3*6 P E R S l A,
Historica]
• ‘Epoch*.: .power,, it is likely that it extended over great of weftern Perfia : nor 'is
- it improbable’that what is 'now called Arabia Deferta was, at fo remote
a period, a productive country, .Nineveh, faid to have been founded
by Minus, appearsfto have flood opposite to Moful, about 300 B. miles
-to the north of Babylon ; but the hiftory of the kingdoms denominated
from- thefe two cities is foreign .tQ, tne.prefentpurpofe.
' 3.^ Cyrus founds what is called the 'Perfian empire,' years before
théChriftian æra, and fobn after takes Babylon. This great event may
be faid only to have difciofed the Perfians to thé civilized nations of thé
weft, for the native Perfian hiftories afcend to Kayumafras,; great
graridfon of Noah, and the ancient traditions phiefly refet to wars again ft
Touran knd India, which indicates the primitive eaftern pofition of the
people. But thefe are; mingled with im^róbablè fables concerning the
foundation of fome cities In the weft,—as Shiraz,’ Terfepolis, &c. while
iit is impoffible, confidering the proximity of the Aflyrian power,
thefe cities dould have been founded till, after Cyrus led tbe’Perfians
from the N. and the E. to the S. W.
4. Thé overthrow of the firft Perfian empire - by Alexander, B. C.
328, followed by the Greek monafchs of Syria, and tbç Grepiàn kingdom
of Badtriana ; of which laft an i'nterefting hiftory has been compiled
by the learned Payer. It commenced about 248 year? before
.Chrift, and containeA feveräl faträpies, among which was Sogdiana.
The kings were a’'firft and iecônd Theodotus, who were followed by
the üfurpér Euthydemus, and Menander, in wh'ofe ’ reign,,oh that, ofnls^
fuccefior Eucratides, the Greeks under Demetrius are faid to have fub-
dued a great part _ of India ; and Ap^ïiMoru& ^fo’e . Baârian hiftoçiaji,
afierts that Eucratides pouefled one thoufarid cities. He was fucçéeaed
bÿ hïsfón, who fee ms tó nave been of the fame name; and a cbiti of-
one of thefe priifceS lias been publifhed by bxir learned autHoi;, who advances
mahy äfguments tqprövë that the Greeks o f Badtriana imparted
the firft linéaments of fcience to the Hindoos.
5. The Parthian empiré, which likewifé begàn about 248 years. B. C.
This was a mere revival of the Perfian empiré under a new name.
'6. Ardfhijf, ór Artaxerxes, about the year 220 of the Chriftian sera,
reftores the Perfian line of kings£ this dynafty being calledSaffanides :
*4* • .....and'
andthe Gfëefe légen<|s<qf"thei Partfu^n coins .are foSowedDy PeÜîavic, '
rêéent1ÿ_ éx'plairied’ by Sley âna G u ie fe y a ^
*1*7. Thd*foh^aeft'óf P^rfiaiJM the M â h cM e t^ ^ ^ 'D. 9jo / Às the
ponoon of me ftare b f f determines its aéumy/tniB*Aramah empire
may b"e affim flatted! wifti tne Aflyrian 01 antiquity.5 ‘‘'TnV natïyé kingdom
was revived fn Corafan/A. D. 826^ and after féverâi revolutions
refumeq its former fituatiori.’ * ", 1
8. Th é^accémofè'of'tne nou'fe of B oui ah, A D i 934. J
''9 . 'T hat of the^Touië^of Séfi'dr 'Soil,‘'A1. D. IÇQJ, whence thé title-
©f Sofis of Perfia j for it is unnecefiary hére' to repeat foefobnquefts of
Zingis'à-rid Timiir, and'thé fubféljiient ‘ divisions’1 and foveyitKml
i o. The" fiïijfo*“of Shah XhMj1 rarhameu 'the*Gr’eat, Æ D 'M 'jo S lyv'‘
I I . ' “The bTiëFcohqifeft by thé” Afgahs, 1722 add cbmtfouent ex-'
tindtion-of thé hoûfe bf Séfi, and élévation of Nadir, fürn'àmèa1 Thâm'âé'
Kouli Khan, A. D. 173&. This ferocious chfof was bora in Cofafan ;
add after a reign; of eleven years was (lain 20th June,. i 747, hegr the
city óf Mefhid, in the fame country.
Sômê .account of the modéïbTniftory and ftate of Perfia fhall be given,
after a very br,ief view of the ancient monuments.' . Of thefe the ftilns -
of Perfepolis- are thernoft, celebrated.and remarkgblej and have bpeh;
défcrîbëd by many travellers, from Chardin to Niebuhf and Franklin.
They are fituated a'tthe,bottom öf arpbuntain; .fronting, S; W. about
forty miles to the north of Shiraz. Mf.;Ttfoxliifos ? route from Shiraz,
to thé rums was by thé village o f Zarkan,'.eight furfongs, .fotence to the,
river Bund Atóèer, which tMr. Niebuhr fupp'dfes to-he the ancient
Araxes, and to the ruins, the 1aft fta'§e being five Mriengs.^' They“
cohuüand a vie'# of the extenfive* plàŸn'öf'MerdaCht,1 pna thé. mbuhtam)
of Rehumüt encifcles them, m the form of àn amphitheatre : the nature
of thefe ruins may be feed in the numerous plates'which .have been
publifhed ; and it would be an idle attempt to defciibe in few words
the grand portals, hallsj and columns,'and numerous relievos and de-
viqesr There are many irifcriptioris1 a. character hot yet explained j .
* He computes the forfeng at^fouj- Epglifli milès. but -it feént» littîe to exceed.1 three:; ftüllfta-
har ia placed in the maps too near to Shiraz, and too far from ' thç mountaias jcjofe, to. which it*':
Ifea.
but
H istosical
■ E pochs.
Ancient Mo*
numents,