No. 5.
MY DEAR CHILDREN, ―The subject of this letter is the empire which succeeded the Babylonian; viz., the Medo-Persian, described in the dream by the words, “His breast and arms of silver,” and in the interpretation by, “After thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee.” Now as this second kingdom in extent was far wider than the Babylonian, for towards the north it extended to lake Aral, towards the east as far as the Indus, embracing the Bactrian provinces, where our armies a few years ago suffered such disasters, whilst to the west its power was recognized in Europe, that is, in Macedonia and Greece, we must find some reason for this inferiority. Such is to be found in the character of its power, and this in two ways: first, in that Nebuchadnezzar’s was an absolute despotism uncontrolled by any human laws whatever. He seems to have decreed, to have annulled-decrees to have put to death, and to have kept alive, just as he chose. This reads us the lesson of how thoroughly misused the power was that God gave him, as, indeed, everything given by God to man is misused to his own purposes. Now in the Persian empire the king appears to have been subject even to his own laws, and unable to rescind them, however foolish and unreasonable they might have been—more honored in their breach than their observance. This we see in the case of Daniel in the lions’ den, although Darius would have wished it, he could not release him; for, as said the counselors, the law of the Medes and Persians altereth not. Nor could Ahasuerus, in the time of Esther, alter the decree for the slaying of the Jews, although he might make another that they should defend themselves. Secondly, whilst Nebuchadnezzar succeeded in everything he undertook (he was “the hammer of the whole earth”), whilst nobody ever withstood his arms, or rebelled against him with success, the Persian history has its reverse side. Cyrus himself, the founder of the empire, was slain in battle, in an unsuccessful attempt upon a rude people of the north―the Massagetœ―and from that time till its fall, although it lasted nearly 210 years, it had to contend against treason within and rebellion without. Cambyses, the son of Cyrus, was six years in Egypt, quelling a revolt of the Egyptians, in which country he died. Then there was the usurpation of Smerdis; and after this, when Darius had established himself, there was the rebellion of Babylon once, if not twice, and numerous other insurrections; so that his tablets record principally his successful putting down of rebellious provinces. He himself had to retreat from the Scythians, in an expedition over the Danube. It was in his reign that Greece came into prominence. In it was the battle of Marathon; and although his generals took and burnt Athens, yet they never could subdue the territory; and after his death, it was one great retrogression.
This slight sketch of the Persian empire in her palmy days, will account for the expression, “inferior to thee;” for silver, as a metal, is inferior to gold. It was larger in extent, but the autocratic rule and the complete success was no longer there.
But we must begin with its rise, and the reason of its combined name of Medo-Persian. Some have supposed an ancient Median kingdom, with Babylon for its capital, before the Chaldean kingdom commenced; but when reliable history begins, the Medes’ capital was at Ecbatana, in a beautiful situation among the mountains, built by Dejoces, the first king, about 712 B.C. It was ever after the summer residence of the kings of Persia. In the dynasty beginning with Dejoces, Media became very powerful, and subjugated Persia, whilst Assyria, her neighbor, being correspondingly weakened by the incursions of the Scythians, and other misfortunes, Cyaxares, the king, with the help of Nabopolassar, the father of Nebuchadnezzar, took and destroyed Nineveh. Nebuchadnezzar married the Median king’s daughter, and there was a sort of alliance between them, to the advantage, of course of Babylon. But, as with the successors of Nebuchadnezzar the empire declined, Media assumed a flesh importance, having become incorporated with Persia. Now we come to the history of Cyrus. In Isaiah 44:28, 45, Jehovah thus speaks of him: “That smith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.” “Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings to open before him the two leaved gates,” &c. This was written about 712 B.C., perhaps 150 years before Cyrus was born, and the two leaved gates of Babylon set up. We see that he was chosen to destroy Babylon, and to liberate the Jewish captives, that Jerusalem, both city and temple, might be rebuilt. Herodotus, the Greek, called the father of history, and who furnishes the principal out lines of our history, has a long story about the circumstances of his birth and education; how that he was the grandson of the Median king Astyages, whose daughter was married to a Media Persian chief, Cambyses, whose son, therefore was Cyrus. His grandfather tried to dispose of him by death, owing to a terrible dream which he had; but in an unforeseen manner his purpose was frustrated, and he grew up, being, as was supposed, the son of a herdsman; but his rank being discovered, he was sent for by his grandfather into Media, where his brilliant talent, became known. Subsequently he returned ta Persia, and organized the forces in that country and raised her in the scale of nations. As to whether he dethroned his grandfather, and tit became king or whether upon the death of Astyages he reigned, or whether he had a sort of joint authority with his uncle, Cyaxares, commending his armies until that king’s death history varies. Most probably the latter is the fact, as Scripture gives prominence to Media a first. (Daniel 5:3131And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old. (Daniel 5:31).) That one intended by God’s decree for such a destiny had a fitting education we may be sure; therefore, the story of his early education need not be rejected, although Xenophon, another historian, gives quite a different account. His first public expedition, when it the prime of his life, was against Crœsus, king of Lydia, of whom you have heard in the proverb “As rich as Crcœsus.” This king had dominion over all Asia Minor, with his capital at Sardis near the sea-coast, and afterward the seat of one of the seven churches of Asia. Dreading the greatness of Persia, he had formed alliance with Babylon, and other independent powers grown so under the weak rule of the successors of Nebuchadnezzar, and had attacked Cyrus. After the great but indecisive battle of Thymbra, in Lydia, he found himself obliged to retire to Sardis where Cyrus vigorously pursued him, and took the capital after a siege. He spared the king’s life, whoever after became his friend and adviser. Finding the governors of some of the provinces of Babylon indisposed towards that city, he ingratiated himself with them, and subdued others until at last he became acknowledged as the chief power in Asia. He is well known, and much celebrated in independent Persian history for his achievements under the name of Ka Khoosroo. The Lord says of him, “I have sur named thee, though thou hast not known me;” yet, although this was the case, according to hit light he was a religions man, always giving honour to the Deity. Besides which, he was temperate in his habits, and inured to fatigue and was not, strictly speaking, a worshipper of idols. It was whilst in Asia Minor that he first became acquainted with the Greeks, who were settled in great numbers in these parts; ―that people who, during the whole time of the Persian monarchy, caused it so much trouble, and eventually supplanted it. Having settled the affairs of Asia Minor, it is said that he made successful campaigns in Syria and Arabia. At last the only city in the East which disputed his power was Babylon.
