Egyptians.—One of the earliest civilized nations—the great representative of the Hamitic race—developed apart—were not a conquering or aggressive people—wonderful builders in the massive style—made great progress in mechanical arts, and some advances in science—government a monarchy restricted in authority by law, custom, and powerful priesthood—religion a nature-worship—popular worship the adoration of animals—an artistic, industrious and peculiar nation—always wonderful and interesting to foreigners—-did not greatly influence others.
Babylonians.—As ancient a race in civilization as the Egyptians—partially of Tartar race, mainly Semitic—made great progress at an early date in science—reached a high pitch of power and civilization—known to us, in great measure, from ruins with inscriptions in cuneiform writing—invented permanent system of weights and measures—great in astronomy—the Chaldæan priests developed into a caste of learned men, continuing (in the later Babylonian and Persian empires) long after extinction of their own nation as an independent power.
Assyrians.—A Semitic people—warlike and conquering race—great in architecture and sculpture—very wealthy and luxurious—empire extended over Asia Minor (east of river Halys), Syria, Phœnicia, Palestine, most of Egypt, Media, and countries on Tigris and Euphrates to Persian Gulf—artistic workers in glass, metals, gems—rule despotic over loosely connected nations.
Babylonians (Later kingdom).—A Semitic people—as a political power ruled for only eighty-seven years, 625-538 B.C., from end of Assyrian power to conquest by Persians under Cyrus—were a commercial and luxurious race—city of Babylon emporium for trade between eastern Asia and western Asia, Egypt and Europe—great in manufactures of woven stuffs and gem-engraving.
Hebrews.—A pure Semitic race—little influence on political history of antiquity—distinguished by their worship of one God, and for the Scriptures transmitted to future ages—a great monarchy under David and Solomon, then declined—a non-artistic, unscientific nation in ancient history.
Phœnicians.—A pure Semitic people—greatest commercial and colonizing race of early times—distinguished as transmitters of civilization from East to West—never formed one great independent state—several independent cities, sometimes in alliance, sometimes hostile—Tyre and Sidon famous for dyes, glass-making, embroideries, brass-work, weaving of cloth in linen and cotton, ship-building, mining—developers of alphabet still used by modern nations—religion a sensual worship—a crafty, money-making people—Carthage was the greatest of all the Phœnician colonies.
Medes and Persians.—Pure Aryans in race—warlike people, great in cavalry and as archers—Median monarchy ended 558 B.C., then Persian monarchy arose—Persians a lively, brave, poetical people, simple in life at first, after their great conquests degenerated into luxury—more like Europeans in civilization than any other Asiatics—were the great ruling power in Asia from time of Cyrus to conquest by Alexander the Great (558-331 B.C.)—first Asiatics that tried to conquer in Europe—signally failed—empire extended over all western Asia, and over Egypt—religion recognized two principles, a good and a bad spirit—had taste in architecture—no literature of importance.
Hindus.—Until recent times almost isolated from the western world—unwarlike, dreamy specimens of Aryan stock—early advance in civilization—a rich and remarkable religious and poetical literature in Sanscrit, one of the oldest of the Indo-European tongues—first known in real history on invasion by Alexander the Great, 327 B.C.—progress greatly checked by rigid system of castes—government of native princes thoroughly despotic—no free aspirations or political instincts in the people—popular religion grossly superstitious—Brahminism (a philosophic deism), creed of the educated, along with Mohammedanism, introduced by conquest in thirteenth century A.D.—skilled at an early period in mathematics, manufactures, architecture—a tasteful, intelligent, but unpractical, non-historical people.
THE ASSYRIAN EMPIRE AND THE REGION ABOUT THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN, 750-625 B. C.