledge, which, carrying with them to their own country, they brought to perfection. Thebes and her hundred gates lay forgotten; and on the hill near Memphis rose those proud monuments, those superb mausoleums, which alone, of all the wonders of the world, have braved destructive time, and men still more destructive."

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Strabo states that in this city there were many palaces, situated along the side of a hill, stretching down to lakes and groves, forty stadia from the city. "The principal deities of Memphis," says Mr. Wilkinson, were Phtah, Apis, and Butastis; and the goddess Isis had a magnificent temple in this city, erected by Amasis, who also dedicated a recumbent colossus, seventy-five feet long, in the temple of Pthah or Vulcan. This last was said to have been founded by Menes, and was enlarged and beautified by succeeding monarchs. Maris erected the northern vestibule; and Sesostris, besides the colossal

statues, made considerable additions with enormous blocks of stone, which he employed his prisoners of war to drag to the temple. Pheron, his son, also enriched it with suitable presents on the recovery of his sight; and on the south of the temple of Palain were added the sacred grove and chapel of Proteons. The western vestibule was the work of Rhampsinetus, who also erected two statues twenty-five cubits in height; and that on the east was by Asychis. This was the largest and most magnificent of all these propyla, and exceeded as well in the beauty of its sculpture as in its dimensions. Several grand additions were afterward made by Psammeticus, who, besides the southern vestibule, erected a large hypæethral court, where Apis was kept when exhibited in public. It was surrounded by a peristyle of figures twelve cubits in height, which served instead of columns, and which were no doubt similar to those in the Memnonium at Thebes."

Diodorus and Strabo speak highly of its power and opulence: "Never was there a city," observes the former," which received so many offerings in silver, gold, obelisks, and colossal statues."

The first shock this city received was from the Persians. Cambyses, having invaded Egypt, sent a herald to Memphis to summon the inhabitants to surrender. The people, however, transported with rage, fell upon the herald, and tore him to pieces, and all that were with him. Cambyses, having soon after taken the place, fully revenged this indignity, causing ten times as many Egyptians of the principal nobility, as there had been of his own people massacred, to be publicly executed. Among these was the eldest son of Psammenitus. As for the king himself, Cambyses was inclined to treat him kindly. He not only spared his life, but appointed him an honourable maintenance. But the Egyptian monarch, little affected by this friendly usage, did what he could to raise new troubles and commo

tions, in order to recover his kingdom; as a punishment for which he was made to drink bull's blood, and died immediately after. He had reigned but six months; and on his death all Egypt submitted to the conqueror.

When Cambyses came back from Thebes, he dismissed all the Greeks, and sent them to their respective homes; but, on his return into the city, finding it full of rejoicing, he fell into a great rage, supposing it was on account of the ill success of his expedition. He therefore called the magistrates before him to know the meaning of these festivities, and, upon their telling him that it was because they had found their god Apis, he would not believe them, but caused them to be put to death, as impostors that insulted him in his misfortunes. And when he sent for the priests, who made him the same answer, he replied, that since their god was so kind and familiar as to appear among them, he would be acquainted with him, and therefore commanded him forthwith to be brought to him. But when, instead of a god, he saw a calf, he was strangely astonished, and, falling again into a rage, he drew his dagger and run it into the thigh of the beast; and then, upbraiding the priests for their stupidity in worshipping a brute for a god, ordered them to be severely whipped, and all the Egyptians in Memphis who should be found celebrating the feast of Apis to be put to death. The god was carried back to the temple, where he languished for some time and then died. The Egyptians declared, that after this deed, which they reckoned the highest instance of impiety that had ever been committed among them, Cambyses grew mad. But his actions show that he had been

mad long before.

The splendour of Upper Egypt terminated with the invasion of Cambyses. He carried with him not only conquest, but destruction. His warfare was not merely with the people, but with their palaces and temples.