A Manual of Ancient History Part 2

Of the various modes of computing time, the best known are those of the Greeks and the Romans; the former by olympiads, the latter by years from the foundation of Rome. The era of the olympiads commences at B. C. 776; that of the foundation of Rome commences at B. C. 753, according to Varro; at B. C. 752, according to Cato.--The era of the Seleucidae, in the Syrian empire, commences with B. C. 312.--Various other eras, such as that of Nabonna.s.sar, commencing with B. C. 747, are founded on observations preserved by Ptolemy, and made known by SCALIGER, in his _Doctrina Temporum_.

Chronology const.i.tutes a distinct science: the best introduction to which will be found in:

# J. C. GATTERER, _Epitome of Chronology_. Gottingen, 1777. A most excellent criticism on the ancient eras has lately been communicated to the public by:

# L. IDELER, _Historic Researches into the Astronomical Observations of the Ancients_. Berlin, 1806.

# D. H. HEGEWISCH, _Introduction to Historical Chronology_; 1811. A very useful and portable work.

[In English we have the laborious work of Dr. Hales:

HALES (WILLM.) _New a.n.a.lysis of Chronology, explaining the History and Antiquities of the primitive Nations of the World, etc._ Lond.

1809-12, 4 vols. 4to. New edition, corrected and improved, 1830, 4 vols. 8vo.

BLAIR'S _Chronology and History of the World, from the Creation to the present Time_. Lond. 1803, folio.

And for the brilliant period of Greece and Rome the satisfactory volumes:

H. F. CLYNTON'S _Fasti h.e.l.lenici. The civil and literary Chronology of Greece, from the fifty-fifth to the hundred and twenty-fourth Olympiad_. Second edition, with additions. Oxford, 1827, 4to. And the continuation of the same work to the death of Augustus, Oxford, 1830, 4to. In this valuable work, much light is also thrown upon the chronology of the times anterior to the period with which the first volume is princ.i.p.ally occupied.]

14. In ancient geography there is much care required to distinguish the fabulous from the true. With regard to true geography, as an auxiliary science to history, all that can be expected is some general information respecting the nature and peculiarities of the countries, respecting their political divisions, and finally, respecting the princ.i.p.al cities:--Long lists of the names of places would be quite superfluous.

Fabulous geography const.i.tutes a part of the mythology of every nation, and differs in each, because the ideas formed by every early nation respecting the form and nature of the earth are peculiar to itself. True geography gradually comes to light as civilization increases, and discovery widens its horizon.--Necessity of treating it historically, on account of the manifold changes to which the division and the face of the countries of the ancient world have been at various periods subjected.

CHRISTOPH. CELLARII _Not.i.tia Orbis Antiqui_. Lips. 1701-1706, 2 vols. 4to. _c.u.m observat._ J. C. SCHWARZII. Lips. 1771, et iterum 1773. This work was for a long time the only, and is still an indispensable, treatise on ancient geography.

# H. MANNERT, _Geography of the Greeks and Romans_. Nuremberg, 1788-1802. This work, now completed in 15 volumes, may be justly designated cla.s.sical, from the historical and critical learning which the author has everywhere displayed. Vol. I, contains Spain; II, Gallia et Britain; III, Germania, Rhaetia, Noric.u.m; IV, The Northern parts of the World, from the Wessel to China; V, India and the Persian Empire to the Euphrates, 2 parts; VI, Asia Minor, 3 parts; VII, Thrace, Illyria, Macedonia, Thessaly, Epirus; VIII, Northern Greece, Peloponnesus, and the Archipelago; IX, Italy and Sicily, Sardinia, etc. 2 parts; X, Africa, 2 parts.

# F. A. UKERT, _Geography of the Greeks and Romans, from the earliest periods to the time of Ptolemy_: first part, first division, contains the historical, the second contains the mathematical sections. Weimar, 1816; with maps.

GOSSELIN, _Geographie des Grecs a.n.a.lysee_. Paris, 1790, 4to. A development of the system of mathematical geography among the Greeks. Partly continued in

GOSSELIN, _Recherches sur la Geographie des Anciens_. Paris, an.

vi. vol. 1-4.

J. RENNEL, _Geographical System of Herodotus_. Lond. 1800, 4to.

[Reprinted in 2 vols. 8vo. Lond. 1830, revised. Here, too, for the benefit of the English reader may be mentioned:

RENNEL'S _Treatise on the Comparative Geography of Western Asia, with an atlas_. London, 1831, 2 vols. 8vo.; published since the author's death. And the learned and valuable volumes of Dr. CRAMER, princ.i.p.al of New Inn Hall, and public orator of the University of Oxford; they are,

_Geographical and Historical Description of Ancient Greece, with a map, and plan of Athens._ Oxford, 1826, 3 vols. 8vo.

_Geographical and Historical Description of Ancient Italy, with a map._ Oxford, 1826, 2 vols. 8vo.

_Geographical and Historical Description of Asia Minor, with a map._ Oxford, 1832, 2 vols. 8vo.

The maps which accompany these works approach very nearly to perfection.

As useful compendiums, there are:

_An Introduction to Ancient Geography, with copious indexes of Ancient and Modern Names_, by PETER ED. LAURENT, teacher in the Royal Naval Academy at Portsmouth. Oxford, 1813, 8vo.

_A Compendium of Ancient and Modern Geography, for the use of Eton School; ill.u.s.trating the most interesting points in History, Poetry, and Fable; preceded by an Introduction to the study of Astronomy, and containing plans of Athens, Rome, Syracuse, and numerous diagrams explanatory of the motions of the heavenly bodies_, by AARON ARROWSMITH, Hydrographer to the King, 1 vol.

8vo., with or without a copious index. London, 1830.

BUTLER'S (Dr. SAM.) _Sketch of Ancient and Modern Geography_.

Seventh edition, 8vo. Also his _Atlas of Ancient Geography_, consisting of twenty-one coloured maps, with a complete accentuated index. 8vo.]

We are indebted to d'Anville for the best charts of ancient geography: _Atlas...o...b..s antiqui_, twelve leaves, fol.

[The Eton Comparative Atlas of Ancient and Modern Geography, with the index, published in several sizes; and the Maps published by the Society for the Promotion of Useful Knowledge, are very useful and correct.]

15. Ancient history may be treated either ethnographically, that is, according to separate nations and states; or synchronistically, that is, according to certain general epochs. Each of these methods has its advantages and its disadvantages. The two, however, may be combined, and formed into one system; and as this seems the most convenient, it has been adopted in the present work, which is accordingly divided as follows:

FIRST BOOK.--History of the ancient Asiatic and African states and kingdoms anterior to Cyrus, or to the rise of the Persian monarchy, about the year B. C. 560: comprising little more than insulated fragments.

SECOND BOOK.--History of the Persian monarchy, from B. C. 560 to 330.

THIRD BOOK.--History of the Grecian states, both in Greece and other parts, to the time of Alexander, B. C. 336.

FOURTH BOOK.--History of the Macedonian monarchy, and of the kingdoms which arose out of its division, until they merged into the Roman empire.

FIFTH BOOK.--History of the Roman state, both as a commonwealth and a monarchy, until the fall of the western empire, A. D. 476.

MANUAL OF ANCIENT HISTORY.

THE FIRST BOOK.

HISTORICAL FRAGMENTS OF THE EARLIER ASIATIC AND AFRICAN KINGDOMS AND STATES, PREVIOUS TO CYRUS, OR THE RISE OF THE PERSIAN MONARCHY.