Scientific Reviews. I(^ 



how could Alexander perform such a march as that of 540 miles 

 direct, if Hamadan and not Ispahan were Ecbatana, at such a sea- 

 son and in such a country ? It is wonderful this glaring fact did 

 not flash in the face of such men as D'Anville, Rennel, Vincent, 

 and others, these oracles of modern geography. What confirms 

 l\Ir. Williams' hypothesis most completely, is the subsequent 

 march from Ecbatana to Ragau, performed in eleven days. Now, 

 whether the point of departure be taken from Hamadan or Ispa- 

 han, the distance is little more than 200 English miles direct, or 

 hardly more than 18 miles daily, and yet many men and horses died 

 on the march through excessive fatigue, in so much so, that when 

 Alexander arrived at Ragau, he had only 60 cavalry. If this march 

 was so disastrous to the men and horse, what must that have been 

 from Persepolis to Hamadan, if Hamadan were Ecbatana ? It may 

 also be remarked that the road from Ispahan to Rey, is much 

 worse than from Hamadan to the same place, as it goes over very 

 elevated ground, and as part of the Salt Desert must be crossed. 

 Mr. Williams quotes the march of Nadir Shah from Ispahan to 

 Istakar, (Persepolis,) which occupied twenty days, or four more 

 than that of Alexander ; but it was in the winter season, and the 

 line of march had been previously laid waste by the Afghans. But 

 still it was esteemed a rapid march considering circumstances. Dio- 

 dorus teUs us next, that the march of Antigonus from Ecbatana to 

 Persepolis occupied twenty days, exactly the same as that performed 

 by Nadir Shah. The line of march from Susa to the Pasitigris, 

 and from thence to Ecbatana, proves the latter to be Ispahan, as it 

 was quite absurd to take such a road if Hamadan and not Ispahan 

 had been the object of the march. We think Mr. Williams has 

 irrefragably proved from these marches, as recorded by Arrian and 

 Diodorus, the identity of Ecbatana and Ispahan. We have not 

 room to follow him through the remainder of his proofs, and we 

 think the former quite sufficient to convince any reader of common 

 understanding, and who will be at the pains to use it in reading 

 this part of the book, that the learned and reverend author has 

 established his point. 



The second essay is employed on a much more difficult subject, — 

 the marches of Xenophon, — and occupies not less than 250 pages ; 

 and no Avonder, since it presents a much larger field for discussion 

 than the former. Respecting the march from Ephesus to the field 

 of Cunaxa, there is comparatively little difficulty. It is the direc- 

 tion of the course of march from this point to the Tigris, that oc- 

 casions the first serious difficulty, whether they took the road to 

 the Tigris above its confluence with the Duallah, or that to Jar- 

 jaryah, more than 50 miles below the influx of the Duallah; and 

 consequently the site of Sittace is the great object of discussion. In 

 opposition to all who have preceded him on this knotty point, Mr. 

 Williams fixes Sittace opposite Jarjaryah, and on the left bank ot 

 the Tigris. The next point of controversy, and that much more 

 difficult to settle than the site of Sittace, is the site of Opis, whe- 



