Goldsmith's History of Greece, Abridged

calamities, that strength of genius and delicacy of taste, that quickness of invention and acuteness of discernment, for which they had ever been remarkable that they helped to polish their haughty, and as yet but half civilized conquerors; that, on the destruction of the western empire, they successfully cultivated the arts and sciences, while all the rest of the world was sunk in the grosset ignorance and barbarism; and that, upon the taking of Constantinople by the Turks, they carried those arts and sciences with them into Italy, and there paved the way for the revival of that learning, which has ever since enlightened, and still continues to enlighten mankind.

FINIS

VOL. II.

CHAP. XI.

AGESILAUS, king of Sparta, defeats Tissapher_

nes. Battle of Coronaa. The Spartans subdue seve-

ral of the petty states of Greece. Pla e a garrison

in Thebes. The garrison expelled, and Thebes res-

tored to its liberty by Pelopidas. Extraordinary

stratagem of Chabrias. Battle of Tegyra. Sacred

band of Thebes. Epaminondas; his character. Battle

of Leuctra. Pelopidas slain in the battle of Cyno-

cephalus. Epaminondas attacks the city of Sparta,

but is repulsed. Gallant conduct of Isadas. Battle of

Mantinea. Epaminondas mortally wounded. Expires

in the arms of victory. Expedition of Agesilaus in

Egypt. His character. Extravagant passion of the

Athenians for the stage..

CHAP. XII.

page 3.

History of Macedon. Philip begins his reign. Had
been educated at Thèbes under Epaminondas. Forms

the famous Macedonian phalanx. Defeats the Athe-

nians at Methone. Farther progress of his arms.

Answer given him by the oracle of Delphos. The

sacred war. Birth of Alexander the Great. Aris-

totle appointed his preceptor. Demosthenes the ora-

tor. Philip chosen a member of the Amphictyonic

council. Performs a signal act of justice. Phocion;

his character. Speech of Demosthenes against Philip.

Another speech of his against the same prince. Battle

of Charonea. Diogenes's reply to Philip. Famous

contest of eloquence between Eschines and Demos-

thenes. Philip's domestic uneasiness, occasioned by

the bad temper of his queen Olympias. Attempts to

stab his son Alexander. Is himself assassinated by

Pausanias...

CHAP. XIII.

Anecdotes of Alexander the Great. His ambition. The

early maturity of his judgment. His education. His

regard for his master. His veneration for Homer.

His passion for literature. His management of the

horse Bucephalus. Razes Thebes to the ground.

Spares the descendants of Pindar. Demosthenes's

fable of the wolves and dogs. Alexander chosen

generalissimo of the Greek forces. Diogenes's ans-

wer to him. Consults the oracle of Delphos. Dis-

tributes all his revenues among his friends. Reser-

ves for himself hope_only.............

CHAP. XIV.

Alexander sets out on his expedition into Asia. Crosses
the Hellespont. Gains the battle of Granicus. His
answer to Ada, queen of Caria. Cuts the Gordian
knot. Bathes in the Cydnus. Is seized with a fever.
His magnanimity on that occasion. Defeats Darius
in the battle of Issus. Is wounded in the thigh.
Takes Darius's wife and mother prisoners. His noble
behaviour to those captives. Abdolonymus raised
to the throne of Sidon. Alexander reduces Tyre.
Goes to Jerusalem. Is met by the high-priest. Mar-
shes into Egypt. Builds Alexandria. Defeats Da-
rius in the battle of Arbela. Burns the palace of
Persepolis, at the instigation of Thais. Finds the
dead body of Darius, who had been murdered by
his own officers. Sends it to his mother Sysigam-
bis, in order to be interred. Dreadful fute of Bes-
sus. Alexander's cruelty to Parmenio, and his son,
Philotas. Kills Clitus. Marries Roxana. Marches
into India. Is opposed by Porus. Defeats him. Re
ceives him into favour. His soldiers refuse to fol-
low him any further. Resolves to return into Per
sia. Attacks the capital of the Oxydraci. His bra-
very on that occasion. Arrives at Susa. Marries
Statira, Enters Babylon. Abandons himself to in-
temperance. Is seized with a fever. His last words.
His death and character..