inferred, however, that Herodotus approved that pliable maxim, which travellers have not unfrequently made the excuse for disgraceful conduct; namely, to fit one's behaviour to the customs of the country one may happen to be residing in for a time; or, according to the foolish proverb, "To do at Rome, as Rome does." Herodotus mentions the courageous manner in which the Spartans, sent to Xerxes as a satisfaction for the heralds who had been murdered, upheld the dignity of their national usages, with as much high-minded pride as an Englishman could relate the very same conduct exemplified in the ambassador of his own nation to the court of China.

STYLE OF HERODOTUS.

It can scarcely be necessary to say any thing on the beauties of the diction of Herodotus, as on this subject both the ancients and moderns are all agreed. Dionysius of Halicarnassus, a good judge on these points, assigns to Herodotus the same rank and class in style among historians, as to Homer among the epic poets, to Sophocles among the tragedians, and to Demosthenes among the orators. Herodotus wrote for the people; his object, therefore, was to instruct; hence simplicity and clearness are the main and distinctive features of his style: if he has to describe any place, he takes, as it were, the reader by the hand, and leads him over it: in his descriptions of the actions of men, he selects precisely the language befitting their station, their age, and their rank; and in the ✓art of making his personages display character in their discourses, he has been excelled by none but Shakspeare, although perhaps equalled in the modern day by the author of the Scotch novels. In short, in his language, as well as in every thing else, Herodotus gives manifest proof that his knowledge was acquired by actual nnd direct intercourse with mankind, and not with books. It was this

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66 Lib. vii.

practical knowledge that enabled him to discover and believe that the Phoenicians had circumnavigated Africa, and that the Caspian was a sea of itself; two important truths, which Strabo, a most respectable and learned writer of later times, could not be brought to admit. To this practical knowledge he was likewise indebted for the easy freedom and sweet simplicity of his style; which, compared with the studied elegancies of some writers, are as much superior, as the healthy breeze of the open field is to the perfumed air of a confined apartment.

CONCLUSION.

In this Translation of the Works of Herodotus, the object has been, to give a correct version of the original, in as simple and clear language as possible; simplicity and clearness being regarded as the most striking characteristics of style in the original. The Notes have been composed in the two-fold view, of illustrating the meaning of the Historian, and of explaining the grammatical construction of his language. The comments of the latter class have been written principally with the view of directing the attention of the student in Greek to the peculiarities of structure in the text; lest, prompted by indolence, he should imagine that a perusal of a translation may answer the purpose of a careful study of the author himself.

P. E. L.

BOOK I.

CLIO.

SUMMARY OF BOOK I.

HERODOTUS, intending to develope the causes of the hostility between the Greeks and the Barbarians, in the first place records the mutual rapes of women committed by the two parties: that of Io, 1; that of Europa and Medea, 2; that of Helen, 3: in doing which, he states the accounts given both by the Persians and the Phoenicians. Then, as Croesus, king of the Lydians, was the first to attack the Greeks with arms, 5, he enters on the Lydian history, 6. The first kings of the Lydians, then, sprang from Atys; the second dynasty from Hercules, 7; the last of whom, Candaules, having been killed by Gyges, 8-12, the kingdom is transferred to the Mermnada. Then follows the history of Gyges, 13, 14; that of Ardys, 15, under whose reign the Cimmerians made an irruption into Asia, and took Sardis, 15; that of Sadyattes, 16; that of Alyattes, 18, 25, who expelled the Cimmerians from Asia. Digressions are interposed, relating to Thrasybulus, the tyrant of Miletus; and Periander, the tyrant of Corinth; cotemporary with whom was Arion, saved by a dolphin, 20-24. Alyattes is succeeded by his son Cræsus, 26, who subjugates the Asiatic Greeks, and extends his power over the whole of Asia, as far as the Halys, 26-28. Cræsus is admonished unsuccessfully, by Solon of Athens, to hold no one happy, until he have ended life in happiness, 29-33. Cræsus is visited with great calamity: his son Atys is killed, unwittingly, in the chase, by The Medes having been conquered Adrastus, a Phrygian refugee, 34-45. by Cyrus, Cræsus, alarmed at the growing power of the Persians, first sends round to make trial of the oracles of the Greeks, 46-52; and then consults about levying war against Cyrus: an ambiguous answer is returned, which Cræsus interprets as favourable to himself; aud therefore undertakes the expedition, first sending to court the alliance of the Greeks, the chief nations of whom, at that time, were the Athenians and Lacedæmonians: the former

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sprung from the Pelasgi, the latter from the Hellenes, 56, seq. The empire of the Athenians was then held by Pisistratus, 59–64; the Lacedæmonians had received excellent laws from Lycurgus, 65, and conquered the Tegeans, 66, seq. The Lacedæmonians frame an alliance with Cræsus, 69. Cræsus crosses the Halys, and engages Cyrus with dubious success in the Pterian plain, 75, seq. Returning from Sardis, he sends for assistance from the Egyptians, Babylonians, and Lacedæmonians, 77. Cyrus meanwhile follows rapidly on the heels of Cræsus; conquers the Lydian army before the town; besieges Sardis, which he takes, together with Crœsus himself, 79–85. The country and manners of the Lydians are briefly described, 93, seq. The history then passes to Cyrus, 95. The empire of Asia had been five hundred and twenty years in the hands of the Assyrians: the Medes were the first to assert their freedom: their example was followed by other nations. The Medes, after eleven years of anarchy, choose Deioces for their king, 95-101. He is succeeded by Phraortes, 102: Phraortes is succeeded by Cyaxares, who expels the Scythians, who had taken possession of Asia ; and subjects the Assyrians, 103-106. Astyages, the son of Cyazares, admonished by a dream, gives his daughter Mandane in marriage to a Persian, Cambyses: he delivers the child born of that marriage to Harpagus, with orders to put it to death: Harpagus gives the child to a herdsman, with orders to expose it; but the herdsman, prevailed upon by his own wife, educates the child as his own. Cyrus, thus preserved, having reached his tenth year, is recognised by his grandfather Astyages, and sent safe into Persia: Harpagus, however, is punished in a most cruel manner, 107-121. Harpagus, desirous of being avenged of the injury he had received at the hands of Astyages, prompts Cyrus to rise up against his grandfather: Cyrus excites the Persians to rebellion, 122-126. The Medes are routed in two battles, and Astyages himself is taken prisoner, 127-130. The manners of the Persians are described, 131140. After conquering Cræsus, Cyrus directs his arms against the Asiatic Greeks; but before the Historian describes the war, he gives an account of the situation of Ionia, the origin, institution, and manners of its inhabitants, 142— 148; the same with respect to Æolis, 149. Cyrus, having once more subdued the Lydians, who had rebelled, 154-160, sends Harpagus against the Ionians, among whom the Phocæans and Teians forsake their towns, and establish themselves elsewhere: the rest submit: 162–170. Caria and Lycia are next subdued, 171-176. In the mean time, Cyrus in person subdues Upper Asia: description of Babylon, and history of Semiramis and Nitocris, 177-187. Cyrus conquers the Babylonians in battle; drives them within the city, which he besieges, and captures by stratagem, 188-191. In this place, the territory of the Babylonians, their institutions, laws, manners, diet, &c. are described, 192-200. At last, Cyrus, carrying war against the Massagetæ, crosses the Araxes, and is slain by Queen Tomyris, 201 to the end.