A

BRIEF COMPENDIUM

OF SOME OF THE PRINCIPAL EMPIRES & STATES IN THE

WORLD.

Notwithstanding the pretensions of the Chinese, with regard to their antiquity as a nation, and to the great antiquity of some of their books, there is scarcely a learned man, who does not believe the Pentateuch, or Five First Books of the Old Testament, to be the oldest writing in existence.

From Moses we have the account of the creation of the world, (about 4000 years before the birth of Jesus Christ,) the transgression of Adam and Eve, the death of Abel, the deluge [B. C.* 2348] the tower of Babel, the confusion of tongues, and consequent dispersion of the descendants of Noah, and other particulars, as recorded in sacred history.

These descendants scattered themselves throughout the neighboring countries. Some settled Egypt, others the different kingdoms of Greece Nimrod laid the foundation of Babylon, the capital of the Chaldean Empire; and Ninus of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian. Abraham [B. C. 1931] was directed by the Almighty to proceed westward, from the plains of Shinar, and settle on the eastern borders of the Mediterranean, (the Holy land afterwards called :) and here this territory was promised to him and his offspring forever, after the lapse of several centuries of servitude in Egypt.

The selling of Joseph into Egypt, occasioned the removal of the Israelites to that country. The Israelites, [B. C.

*These letters, B. C. mean-Before the birth of Christ, A. D. Anno Domini, in the year after his birth.

S

about 1500] left Egypt; and, after many years wandering, arrived at Jordan, the Eastern boundary of the promised Jand. Here Moses and Aaron died. Joshua subdued the country; and the twelve tribes divided and settled it. Here they continued, and were governed, upwards of 300 years, by their moral laws and those of the priesthood.

Saul was their first king: [B. C. about 1100.] David and Solomon succeeded. Soon after which, the tribes were divided. Those of Benjamin and Judah had their kings: the other ten tribes theirs. Nebuchadnezzar carried into captivity, [B. C. 600] the two tribes of Benjamin and Judah; the other ten tribes having long before, [B. C. 720] been conquered by Psalmanazer, king of Assyria, who overran their cities, spreading destruction every where, and carried his captives to Nineveh. These mingling with the Assyrians, were never more known or distinguished as the descendants of Jacob.

After remaining in captivity about 70 years, the two tribes returned to Jerusalem. Here they continued, often greatly distressed, and engaged in many wars; till they became subject to the Romans. Jesus Christ appearing, they denied his Messiahship, and put him to death. Titus, the Roman General, [A. D. 70.] destroyed the city of Jerusalem, and levelled it with the dust.

From this period to the present moment, the Jews have been scattered amongst all nations of the globe, a distinct people, adhering to the laws of Moses, and the Jewish ritual; having never a government of their own, but subject to the caprices, cruelties, and deprivations, of every government where they reside, or have resided.

ASSYRIA AND SYRIA.

These names, by many ancient authors, have been often confounded. Syria has been more generally used for the countries between the Mediterranean and the Euphrates. Assyria, for that which lies between Media, Mesopotamia,

Armenia and Babylon. The Assyrian was probably the oldest empire in the world. It is supposed to have flourished about 1200 years. Its founder was Ninus, or Belus: the queen Semiramis was one of its greatest rulers, Babylon, the capital, situated on the banks of the Euphrates, was perhaps the largest city in the world. Cyrus, King of Persia, [B. C. 538] laid seige to it: Belshazzar, the king, having retired within its walls with twenty years' provision. The night, however, in which the hand writing appeared on the wall, Cyrus entered the city; having dug a new channel, by which the Euphrates was turned into the Tigris, and the channel of the former river became dry. The kingdom was conquered, and united to that of Persia under Cyrus.

In Babylon, died Alexander the Great. By Seleucus, one of his Generals, it was made the capital of his kingdom, and continued among his descendants, the head of the Syrian Empire, till the last of those descendants was dethroned by Pompey the Great, [B. C. 65] when it was made a Roman province.

EGYPT.

