Semiramis
conquers
Bactria, and
is succeeded
by Ninyas.
as described
by Diod. Sic.
Referring to the successes oí Semiramis, it may readily be
imagined that an ambitious woman, possessing despotic power
and ample means, would be ready, not only to follow out her
husband’s plans in the neighbouring country of Bactria, but
even to push them further eastward, as stated by Diodorus
Siculus, who makes her forces in this campaign amount to the
prodigious number of 3,000,000 of foot, 500,000 horse,
100,000 chariots, and 100,000 men mounted on camels, besides
several hundreds of stuffed elephants, to impose upon the
Indians.1 Her career, however, terminated with this expedition,
for having met with a repulse on the frontiers of
India, and her life having been soon afterwards attempted by
an assassin, at the instigation of her own son, she resigned the
throne in disgust.
Ninyas being thus placed in possession of a powerful and
extensive empire, his first care was its consolidation by the
appointment of provincial governors in whom he could confide,
and under whom were judges, generals, and all other officers
requisite for its well-being.2 The satraps, or deputies, wére
instructed to raise a certain description of force, which, after
“ A t Bísutún is a high mountain, the lower parts of which have been
smoothed or scarped, exactly as the historian describes his Mount Baghistane
to have been. On this smoothed front are still to be recognized the faces of
three colossal figures; and what is much to the point, they are obviously
female faces. Diodorus does not mention in the above extract that the
guards delineated on the rock were females; but if my memory deceive me
not, we have evidence in some author that the Assyrian Queen was attended
by guards of her own sex. Above the three faces are the vestiges o f symbols
or characters, possibly the faint remnants of the historian’s Syriac inscription.
The faces are carved in bas-relief, and of exquisite workmanship, attesting
the perfection of the arts, of sculpture at least, at so early a period. But the
circumstance of these colossal figures being carved in bas-relief, unfortunately
rendered their obliteration comparatively easy to be effected, and the whole
front of the rock exhibits the marks of the chisel employed in the work of
destruction. These faces might escape the observation of a casual or inattentive
observer, but they are readily as well as more favourably seen by
looking upwards upon the rock in an oblique direction, and from the north,
as in that case their profiles are turned towards the observer.”
1 Diod. Sic., lib. I I ., cap. xvi., xvii. 2 Ibid., cap. xvi.
performing military service for one whole year, should be discharged,
and replaced by another levy. This is the first
militia upon record in history.
The intercourse existing between Greece and the shores of Cause of the
, i n ii a j. Trojan war. the Black Sea, previously to the voyage of the Argonauts,
became more constant after this event, and so continued up to
the siege of Troy, This celebrated war appears to have had a
more remote cause than the abduction of Helen, being supposed
to date from the journey of Antenor to demand his sister
Hesione from Telamon: and its connexion with the Argonauts
is the more probable from the circumstance that the sons of
some of the heroes engaged in the Argonautic expedition were
employed on this occasion, Hence the commencement of the
siege may be fixed at about forty-five or fifty-five years later
than the voyage alluded to, and probably about the same time
after the departure of Danaus from Egypt for Argos. This
would place the landing of the Greeks in Asia between 1185 B.C. nss.
and 1175 B.C., or nearly the time hitherto assigned to that
remarkable event, which has, in a great measure, served to fix
so many dates belonging to the heroic age.1 Armenia appears An Armenian
. . . , . p , contingent to have shared in this war} xeutamos, the sovereign 01 that employed at
country, having sent Memnon thither, at the head of a con-the siegetingent
of 10,000 Ethiopians (of Asia), and as many Susians,
with the addition of 200 chariots.2
At this period, Lydia also held an important place in the
history of the world, having become a maritime power; and
thus, by intercourse with the isles of the Mediterranean, Asia
Minor became one of the links by which knowledge spread
westward from the cradle of the human race.
In a neighbouring territory, the theocracy of the Hebrews
had lately terminated with the death of the prophet Samuel,
and the regular Jewish monarchy succeeded. Saul, the first Saul’s acces-
° I i ■ /, ; sion and death. king, had carried on successful wars against his powerful
neighbours the Philistines,8 the Ammonites,4 and the Amale-
1 A later time, namely, 900 b.c., has been given. See pp. 31, 32, 40, 54
of the Tables of Synchronology, &c. by the Kev. Charles Crossthwaite.
Parker, West Strand. 2 Diod. Sic., lib. I I ., cap. xvii.
2 1 Samuel, chap. X IV ., v. 31. 4 Ibid. v. 47.