tained, which were of extraordinary height and thickness, were subsequently employed to embellish Constantinople.

It was at Pergamus, that the first parchment was made. Eumenes, king of that city, having the noble ambition to form a library equal to that of Ptolemy at Alexandria, caused all the valuable books with which he was acquainted, to be copied, and, for that purpose, sent to procure paper from Egypt; but Ptolemy, who did not choose to be surpassed, nor even equalled in the love of science, forbad the exportation of paper. Eumenes discovered the art of rendering the skins of beasts proper to receive writing, and thus invented parchment, or the paper of Pergamus. He had 200,000 volumes transcribed, and formed into a library. Pergamus was the birth place of the famous physician Galen, and the theatre on which Esculapius first exhibited his knowledge of physic. It is also one of the seven churches mentioned in the Apocalypse.

Of the origin of the Mysians, of their manners and customs, nothing satisfactory has been recorded.

LYDIANS.

LYDIA was situated between the thirty-seventh and thirtyninth degree of north latitude; and was bounded by Mysia Major on the north, by Phrygia on the east, and by Caria on the south. The extent of Lydia has varied like that of all those parts of Asia Minor, which have sometimes been provinces, and sometimes kingdoms. It was long a field of battle for the Greeks and Persians; and afterwards for the Romans; but the detail of its early history, is either unknown or unimportant. Lydia had for its capital, Sardes, situated at the foot of Mount Tmolus, on the Pactolus, which contained gold in its sands. The possession of this city was so impor

tant to the Persians, that, after the Greeks had retaken it from them, Xerxes ordered that every day, while he was at dinner, a crier should proclaim, "The Greeks have retaken Sardes." Beautiful ruins are still remaining of this as well as of several adjacent cities. Philadelphia, Laodicea, Thyatira, and Sardis, four of the cities of Lydia, are addressed by St. John in the Apocalypse as constituting a part of the seven churches of Asia.

The Lydians are a very ancient nation, and are supposed to have been partly descended from the Egyptians; yet their mythology was entirely Grecian. It was in Lydia, that the fabulists placed the scene of a part of the labours of Hercules. They represent him as submitting to spin with Omphale, queen of that country. In Lydia, likewise, were born, or dwelt, Tantalus, Pelops, Niobe, Arachne, and many of the heroes and heroines of Ovid's Metamorphoses.

The Lydians began very early to be ruled by kings, whose government seems to have been absolute, and their crown hereditary. Historians notice three distinct races of Lydian monarchs, viz: the Atyadæ, the Heraclidæ, or descendants of Hercules, and the Mermnadæ.

The character of the Lydians must be considered at different times; for under Croesus and some of his predecessors, they were a very warlike people; but, on the reduction of their country by Cyrus, the Persian luxuries were introduced, and they gradually degenerated into habits of indolence and effeminacy. Their customs were nearly the same with those of the Greeks, except that they used to prostitute their daughters for hire. Their principal weapons were long spears; and their horsemanship was superior to that of most other nations. They were the first people, that introduced the coinage of gold and silver to facilitate trade-the first that sold by retail-that kept taverns and eating houses-and invented public games, which were therefore called ludi by the Romans. Nothing satisfactory is recorded of their commerce; but from the splendor of their monarchy, and the commodious situation of their country, we suppose it to have been very flourishing. Their religion seems to have resembled that

of the Phrygians. They worshipped Cybele, at Magnesia, under the name of Sy pilene, and temples were erected, in the same city, to Jupiter and Diana.

Sixteen kings of Lydia preceded the dawn of its particular authentic history. The first of these was named Manes. He is said to have been the son of the earth, which, in the language of the ancients, denotes him to have been of mean extraction. He was, in fact, a slave, and was chosen precisely on that acThe Lydians imagined that a man who had groaned under oppression would not himself become an oppressor. We know not whether this reasoning was confirmed by the

count.

event.

Manes was succeeded by his son Cotys, and Cotys by Atys, in whose reign a great scarcity of provisions prevailed throughout the kingdom. This calamity was patiently endured by the inhabitants for several years; but, as the evil continued, they resolved to divert their minds by all manner of amusements. Accordingly they invented various games, till dice, balls, and such other diversions as were anciently used among the Greeks, were gradually introduced. They used to play a whole day without interruption, and devote the next to eating and drinking. At length the king was obliged to divide the nation into two bodies, commanding them to determine, by lot, which of the two should remain at home, and which go in quest of new settlements, since their native country could no longer afford them a sufficient maintenance. This plan was immediately adopted; and those, who were constrained to go abroad, sailed under the command of the prince Tyrrhenus, to that part of Italy then called Umbria, while the others remained under the government of Atys.

