CXXVIII. Astyages hearing of the ignominious defeat of his army, continued to menace Cyrus; and exclaimed, that he should still have no reason to exult. The first thing he did was to crucify the magi 16, the interpreters of dreams, who had prevailed upon him to send Cyrus away. He then armed all his citizens, young and old, without distinction. He led them against the Persians, and was vanquished 162: he himself was taken prisoner, and the greater part of his army destroyed. CXXIX. In his captivity, Harpagus was present to insult and reproach him. Among other things, he asked him what was his opinion of that supper, in which he had compelled a father to feed on the flesh of his child, a supper which had reduced him from a monarch to a slave. In reply, Astyages requested to know if he imputed to 161 Crucify the magi.]-It appears from the sacred writings, that when the magi either were not able to interpret dreams or explain difficulties to the satisfaction of their tyrant masters, they were with little compunction condemned to die. See in particular the book of Daniel. The cruelty of Astyages is spoken of in the common place book De Virtutibus & Vitiis, which was made by the Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus, from the works of Diodorus Siculus. 162 Was vanquished.]-Xenophon represents Cyrus as succeeding of course, and without any hostilities, to the throne of Astyages.-T. himself himself the success of Cyrus? He confessed that he did, explained the means, and justified his conduct. Astyages told him, that he was then the most foolish and wicked of mankind;-most foolish, in acquiring for another the authority he might have enjoyed himself; most wicked, for reducing his countrymen to servitude, to gratify his private revenge. If he thought a change in the government really necessary, and was still determined not to assume the supreme authority himself, justice should have induced him to have raised a Mede to that honour, rather than a Persian. The Medes, who were certainly not accessary to the provocation given, had exchanged situations with their servants; the Persians, who were formerly the servants, were now the masters. CXXX. After a reign of thirty-five years, Astyages was thus deposed. To his cruelty of temper the Medes owed the loss of their power, after possessing, for the space of one hundred and twenty-eight years, all that part of Asia which lies beyond the Halys, deducting from this period the short interval of the Scythian dominion. In succeeding times, being dissatisfied with their condition, they took up arms against Darius; their attempt proved unsuccessful, and they were a second time reduced to servitude. From this period the Persians, who, under the conduct of Cyrus, had shaken off the power of the Medes, remained in undisturbed 193 undisturbed possession of Asia. Cyrus detained Astyages in captivity for the remainder of his life, but in no other instance 163 treated him with severity. Such is the history of the birth, education, and success of Cyrus. He afterwards, as I have before related, subdued Croesus, who had attacked him unjustly: from which time he remained without a rival, sovereign of Asia. CXXXI. I speak from my own knowledge when I say that the Persians observe the following manners and customs: They have among them neither statues 164, temples 165, nor altars 166, the use 163 But in no other instance, &c.]—Isocrates, in his funeral oration upon Evagoris, king of Salamis, in Cyprus, says, that Cyrus put Astyages to death. I do not find this asserted by any other author.—Larcher. 164 Neither statues.]—It is proper to remark here, that the more ancient nations were not worshippers of images. Lucian tells us, that the ancient Egyptians had no statues in their temples. According to Eusebius, the Greeks were not worshippers of images before the time of Cecrops, who first erected a statue to Minerva. And Plutarch tells us that Numa forbad the Romans to represent the Deity under the form of a man or an animal; and for seventy years this people had not in their temples any statue or painting of the Deity.-Larcher. The symbols used by the ancients of their respective deities, were stones of different shapes. A round stone represented the sun, thence styled Alagabalus Deus rotundus; Bochart and Selden. A little polished stone represented the earth, thence Cybele was called Agditis and Agdistes. A square rude stone was Bacchus; the Caaba of the Arabs. [For notes 165 and VOL. I. 166 see next page.] Arnobius use of which they censure as impious, and as a gross violation of reason, probably because, in opposition to the Greeks, they do not believe that the gods partake of our human nature. Their cus tom is, to offer, on the summits of the highest mountains 168, sacrifices to Jove, distinguishing by that appellation all the expanse of the firmament. They also adore the sun 69, the moon, earth, fire, Arnobius says, that Cybele was represented by a small stone of a dark and black colour. See also Prudentius peri Steph. Lapis nigellus evehendus essedo Muliebris oris clausus argento sedet, &c. 165 Temples.]-I am not of opinion with the Persian magi, at whose instigation Xerxes burned the temples of the Greeks, because they confined their deities by walls, who ought to be free from every kind of restraint, and whose temple and residence was the universe itself.-Cicero. 166 Nor altars.]-The theology of Zoroaster was darkly comprehended by foreigners, and even by the far greater number of his disciples; but the most careless observers were struck with the philosophic simplicity of the Persian worship.-Gibbon. 168 Summits of the highest mountains.] —Van Dale remarks, that the oracular temples were, for the most part, situated in mountainous places. The Scriptures also intimate, that mountains and high places were chosen as the properest' theatres for the display of religious enthusiasm. See Deuteronomy, xii. 2, 3. Ye shall utterly destroy the places wherein the nations served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree, &c. &c.—T. 169 Sun-fire.]—The worship of the ancient Persians had unquestionably been very early corrupted. The reverence paid to the sun and to fire, which Zoroaster appears to have considered merely as representatives of Omnipotence, the fountain fire 17, water, and the winds; which may be termed their original deities. In after times, from the example of the Assyrians and Arabians, they added Urania* to this number. The name of the Assyrian Venus is Mylitta, whom the Arabians called Alitta, and the Persians Mithra. CXXXII. Their mode of paying their devotions to the above-mentioned deities, is this; they use neither altars nor fire, libations nor instrumental music, garlands nor consecrated cakes; but every individual, as he wishes to sacrifice to any particular divinity, conducts his victim to a place made clean for the purpose, and makes his invocation or his prayers with a tiara encircled generally with myrtle. The supplicant is not permitted to implore blessings on himself alone", his fountain of light, seems to have been an idea too refined for the gross capacities of the vulgar, who, without regard to the great invisible prototype, turned all their thoughts to the adoration of those ostensible deities.-Richardson. 170 Fire.]-The ancient Persians durst not, by their religion, extinguish fire with water; but endeavoured to smother it with earth, stones, or any thing similar. This method would not soon extinguish a blazing forest. The Parsis of Guzerat are still guided by the same hurtful superstition.The same. * Urania.]-That is, the Uranian or celestial Venus, not the muse Urania.-T. 171 Not permitted to implore blessings on himself alone.]-This noble sentiment is thus beautifully expressed by Pope: God loves from whole to parts, but human soul |