try to all private Confiderations. The War was maintained for a long Time with various Success, Hamilcar the Carthaginian General diftinguishing himself eminently in Sicily by his great military Skill; but at laft the Conful Lutatius obtaining a compleat Victory over the Enemy's Fleet near the Ægatian Ifles, Carthage was compelled to submit, and ac3764. cept of fuch Terms of Peace as the Romans were

pleafed to grant. Immediately after the Conclufion of this War, which had lafted four and twenty Years, the Carthaginians found themselves involved in another, which brought them to the very Brink of Destruction. The mercenary Troops of which their Armies were compofed, revolting for want of their Pay, were joined by almost all the Cities of Africa, who hated the Carthaginian Government. All Endeavours to appease them prov'd ineffectual, they invested Carthage itself, and that great City was inevitably loft but for the Valour and Conduct of Hamilcar firnamed Barchas. He found Means to vanquish the Rebels, and recover all the revolted Cities. The Carthaginians however upon this Occafion loft Sardinia by the Treachery of the Romans, who taking advantage of their Domeftic Troubles, feized that important Inland, and even augmented the Tribute they had at the End of the War impofed upon that unhappy State. Carthage was obliged to take all in good Part, as not being in a Condition to oppofe thefe Encroachments. They now began to think of re-establishing their Dominion in Spain, which had been greatly fhaken by the late Revolt. Hamilcar was fent to command in that Province, where he carried on the War for nine Years with great Succefs. His Son the famous Hannibal was in the Camp with him, and not only learned under that renowned Commander the whole Art of War, but also at this Time contracted that implacable Hatred against the Romans, which afterwards gave Rife to fo many Wars. Afdrubal fucceeded Hamilcar in the Command of the Army. He governed with great Prudence, and by his mild and peaceable Adminiftration thoroughly eftablished the Carthaginian Power in thofe Parts. Mean while the Romans were engaged in a War with Teuta Queen of the Illyrians, who fuffered her Subjects to practife Pyracy on the Sea-Coaft, but fhe was foon forced to fubmit, and refign Part of her Dominions to the Conquerors. Their next War was with the Gauls, whom they accounted their moft formidable Enemies, and therefore tho' they began to entertain a Jealoufy of the Increafe of the Carthaginian Power in Spain, yet not daring to break with that Republic in the prefent critical Conjunc

ture,

ture, they fent Ambaffadors to Afdrubal to draw him by fair Words into a Treaty, wherein he should covenant not to pass the Iberus, which was accordingly agreed to. Hereupon the Romans applied themselves feriously to the War against the Gauls, and having vanquifhed them in feveral Battles, paffed the Po, pufhed on their Conquefts on the other Side of that River, and thereby became Masters of all Italy, from the Alps to the Ionian Sea. About this Time died Afdrubal in Spain, and Hannibal at the Age of 25 fucceeded him in the Command of the Army. He was the Darling of the Soldiers, who fancied they faw in him all the Virtues they had so often admired in his Father Hamilcar. Nor did his Behaviour after his Promotion disappoint their Expectations; for he compleated the Conqueft of Spain with amazing Rapidity, and thinking himself ftrong enough now to enter upon the long-projected War with the Romans, advanced with his Army to the River Iberus, and invested Saguntum. The Complaints of the Roman Ambaffadors were very little regarded at Carthage. The Lofs of Sicily, the treacherous Behaviour of the Romans in feizing Sardinia, and augmenting the Tribute exacted at the End of the War, and their unjuft Attempts to abridge their Power and bound their Conquefts in Spain, had fo irritated the Minds of the Carthaginians, that all the Endeavours of the Faction which opposed Hannibal, were fruitlefs. Hereupon War was proclaimed against Carthage by Order of the Roman Senate, in the 535th Year of 3785. the City. Mean time Hannibal was taking all the Measures neceffary to fecure the Succefs of his Defigns. The Italic Gauls were gained over by Ambaffadors fecretly dispatched for that Purpofe; the Nations thro' which he was to pass were for the moft part prevailed on by Presents not to oppose his March; and the Peace of Africa and Spain were fecured by ftrong Detachments of Troops left in those Parts under the Command of proper Governors. When all things were now ready for the Expedition, he croffed the Iberus, traverfed the Pyrenees, Tranfalpine Gaul, and the Alps, and came pouring down with all his Forces upon Italy, while the Romans hardly yet imagined him fet out from Spain. The Italic Gauls readily joined him, and thereby very feasonably reinforced his Army, which had fuffered extremely in its Parfage over the Alps. Four Battles fucceffively loft made it probable that Rome muft foon fall into the Hands of this irrefiftible Conqueror. Sicily too followed the Fortune of the Carthaginians. Hieronymus K. of Syracufe declared against the Romans; almost all Italy abandoned them; and the Republic fecmed depriv

