rit, that difdaining to fubmit any longer to thefe Oppreffors,
they abolished the Decemvirate, and reftored the Authority
of the Confuls. Thus did the Blood of Virginia produce a
Revolution in the Roman State, not unlike what had before
happened in the Cafe of Lucretia. About this Time Cimon
the Athenian General rendered himself famous by his many
Victories over the Perfians, infomuch that Artaxerxes weary
of fo deftructive a War, figned a Treaty of Peace highly to
the Honour and Advantage of Greece. He had refolved to
pursue a different Scheme of Politics, and inftead of draw-
ing their whole Forces upon himself, endeavour'd to weaken
them by fomenting their inteftine Divifions. The
War that foon after broke out between the Athe-
nians and Lacedemonians, made him fenfible of the
Advantages that might accrue from fuch a Conduct. It was
during this War, defcribed at large by Thucydides and Xeno-
phon, and known in Hiftory under the Name of the Pelopon-
nefian War, that we read of Pericles, Alcibiades, Thrafybu-
lus, Conon, Brafidas, and Lyfander. So many illuftrious
Men, all flourishing in the fame Age, contributed to raise
Greece to the higheft Pitch of Glory, and fpread her Fame
to the most diftant Nations. This fatal War,

3573.

3603.

after it had lasted 27 Years, ended at length in '3600.
the taking of Athens by Lyfander, who had found
means to draw into the Party of the Lacedemonians, Darius
Nothus, the Son and Succeffor of Artaxerxes. But the Per-
fians foon became fenfible of the Error they had committed
in making the Lacedemonians too powerful; for that ambi-
tious Republic having now no Rival to fear, began to ex-
tend its View to Afia, and even promoted the Ex-
pedition of young Cyrus against his Brother Artaxer-
xes Mnemon, who had fucceeded Darius Nothus.
This ambitious Prince fell in Battle by his own Rashness, and
left the ten thousand Greeks who served under him, exposed
to all the Dangers of War, in an unknown Country, feveral
hundreds of Miles diftant from their own Homes, and fur-
rounded on every fide with numerous Armies. There is not
any thing in History more celebrated than this Retreat, which
has been handed down to us by Xenophon, who himself con-
ducted it, and was one of the ableft Commanders, and greatest
Philofophers of his Time. Thus were the Greeks firft made fenfi-
ble of the real Weakness of the Perfian Empire, hi-
therto deemed fo formidable; and the Exploits of 3608.
Agefilaus in Afia foon after, where he bade fair for

overturning that mighty Monarchy, had he not been recalled

by

1

by the unhappy Divifions of his Country, were a plain Proof that nothing was wanting but a good General and Union among themselves, to compleat the Conqueft of the Eaft:

Rome was rendering herself formidable to all the 3610. Nations around her, and Vei one of the strongest and most opulent Cities in Italy, was taken by Camillus after a Siege of ten Years. But this great Increase of Territory was foon followed by a fatal Calamity that brought the Republic to the Brink of Ruin; I mean the Irruption of the Gauls, who defeating the Roman 3615. Army, and advancing against the City itself, laid it in Afhes in the 363d Year after it had been founded by Romulus. Such of the Senators and Nobles as chose to furvive the Ruin of their Country retired into the Capitol with Manlius, where they refolutely defended themfelves till they were relieved by Camillus, whofe ill Usage and Banishment had not diminished his Regard to his Country. Thus was Rome again restored to her former Splendor by the Conduct and Bravery of that great Man. In Greece the Lacedemonian Power began to decline, and Thebes which hitherto makes no Figure in the Hiftory of that Nation, raised herfelf to the highest Pitch of Glory by the Wisdom and Valour of Epaminondas. This General is one of the moft illuftrious Characters of Antiquity. He was poffeffed in an eminent Degree of all the Virtues requifite in a Warrior and a Statefman. Nor was he lefs diftinguished by his Abilities as a Philofopher, and his amiable Qualities in private Life; infomuch that Hiftorians unanimously reprefent him as a Pattern of all that is great and excellent in human Nature. Thebes after his Death, loft that confpicious Figure he had given her, and was no longer able to maintain her Reputation. Indeed all Greece is going to fubmit to a new Power, which beginning in Philip, rofe at laft to the Dominion of all Afia under his Son and Succeffor Alexander. This Philip was King of Macedon, and had been bred up under Epaminondas. As he was of an enterprizing Genius, and gave early Proofs of his unbounded Ambition, all the neighbouring Powers fet themselves to oppose his growing Greatnefs. But tho' Ochus and his Son Arfes Kings of Perfia did their utmost to thwart his Defigns, tho' the Athenians Touzed by the Eloquence of Demofthenes, that intrepid Defender of his Country's Liberty, drew almost all Greece into a Confederacy against him; he, notwithstanding, triumphed over every Difficulty, and the Victory of Choronea rendered him abfolute in all the Grecian States. He was now forming the Plan of