By whom Egypt was first settled is uncertain; more generally its settlement is attributed to Misraim; but some authors contend that its first inhabitants were from Ethiopia. Among some learned writers, it is still a subject of dispute, whether its ancient inhabitants were white or black, or copper colored.

Though this renowned kingdom was for so many centuries the first in civilization and in the cultivation of the arts, and so long maintained its high character, in extent of territory it scarcely surpassed the State of New-York. The Nile was the great source of its wealth, its populousness, and its power. This great river overflowed annually its banks, to the height of about 25 feet for several months, and left, on retiring, a richness of mud that rendered the land exceedingly fertile,

So ancient is this country, that no historian knows when or by whom were built the vast pyramids, which remain, almost unchanged, to the present day: having stood, probably, nearly four thousand years. Egypt is said once to have contained 20,000 cities; the chief of which was Thebes, Memphis and Alexandria.

Cambyses, king of Persia, conquered Egypt: [B. C. 525] the Egyptians, however, revolted, and were governed by their own kings, till the conquest by Alexander the Great. After which, Ptolemy and his successors governed it, till Augustus [B. C. 30] made it a Roman province: the beautiful and the dissolute Cleopatra, being the last of the race of the Ptolemies.

Egypt continued a Roman province several centuries. It was conquered [A. D. 640] by Amrou. Tunis, Algiers, Tripoli, and the empire of Morocco, were made separate governments. The ancient boundaries of Egypt contain Jews, Christians, and Musselmen, or followers of Mahomet. The country is under nominal subjection to the Ottoman Porte, or, Mahometan Court of Constantinople.

PERSIA.

Under Cyrus, were united the Babylonian, Median, and Persian empires, [B. C. 536.] This country became subject to the Romans, and afterwards to the Arabians. The famous Genghis Khan. [A. D. 1190] from the north of Persia, subdued Persia, and the hither India, to the borders of China: the Mogul's empire was established on his victories.

Tamerlane, another Tartar prince, extended the Mogul's empire, [A. D. 1400.] Kouli Khan, [A. D. 1732] a Persian prince, diminished the strength of the Mogul's empire, and established his own power in Persia. Civil wars, from this time, have been common in Persia, which is at present governed by several independent sovereignties.

GREECE.

This territory is now called Turkey in Europe " It is generally supposed to have been settled by emigrants from

Egypt and Phoenicia. Athens and Sparta were considered the Eyes of this empire. Solon was the principal lawgiv. er to Athens, and Lycurgus to Sparta. The laws of Solon were generally wise and merciful. Those of Lycurgus were arbitrary. In Sparta, the government established by Lycurgus was continued about five centuries. It was impossible in Sparta for any man to be rich; their current coin being iron, a bushel of wheat demanded a stout pair of oxen to carry to the vender the amount of sale.

Literature, voluptuousness, dissipation, philosophy and folly, were the alternate and concomitant rules of Athens for many centuries. Greece was divided into many States. Union among them was often sought; and wise provisions made for its preservation. Local and political jealousies disunited these States.

Probably the first instance of a general union of the Grecian States, for warlike or political purposes, was that which occasioned the famous Trojan war. The critical Bryant has introduced much learning and much argument to prove this war the issue of Homer's brain: but the literary world denounce his theory.

The son of Priam, king of Troy, is supposed to have corrupted the beautiful Helen, wife of Menelaus, and carried her to Troy. By her husband's instigation and authority, all the States of Greece became his partizans. Af ter a siege of ten years on the part of Greece, against the city of Troy, by stratagem it was at length subdued.

Xerxes, king of Persia, attempted the conquest of Greece, with an army, by different historians calculated at two, and thence to five millions of soldiers. He passed the Hellespont by a bridge of boats, and entered the plains of Greece. Leonidas, a Spartan prince, at the mountainous straight of Thermopylæ, performed wonders of valor. A naval action subsequently took place between the Persian and Grecian fleets, at Salamis, near Athens, in which the Persian fleet was defeated; and Xerxes returned to Persia with the fragment of an army, and the fulness of defeat and disgrace,