262 Epidemics. 



crushing centralization of all power in the East and Egypt ; 

 which, when it fell, all Asia Minor fell with it under the 

 prowess and tact of Cyrus the Great. 



Before calling the attention to Greece and Rome, let a 

 rapid outline be given of Asia Minor and Egypt; for 

 Western Asia and Eastern Africa, with or without ^Ethiopia, 

 had a never-ending vicarious existence, until Rome stepped 

 in to settle all differences, and, finally, to absorb them under 

 Pompey and Caesar. 



Babylon succumbed to the Medo - Persian dynasty, 

 founded and consolidated by Cyrus the Great about 538 B.C. 

 This dynasty continued for about 207 years as the head 

 kingdom in Asia Minor and Persia, when it fell, in 331 B.C., 

 before the prowess and energy of Alexander the Great of 

 Macedon. This latter kingdom, the kingdom of Macedon, 

 fell under the power of Rome 168 B.C., and the remainder 

 of Alexander's dominions fell into the hands of the 

 Romans under Pompey the Great, and Caesar, and their 

 successors from 63 B.C., and ending in 70 A.D. by the fall 

 of Jerusalem under Titus. 



It may be here observed that from 750 to 100 B.C., with 

 the exception of the little valiant kingdom of Judah under 

 the Maccabees, that whilst Asia Minor was a centre of great 

 and gradually divided powers, the people themselves gene- 

 rally became more and more servile, so far as history can 

 well trace them, and submissive to authority, without regard 

 to its legality or otherwise. This was the ruling character 

 amongst both the Asiatics and Egyptians, which remains to 

 this day. 



Hence dynasties whose chief element was Asiatic fought 

 against and hated one another, not from the daring and 

 bravery of their soldiers so much as from their numbers, and 

 the chance of their being led by an energetic commander, 

 the fear of whose vigilance and severity urged them to fight 