3665.

an

3668.

an Expedition into the Eaft, and had projected nothing lefs than the total Overthrow of the Perfian Empire, when an untimely Death hurried him out of the World. Alexander, firnamed the Great, his Son, fucceeded him; a Prince who from his earlieft Years had given Proofs of an heroic Soul that feemed deftined for the Conqueft of the Univerfe. Much about the fame Time Darius Codemannus afcended the Throne of Perfia. He had in a private Station diftinguished himself by his Valour and Prudence; but it being his Fate to encounter the prevailing Fortune of Alexander, all his Efforts proved infufficient to fupport him against that formidable Rival. For Alexander having first settled the Affairs of Greece, over-run all Afia Minor with amazing Rapidity, defeated Darius in three pitched Battles, and upon the Death of that Prince, who was trea cherously flain by Beffus, became fole Monarch of all the Eaft.

Years of the
World.

9th B cha.
Alexander the
Great.

3674.

Here then begins our ninth Epocha, not from Alexander's Succeffion to the Throne of Macedonia, but from the Death of Darius, in whom the Perfian Empire ended. For Alexander purfuing his Victories with the utmost Expedition, and having made himself Master of almost all the Provinces of the East, became thereby the Founder of the third, or Macedonian Empire. This happened in the 4384th Year of the Julian Period, 424 Years after the Building of Rome, and 330 before the Birth of Chrift. During this victorious Progrefs of Alexander, Rome was engaged in a long War with the Samnites, whom after many Battles the at length fubdued, chiefly by the Valcur and Conduct of Papirius Curfor, one of the greatest Generals of his Time. Alexander ftill continuing his Conquefts, penetrated as far as India, and returning to Babylon, there died in the 33d Year of his Age. After his Death,, his Empire was variously divided among his Followers. Perdiccas, Ptolemy the Son of Lagus, Antigonus, Seleucus, Lyfimachus, Antipater and his Son Caffander, who had been all Commanders under this great Conqueror, and learned from him the Art of War, formed a Design of rendering themfelves Mafters of the feveral Provinces over which they were conftituted Governors. They facrificed to their Ambition the whole Family of Alexander; his Brother, his Mother, his Wives, his Children, and even his Sifters. Nothing was to be feen but Wars, Bloodfhed, and endlefs Revolutions. During these Disorders feveral Places of Afia Minor shook off VOL. I.

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3681.

the

the Macedonian Yoke, and established themselves into inde pendent Kingdoms. In this Manner were the Realms of Pontus, Bithynia, and Pergamus formed, which by their advantageous Situation, and a fteddy Application to Traffic, rofe afterwards to great Wealth and Power. Armenia too about the fame time became a distinct Kingdom; and Mithridates with his Son of the fame Name founded that of Cappadocia. But the two moft confiderable Monarchies that arofe upon this Occafion were, that of Egypt, founded by Ptolemy the Son of Lagus, and that of Afia or Syria founded by Seleucus; for thefe continued fteddy and permanent, and were inherited by their Pofterity the Ptolemies and Seleucidæ for many Years. Thus was all the Eaft fubject to Greece, and received its Language and Customs; infomuch that tho' it was not under the Dominion of one Prince as formerly, yet the Greeks univerfally bearing Sway in those several Principa lities into which it was divided, this hath feemed a fufficient Reafon to Hiftorians, for ftiling the Times we are speaking of, the Period of the Grecian or Macedonian Empire. In Greece we meet with nothing but a continued Train of Revolutions. Caffander, Pyrrhus King of Epirus, Demetrius Poliocertes, Lyfimachus, and Seleucus, reigned fucceffively in Macedonia, each establishing himself by the Expulfion of his Predeceffor. The Romans were all this while extending their Conquefts in Italy, and having fubdued the Samnites, Brutians and Hetrurians, threatened Tarentum with the fame Yoke. The Tarentines finding themfelves too weak to refift that powerful Republic, caft their Eyes upon Pyrrhus King of Epirus, whole great Military Fame made them believe they

