THE ARABS. 577 



nomadic races of the Hyksos should have been able to subdue 

 the ancient powerful and well-organized kingdom of the Egyp- 

 tians. Here the more freely constituted nation entered into a 

 successful contest with another long habituated to servitude, but 

 yet the victorious Arabian immigrants were not then, as in 

 more modern times, inspired by religious enthusiasm. The 

 Hyksos, actuated by fear of the Assyrians, (races of Arpaseh- 

 schad.) established their festivals and place of arms at Avaris, 

 on the eastern arm of the Nile. This circumstance seems to 

 indicate attempted advances on the part of hostile warlike 

 bodies, and a great migration westward. A second event, 

 which occurred probably a thousand years later, is mentioned 

 by Diodorus on the authority of Ctesias.* Ariasus, a powerful 

 prince of the Himyarites, entered into an alliance with Ninus, 

 on the Tigris, and after they had conjointly defeated the 

 Babylonians, he returned laden with rich spoils to his home 

 in southern Arabia.f 



Although a free pastoral mode of life may be regarded as 

 predominating in the Hedschaz, and as constituting that of a 

 great and powerful majority, the cities of Medina and of Mecca 

 with its ancient and mysterious temple-holiness, the Kaaba, 

 are mentioned as important places, much frequented by 

 foreigners. It is probable that the complete and savage 

 wildness generated by isolation, was unknown in those dis- 

 tricts which we term river valleys, and which were contiguous 

 to coasts or to caravansery tracks. Gibbon, who knew so well 

 how to consider -the conditions of human life, draws atten- 

 tion to the essential differences existing between a nomadic 

 life in the Arabian peninsula and that described by Hero- 

 dotus and Hippocrates, in the so-called land of the Scythians ; 

 since, in the latter region, no portion of the pastoral people 

 ever settled in cities ; whilst in the great Arabian peninsula, 



sians in northern Africa indicate very ancient migrations towards the 

 west. They have been connected with the various versions of the myth 

 of Hercules, and with the Phoenician Melkarth. (Compare Sallust, 

 Bellwn Jugurth. cap. 18, drawn from Punic writings, by Hiempsal; and 

 Pliny, V. 8.) Strabo even terms the Maurusians, (inhabitants of Mac?' 

 ritania,) " Indians who had come with Hercules." 



* Diod. Sic. lib. ii. cap. 2 and 3. 



*f Ctesice Cnidii Operum religuice, ed. Baehr, Fragmented Assyriaca, 

 p. 421 ; and Carl Muller, in Dindorf s edition of Herodotus. (Par. 1844,) 

 pp. 13-15. 



2 p 



