Media, Babylon and Persia : including a study of the Zend-Avesta or religion of Zoroaster, from the fall of Nineveh to the Persian war . cquainted with far more numerous,imposing, and elaborate monuments of Persian art,but shall find- nothing, even in its most beautifulproductions, to reverse the verdict of lack of origi-nality which was pronounced on that art as soon asit was discovered. II. But, to return to the political world of West-ern Asia, which we left unheeded for years to followthe rising star of Persia. With Kyros still on theeastern side of the Halys, the balance of power, es-tabl
Media, Babylon and Persia : including a study of the Zend-Avesta or religion of Zoroaster, from the fall of Nineveh to the Persian war . cquainted with far more numerous,imposing, and elaborate monuments of Persian art,but shall find- nothing, even in its most beautifulproductions, to reverse the verdict of lack of origi-nality which was pronounced on that art as soon asit was discovered. II. But, to return to the political world of West-ern Asia, which we left unheeded for years to followthe rising star of Persia. With Kyros still on theeastern side of the Halys, the balance of power, es-tablished after the Battle of the Eclipse (see pp. 220-222), was as yet unbroken, no changes having takenplace in the territorial conditions of the potentateswho concluded that memorable agreement. Thegreatest of the three states in point of extent hadmerely changed hands and name: it was the Me-dian Empire no longer, but the Persian, that wasall. In 546 every thing was apparently undis-turbed, yet every thing trembled in the ^or the men were no longer the same. The petty,indolent, tyrannous Mcde had been forced to yield. •Hi, - 43. SUPPOSED TOMB OK KAMliYSES I. AT PASARGAD/E.(Possibly an Atesh-Gah, or Firc-Chapel.) 305 X 3o6 MEDIA, ; AND ri:RSlA. his place to one wlio \vas a liero and a s^enius, wliilc-in Babylon the clianj^e was reversed: the L;reatNebuchadrezzars sceptre had passed into feeble andincapable hands, discord and civil troubles filled theland he had ruled so wisely and stronsj,]}, and openedthe way for the invasion against which he had accu-mulated so many defences. The fate of l^abylonwas so inevitable that her dreaded neighbtjr couldleave her for the last while he attended to morepressing business. Lydias turn was to come first. 12. Alyattes long reign (fifty-eight years), ended,with his life, jn or about 560 lie was by farthe wisest and greatest of the Mermnadai,—indeed,so far as we know, of all the Lydian kings. By suc-cessive conq
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