Beacon Lights of History, Volume 04 | Page 3

the Last Chief of Gaul. After the painting
by Henri Motte.
Marcus Aurelius. _From a photograph of the statue at the Capitol,
Rome_.
Persecution of Christians in the Roman Arena. _After the painting by G.
Mantegazza_.
St. Jerome in His Cell. _After the painting by J.L. Gérôme_.
St. Chrysostom Condemns the Vices of the Empress Eudoxia. After the

painting by Jean Paul Laurens.
St. Ambrose Refuses the Emperor Theodosius Admittance to His
Church. _After the painting by Gebhart Fügel_.
St. Augustine and His Mother. After the painting by Ary Scheffer.
Invasion of the Goths into the Roman Empire. _After the painting by O.
Fritsche_.
Invasion of the Huns into Italy. _After the painting by V. Checa_.

BEACON LIGHTS OF HISTORY
* * * * *
CYRUS THE GREAT.
* * * * *
559-529 B.C.
ASIATIC SUPREMACY.
One of the most prominent and romantic characters in the history of the
Oriental world, before its conquest by Alexander of Macedon, is Cyrus
the Great; not as a sage or prophet, not as the founder of new religious
systems, not even as a law-giver, but as the founder and organizer of
the greatest empire the world has seen, next to that of the Romans. The
territory over which Cyrus bore rule extended nearly three thousand
miles from east to west, and fifteen hundred miles from north to south,
embracing the principal nations known to antiquity, so that he was
really a king of kings. He was practically the last of the great Asiatic
emperors, absorbing in his dominions those acquired by the Assyrians,
the Babylonians, and the Lydians. He was also the first who brought
Asia into intimate contact with Europe and its influences, and thus may
be regarded as the link between the old Oriental world and the Greek

civilization.
It is to be regretted that so little is really known of the Persian hero,
both in the matter of events and also of exact dates, since chronologists
differ, and can only approximate to the truth in their calculations. In
this lecture, which is in some respects an introduction to those that will
follow on the heroes and sages of Greek, Roman, and Christian
antiquity, it is of more importance to present Oriental countries and
institutions than any particular character, interesting as he may
be,--especially since as to biography one is obliged to sift historical
facts from a great mass of fables and speculations.
Neither Herodotus, Xenophon, nor Ctesias satisfy us as to the real life
and character of Cyrus. This renowned name represents, however, the
Persian power, the last of the great monarchies that ruled the Oriental
world until its conquest by the Greeks. Persia came suddenly into
prominence in the middle of the seventh century before Christ. Prior to
this time it was comparatively unknown and unimportant, and was one
of the dependent provinces of Media, whose religion, language, and
customs were not very dissimilar to its own.
Persia was a small, rocky, hilly, arid country about three hundred miles
long by two hundred and fifty wide, situated south of Media, having the
Persian Gulf as its southern boundary, the Zagros Mountains on the
west separating it from Babylonia, and a great and almost impassable
desert on the east, so that it was easily defended. Its population was
composed of hardy, warlike, and religious people, condemned to
poverty and incessant toil by the difficulty of getting a living on sterile
and unproductive hills, except in a few favored localities. The climate
was warm in summer and cold in winter, but on the whole more
temperate than might be supposed from a region situated so near the
tropics,--between the twenty-fifth and thirtieth degrees of latitude. It
was an elevated country, more than three thousand feet above the sea,
and was favorable to the cultivation of the fruits and flowers that have
ever been most prized, those cereals which constitute the ordinary food
of man growing in abundance if sufficient labor were spent on their
cultivation, reminding us of Switzerland and New England. But

vigilance and incessant toil were necessary, such as are only found
among a hardy and courageous peasantry, turning easily from
agricultural labors to the fatigues and dangers of war. The real wealth
of the country was in the flocks and herds that browsed in the valleys
and plains. Game of all kinds was abundant, so that the people were
unusually fond of the pleasures of the chase; and as they were
temperate, inured to exposure, frugal, and adventurous, they made
excellent soldiers. Nor did they ever as a nation lose their warlike
qualities,--it being only the rich and powerful among them who learned
the vices of the nations they subdued, and became addicted to luxury,
indolence, and self-indulgence. Before the conquest of Media the whole
nation was distinguished for