It was from sixteen to twenty years after he had attacked and taken Sardis, before he had accomplished the subjugation of all other parts of Asia and Egypt. He now left Susa to attack the great city, according to the decree, “Make bright the arrows, gather the shields; for the Lord hath raised up the spirit of the king of the Medea; for his device is against Babylon to destroy it; because it is the vengeance of the Lord, the vengeance of His temple.” The Babylonians having tried one battle outside the city, retired within it, not fearing their ability to withstand all the efforts of Cyrus; for the walls and gates were in excellent order, and the city provisioned for many years, by the prudent counsels of Nitocris, the queen mother, who, ever since the fall of Sardis, had foreseen and feared the power of Persia. But all was vain against the decree of Jehovah. Having been some time before the walls, without any seeming hopes of taking it, he bethought him either of the old lake made by a former queen, who, as I told you, had dug it for the reception of the Euphrates, whilst she scarped and bricked the banks of the river running through the city, and placed in its bed the buttresses for the bridge; or, perhaps, following her idea, made a new one. When all was ready, he posted a division of his army at one end of the city, nearest the river, with orders that they should wade into its waters, when they were seen to fall and become fordable. Meanwhile, he drew off the rest of his army to the work of the lake, with its dikes and the sluice, by which the waters were to run into it. Scripture gives the name of the Babylonian king as Belshazzar―a word compounded in part of Bel, or Jupiter, this being his protecting deity. Cyrus chose the time of the annual feast day in honor of the god, when the king feasted with his nobles, and praised “the gods of gold,” for the attack, as being the time most likely to find the city off its guard; therefore, letting off the river from above the city into the sluice, the troops marched into it, and finding the river gates leading from the streets open, rushed up the steps into Babylon. The city was so large, that it was morning before a part of its inhabitants knew of the attack. (Jeremiah 2:3131O generation, see ye the word of the Lord. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? a land of darkness? wherefore say my people, We are lords; we will come no more unto thee? (Jeremiah 2:31).) All was dismay; the king was slain, and the fortresses delivered up next day.
You remember, my dear children, the solemn and instructive account of this last day of Babylon’s power, as given in Daniel 5. The king, not content to drink wine with his lords at a great feast, must send for the golden and silver vessels which had been brought from the temple by Nebuchadnezzar, that they might use them in their revelry. Upon this came forth the fingers of a man’s band, and wrote upon the wall the sentence of the end of the Babylonian kingdom. Daniel was still alive, although he can hardly have been less than eighty years of age. He had, in all probability, lost his post and honors at the death of Nebuchadnezzar, and had lived in retirement, well aware, from Daniel 8, 9, of the speedy end of the Nebuchadnezzar dynasty. When this terrible sight appeared, the king, trembling and affrighted in the midst of his assembled lords, sent for the astrologers; but they could neither read the writing, nor tell the interpretation, till, by the advice of the queen mother, Daniel was sent for, who did both. From this time Babylon occupies an inferior place. Cyrus broke down―made great breaches, I suppose―in its walls; but it was strong enough to rebel against Darius, who still further demolished them, although he and his successors held their court there occasionally; but they seem to have been in part standing in Herodotus’s time, and it was evident that Alexander (for it still retained a sort of glory) had the thought of rebuilding it, and making it the metropolis of his empire, when death seized on him. The Seleucidoæ, his successors, deserted it for Seleucia, and used its materials for that city. It was afterward a hunting ground, says St. Jerome, for the Parthian monarchs. Its site, at present, is recognized, or, at all events, its features, with difficulty; but there is a great vitrified mass of brick, supposed to be the remains of the temple of Belus, on the site, perhaps, of the tower of Babel itself. Scripture has long pronounced its doom, and the few travelers who have visited it invariably witness to the singular agreement of its present state with these predictions: “Because of the wrath of the Lord, it shall not be inhabited, but it shall be wholly desolate: every one that goeth by Babylon shall be astonished, and hiss at all her plagues.” (Jeremiah 1:1313And the word of the Lord came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is toward the north. (Jeremiah 1:13).)
I remain, your affectionate father,