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ed of its laft Refource by the Death of the two Scipios in Spain. In this Extremity Rome owed her Safety to the Valour and Conduct of three great Men. The Firmness of Fabius, who defpifing popular Rumours, purfued fteddily thofe flow Measures by which alone he found Hannibal could be vanquished, ferved as a Rampart to his Country. Marcellus who raised the Siege of Nola, and took Syracufe, revived by Degrees the Courage of the Roman Troops. But the Glory of conquering Hannibal, and putting a final End to this dangerous War, was referved for young Scipio. At the Age of twenty-four he undertook to command in Spain, where his Father and Uncle had both loft their Lives. Immediately upon his Arrival he invefted New Carthage and took it. His Affability and Humanity drew almost all the Nations of Spain into the Alliance of the Romans. The Carthaginians were obliged to abandon that rich and fruitful Country; and Scipio not yet fatisfied with fo glorious a Triumph, pursued them even into Africa. Every thing gave way to his fuperior Valour and Abilities. The Allies of the Carthaginians forfook them, their Armies were defeated, and that haughty Republic was now made to tremble in its Turn. Even the victorious Hannibal, who had maintained his Ground in Italy for fixteen Years, in ipite of all the Efforts of the Romans, was found unable to ftop the Progrefs of this young Conqueror: Scipio defeated him in a pitched Battle, and forced the Carthaginians to fubmit to the Terms of Peace he had prescribed

to them. In this Manner ended the fecond Pu38c2. nic War in the 552d Year of the City, just 17 Years after its Commencement. Scipio was honoured with the Sirname of Africanus, and Rome having thus fubjected the Gauls and Africans, faw no Rival from whose Power fhe had Reafon to apprehend any Danger,

If we now look back a little into the Affairs of Afia, which during the Times we have been fpeaking of were entirely disjoined from thofe of Europe, we find that about the Middle of the firft Punic War, while Antiochus Theos King of Syria, the Son of Antiochus Soter, was engaged in a War with Ptolemy King of Egypt, Theodotus Governor of Bactria revolted, and declared himself King of that Province. It was now a rich and populous Country, and had in it no lefs than a thousand Cities; all which he got under his Obedience, and while Antiochus delayed to look that Way, by reafon of his Wars with Egyt, made himself too ftrong in them to be afterwards reduced, This Example was followed by almost all the other

