fj ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book II. 



he had conquered all the Lower Afia, attacked the Scythians, but was 

 deftroyed by them, he and his whole army. In revenge for this, they 

 were again invaded by Darius, the fon of Hyftafp^s, who efcaped from 

 them with the greateft difficulty, and not without being obliged to leave 

 behind him his Tick and infirm men ; nor could he have been faved 

 even in that way, except by the lonians fhamefully breaking their 

 faith twice to the Scythians, to whom they promifed, that they 

 would demoliOi the bridge of boats over the Danube, which Darius 

 was to repafs, in order to make his efcape. In this war, as it is mofl: 

 accurately deicribed by Herodotus, the Scythians not only fhowed 

 the greateft bravery and fpirit, but the greateft prudence and good 

 conduct. 



The Macedonians, who fucceeded the Perfians in the empire of 

 Afia, did not fo much as attempt to conquer them ; but, on the con- 

 trary, a tribe of them, called Parthians, invaded Perfia, under the 

 fucceflbrs of Alexander, and pofTefled themfelves of that fine coun- 

 try. Thefe were the people who defied a greater power ftill than 

 either the Perfians or Macedonians, and a more warlike people, I 

 mean the Romans, who fuffered from them the greateft lofles and 

 difgraces they ever fufFered. 



And not only did they thus defend themfelves againft invaders, 

 but, as often as they iflued out of their own country, to make con- 

 quefts, they were fuccefsful. Juftin fays that, in antient times, they 

 thrice conquered Afia ; and, as was juft now mentioned, a tribe of 

 them poflefled themfelves of Perfia, under the fucceflbrs of Alexan- 

 der. 



In later times, there came from that country thofe prodigious 

 fwarms of people, who, under the name of Goths, Vandals, Huns, 

 ^x. over-ran the Roman empire j and, fettling in the provinces of 



it. 