Atys was succeeded by his son Lydus, from whom the country, hitherto called Mæonia, derived the name of Lydia. Alcymus, the next sovereign, is represented as an equitable, munificent, and patriotic prince, who was so universally beloved, that the whole nation assembled, in the seventh year of his reign, to offer sacrifices for his health and prosperity. Of Adrymetes, Cambletes, Tmolus, Theoclymenus, and

?

Marsyas, nothing worthy of notice is recorded, except that Cambletes murdered his queen, and afterwards avenged her death by an act of suicide; and that Tmolus put an end to his life, by throwing himself from a precipice.

Marsyas was succeeded by Jardanes; in whose reign the kingdom of Lydia was so dreadfully corrupted by licentiousness, that the princess Omphale could not find shelter, even within the royal palace, from the insults of an unruly multitude.

On the demise of Jardanes, the crown was bestowed on this daughter Omphale, who severely punished those who had insulted her in her father's lifetime.

Alcæus, son of Hercules and Omphale, next succeeded to the throne.

Of Belus, Ninus, Argon, Leon, Adrysus, Alyactes, and Meles, nothing is known but their names. Candaules, the last king of the second race, was assassinated by his favourite minister, Gyges, on the following occasion: Candaules had imprudently extolled the charms of his queen to Gyges, and placed him in the porch of her chamber, that he might see her undress when she went to bed. The utmost caution of the minister was not sufficient to conceal himself from the queen's observation. On the next morning she informed him, that he must either expiate his crime by his own death, or murder Candaules, the contriver of it, and receive both her and the kingdom for his reward. Gyges, preferring the latter, stabbed his master while he was asleep-married the queen-and took possession of the throne.

Ardyes on his first accession was engaged in a war against the Milesians, and reduced the city of Priene. In this reign the Cimmerians invaded Asia Minor; but what battles were fought between them and the Lydians, are no where recorded. Herodotus only observes, that they made themselves masters of Sardis, but could not reduce the castle. Ardyes died, in the forty-ninth year of his reign, and left the sceptre to his son, Sadyattes, who retained the regal dignity twelve years, and carried on the war with the Milesians.

Alyattes, the son and successor of Sadyattes, waged a sanguinary war for the space of six years, with Cyaxares, king of the Medes, till the adverse armies being mutually terrified by a total eclipse of the sun, agreed to terms of pacification. Peace being concluded, Alyattes employed his troops successfully against the Scythians and Smyrneans, the last of whom he finally reduced, and took possession of their country. He also continued the war for five years against the Milesians; but, at the expiration of that time, he was compelled to conclude a truce, and soon afterwards agreed to a permanent peace.

On the death of Alyattes his son Cræsus ascended the throne, and extended his conquests so successfully, that his kingdom became equally powerful with those of Media, Babylon, and Egypt. He made himself master of the city of Ephesus-compelled the Ionians, Eolians, and all the other Greek states of Asia, to pay him an annual tribute-subdued the Phrygians, Mysians, Thracians, Paphlagonians, Carians, Dorians, Pamphylians, and all the nations, that lay between Lydia and the river Halys and obtained a victory over the Sacæans.

Cræsus having by these important victories acquired great fame, several wise men of that age went to visit his capital, and, among others, Solon, the Athenian legislator. On his arrival he was entertained at the palace with great hospitality. Cræsus displayed before him all his treasures-his splendor, pomp, and power. Whilst he was contemplating the immense riches of the Lydian monarch, Cræsus asked him, "who was the happiest man he had ever known;" supposing that he would, without hesitation, give the preference to him. But Solon (being an enemy to flattery) replied that, Tellus* the Athenian was the happiest man he had ever seen. Crœsus then demanded, "who was the happiest man after Tellus," but the philosopher again disappointed him, by naming Biton

• Tellus was an amiable and virtuous citizen of Athens, who lost his life in defence of his country-was buried at the public expense of the Athenians -and to whose memory certain honours were annually paid.