TO CHILDREN.

IN preparing the following pages for your use, the author has endeavored to make the language very plain, and easy to be understood; and to write nothing about ancient times, which is not supposed by historians to be exactly true. She has preferred writing upon Ancient History, because she thinks there are many things in it very interesting and very instructive to the young; and because there were no books on that subject, which were suitable for you. They are all too large and too expensive, and written for older people; and it would be difficult for you to understand them.

The author does not suppose she has written a book that is perfect and she expects, if it should attract the notice of the critics, they will find, or think they find, many faults in it. However, if there be any thing really

wrong or improper in the book, the author hopes your friends will tell us of it; so that you may not be injured by it, and that she may know how to write the better, another time.

When you have read this little work, if you will let her know that you and your parents are pleased with it, she will endeavor, when she has leisure, to write one or two more volumes; in which she will tell you of the Macedonians and their famous kings; and of the Jews, God's ancient people; and also of the Romans, that powerful nation, who conquered almost all that was then known of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and who governed all these countries at the time when Christ was upon earth.

In the intervening time, she wishes you to think of her as your affectionate friend,

THE AUTHOR.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

Use of ancient history: Date of the flood: Sepa-
ration of the three sons of Noah: Foundation
of the kingdom of Egypt: Mizraim: Situation
of Egypt: Nile: Canals: Villages: Present
state of cultivation : Buildings: Paintings:
Temples: Palaces: Statues: Labyrinth: Hi-
eroglyphics: Light-house: Population: Mum-
mies: Laws: Religion: Libraries: Materials
of which books were made.

CHAPTER II.

Demi-gods: Kings, Busiris: Osymandius: His
war with the Bactrians: His Mausoleum: Uc-
horeus: Memphis: Shepherd kings-Abraham:
Phoenicia Joseph: Moses: Sesostris: Phara-
oh, or Pheron: Conquests and buildings of Se-
sostris: Cecrops: Cadmus: Proteus: Cause of
the Trojan war:-Rhampsinitus: Cheops and
Cephrenus:-Mycerinus: Asychis: Solomon:
Shishak: Anysis: Sabachus, or So: Sethon:
Tharaca: Bsammetichus: Oracles: Libation:
Pharaoh Necho: Josiah Canal: Voyage
around Africa: Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim :
Psammis: Apsies, or Pharaoh Hophrah: Ne-
buchadnezzar: Tyre: Amasis: Psammenitus:
Egypt reduced to a Persian province.

CHAPTER III.

Assyrian Empire: Nimrod: Ninus: Nineveh :

Bactrians: Semiramis: Babylon: Ninyas: Pul:

Sardanapulus: Arbaces: Belesis and Ninus the

Younger: Ahaz: Salmaneza: Sennacherib:

Hezekiah: Destruction of Sennacherib's army:

Esarhaddon: Cyaxares: Scythian irruption:

Medes and Lydians: Union of the kingdoms of

Assyria, Babylonia and Media: Cyrus: Per-

sians: Cambyses.

CHAPTER IV.

History of Cyrus: Persian youth: Cyrus goes to

Media: Invasion of the king of Babylon: Cy-

rus returns to Persia: Is sent for to take the

command of the Median army against Baby-

lon: Revolt of the king of Armenia: Subdued

by Cyrus Tigranes: Cyrus invades Babylo-

Defeats and kills Neriglissor: Cræsus:

Cyrus marries the daughter of Cyaxares: Se-

cond invasion of Babylonia: Defeats Croesus:

Belshazzar: Taking of Babylon : Daniel: Re-

ligion of Cyrus: Privileges granted to the Jews:

Death of Cyaxares: Cyrus reigns alone : Death

of Cyrus.

nia:

CHAPTER V.

Anecdotes of Cyrus: Cambyses invades Egypt,
and Ethiopia: His cruelities: His death:
Smerdis the Magician: Dethroned: Darius
Hystaspes: Persian method of paying taxes:
Persian ladies: Jews: Revolt of Babylon : Zo-
pyrus.

CHAPTER VI.

Darius invades Scythia: Description of the Scy-
thians Misfortunes of Darius: Hystarius:
Bridge of boats: Darius conquers India: Pre-
pares to invade Greece.

:

CHAPTER VII.

Greece Learning of the Grecians: Settlement of

Greece: Government: Trojan war: Pisistratus :

Harmodius and Aristogiton: Hippias: Grand-

daughter of Aristogiton.

CHAPTER VIII.

:

Lycurgus: His laws for the Spartans: Character

and education of the Spartans: Grecian poets:

Homer: Hesiod: Archilocus Hipponax:

Seven wise men of Greece: Philosophers

Thales: Bias Periander: Æsop: Solon: His
laws for the Athenians: Heraclidæ and Pelopi-
dæ Hercules: Heathen gods.

CHAPTER IX.

Pythagoras Eschylus, Sophocles, and Euripi-

des: Aristophanes: Greek theatres: Wri-

ters for the stage: Socrates: Xantippe: Sto-

ics: Death of Socrates : Religion of the Greek

philosophers.

CHAPTER X.

Time in which most of the wise men of Greece
flourished: Plato: Dionysius, elder and young-