3725.

3732.

fhould be invincible under fo renowned a Commander. Pyrrhus obtained two fucceffive Victories over the Romans, but in the End was beaten by the Conful Curius, and forced to abandon Italy. Antigonus Gonatas got Poffeffion of the Throne of Macedonia, and left it to his Pofteri ty, tho' not without great Oppofition from Pyrrhus, who was killed at length at Argos, by a Tile thrown from a Houfe-top. The Achean League, projected and fet on foot by Aratus, began about this Time to make a Figure in Greece. It was a Confederacy of feveral powerful Cities of Peloponnefus and the adjoining Regions in Defence of Liberty; and indeed the faft Effort made by the Greeks to maintain their Independency and Freedom. In Italy, the Romans after the Departure of Pyrrhus, found nothing able to oppofe their Power. They had been enlarging their Territories by an almoft con

tinual Series of Wars, for upwards of 480 Years, and now found themselves Mafters of the whole Country, from the fartheft Part of Hetruria to the Ionian Sea, and from the Tufcan Sea cross the Apennines to the Adriatic. Thus their Ambition crowned with Succefs, infpired them with ftill greater Views. The adjoining Island of Sicily as it lay convenient for them, fo was it poffeffed in part by the Carthaginians, a powerful People, whofe Neighbourhood they began to look upon with an Eye of Jealoufy. We have feen the Foundations of this Republic by Dido, and that it was confiderable for Wealth and Extent of Territory, as far back as the Reign of Xerxes. At the Time we are speaking of, their Dominions reached a great way on both Sides of the Mediterranean Sea. For befides the African Coaft, of which they were entirely Masters, they had alfo made many Conquefts in Spain, fettled themselves in Corfica and Sardinia, and poffeffed several Towns in Sicily. This added to their immenfe Wealth acquired by Commerce, and the Sovereignty of the Sea which no Nation could then difpute with them, made the Romans confider them as formidable Rivals, who if not speedily check'd, might grow to a Power too mighty even for Italy itfelf. Hence the Rife of the feveral Punic Wars, which in the End proved fo fatal to the Carthaginians. That we are now to fpeak of began in the 489th Year 3739of the City, and is remarkable not only as being the first Foreign War in which the Romans were engaged, but also because herein they formed the Defign of making themselves Masters at Sea; and, which is almost beyond Belief, accomplished it. The Conful Duilius ventured to fight the Carthaginian Fleet, and obtained a compleat Victory. Regulus his Succeffor no less distinguished himself, and landing in Africa reduced Carthage to the greatest Extremity; infomuch that but for the Arrival of Xantippus the Lacedemonian, it must have been taken. That experienced General, by his wife Conduct, gave a great Turn to the Affairs of . Africa. Regulus was vanquished and made Prisoner; but this Reverse of Fortune ferved only to add more Luftre to his Fame. Being fent into Italy to negotiate a Peace and treat of an Exchange of Prifoners, he ftrenuously defended in the Senate that Law by which it was declared inconfiftent with the Glory of the Roman Name to redeem Prifoners taken Captive in a Day of Battle. Upon his Return to Africa we are told he suffered a cruel Death from the Refentment of the Carthaginians, who were incapable of admiring that Noblenefs of Soul, which made him prefer the Interest of his Coun

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