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Nations of the Eaft, particularly the Parthians, who headed by Arfaces expelled the Macedonians, 3754. and laid the Foundations of an Empire which in Time extended itself over all the Higher Afia, and grew to that Strength and Power, that not even the Romans themselves, when arrived at their higheft Pitch of Grandeur, were able to shake the Throne of the Arfacidæ, for fo the Parthian Kings were called from Arfaces the Founder of their Race and Empire. Thefe Revolts greatly weakened the Empire of the Syrian Kings, for henceforth they were almoft entirely secluded from all the Provinces that lay beyond the Tigris. Several Attempts were indeed made to recover them, but in vain, which obliged them to turn their Thoughts towards thofe Parts of their Dominions that bordered upon Egypt, infomuch that Judea, which lay between the two Kingdoms, became a Ground of endless Wars and Contentions, and occafioned the fhedding of Torrents of Blood. The Romans after the Peace with Carthage, began to turn their Thoughts towards Greece. Philip King of Macedon had entered into an Alliance with Hannibal when in Italy, and this was looked upon as a fufficient Ground for a War. The Conful Flaminius was fent against him, who by 3808. his Victories reduced the Power of that Prince, and restored the feveral Cities of Greece to their Liberty. Tho' every thing thus gave way to the Roman Power, they could not yet be eafy while Hannibal, whom they ftill looked upon as their most formidable Enemy, was alive. They dreaded the Bravery and enterprizing Genius of that great Man. Their Endeavours to deftroy him brought upon them a new War; for being reduced to fly his Country, he took Refuge with Antiochus, firnamed the Great, King of Syria; and infpiring him with a Jealousy of the Roman Power, perfuaded him to oppose their growing Greatnefs. In the Management of the War however, he rejected the wife Counfels of this experienced General, and was therefore disappointed in all his Defigns. Beaten by Land and Sea, he was compelled to fubmit to the Terms of Peace impofed by Lucius Scipio the Brother of Scipio Africanu. 3815. Hannibal now fought Protection from Prfias K.

of Bithynia, where finding himself fill perfecuted by Embalfies from the Romans, to avoid falling into their Hands, he ended his Days by a Dofe of Poifon. Upon the Death of Seleucus the Son of Antiochus the Great, Antichus Epiphanes who had been fome time a Hoftage at Rome, got Poffeffion of the Throne of Syria. He is remarkable for fetting on foot

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a cruel Perfecution against the Jews, which driving them to Extremities, many of them united in their own Defence under Matthias, the Father of Judas Maccabeus, so renowned for the many Victories he obtained over the numerous Armies of the King of Syria. In the mean time Perfeus had fucceeded Philip in the Kingdom of Macedonia, and presuming too much on his Wealth and numerous Armies, ventured to engage in a War with the Romans, But he was foon made fenfible of his unequal Strength, and being van3836. quifhed in Battle by Paulus Emilius, was conftrained to furrender himself into his Hands. Thus the Kingdom of Macedon, which had for near two hundred Years given Mafters not only to Greece, but to all the Kingdoms of the East, was now reduced to the Form of a Roman Province, which leads us to the tenth and last Period of our Hiftory.

P. Let me here ftop you a Moment, to enquire why you fix the Beginning of the Roman Empire to this Period, when they were evidently long before the moft powerful People in the World, and had given Law to Europe, Asia, and Africa.

G. The Roman Greatnefs indeed commenceth properly from the total Reduction of Italy, and the Superiority they gained over the Carthaginians in the first Punic War. Neverthelefs in regulating the Succeffion of the great Empires, the moft natural Order feems to be that which represents them rifing one after another, and establishing each its Power and Greatnefs, upon the entire Ruin of that which went before. This is the Method I have hitherto followed, and indeed the only one that according to my Apprehenfion preferves a due Order and Diftinctness in ancient Hiftory. Thus, tho' upon the Death of Sardanapalus, the Affyrian Monarchy was diffolved, yet reviving again in the Kings of Nineveh and Babylon, that Revolution was not confidered as the Era of a new Empire. But when the Power of the Affyrians was utterly broken, and the Dominion of Afia wholly transferred to another People by Cyrus, there I fixed the Beginning of the Perfian Empire. In like manner, tho' the Perfians were greatly weakened under Xerxes and his Son Artaxerxes Longimanus, and forced to accept of fuch Terms of Peace as Greece was willing to grant them; infomuch that the Greeks under Simon may be juftly faid to have given Law to the Perfian Empire; yet as that Monarchy ftill fubfifted under Kings of its own; and was not finally fubdued till Alexander paffed with an Army into Afia, and overthrew Darius in the Plains of Arbela; all Hiftorians extend its Duration to the