C Y R 



540 



C Y R 



fecundity, which, on lands impatient to produce, is ste- 

 rility's constant companion ; in factitious wastes, the 

 gloomy and fatal effects of the power of the evil-minded, 

 where the traveller would think himself buried in vast 

 solitudes, did he not here and there perceive straggling 

 flocks and scattered habitations. Every day too, we see 

 population, which increases and settles only where are 

 to be found abundance of provisions, activity of trade 

 and of manufactures, and justice on the part of govern- 

 ment, diminish in a perceptible manner ; and men quit 

 a desolated country, and, for the most part, seek spots less 

 disturbed, abodes less unhappy." The account which 

 Dr Clarke has given us of the present state of this 

 island, is equally melancholy, and affords an ample les- 

 son of a tyrannical and selfish policy. " Instead of a 

 fertile land," says he, " covered with groves of fruit and 

 fine woods, once rendering it the paradise of the Le- 

 vant, there is hardly upon earth a more wretched spot 

 than it now exhibits. Few words may forcibly describe 

 it : Agriculture neglected — inhabitants oppressed — po- 

 pulation destroyed — pestiferous air — contagion — pover- 

 ty — indolence — desolation. Its antiquities alone ren- 

 der it worthy of resort ; and these, if any person had 

 leisure and opportunity to search for them, would am- 

 ply repay the trouble. In this pursuit, Cyprus may 

 be considered as yet untrodden." 



The frequent emigrations from this island, on ac- 

 count of the oppressive exactions of its rulers, has so 

 reduced its population, that it rarely exceeds sixty thou- 

 sand persons, a number scarcely sufficient to have peo- 

 pled one of the ancient towns. The governor is annu- 

 ally appointed by the Capudan Pacha, who generally 

 sells this office to the highest bidder. Every new mas- 

 ter is consequently regarded as a tyrant more to be fear- 

 ed than his predecessor, and his short year of dominion 

 is spent in the most unbounded rapacity, in order to re- 

 compense himself for the expenditure by which his sove- 

 reignty was obtained. See Herod. 1. iii. iv. v. ; Isidor. 



Strab. xiv. xvi. ; Arnob. 

 xi. xii. xv. xvi. xx. ; Plut. in Demet 

 v. 14; Flor. in. 9; Plin. xii. 24. 

 Mela. ii. 7 ; Ancient Univ. Hist. 

 lin's Ancient Hist. iii. 197. v. 333, 

 riti's Travels in Cyprus, &c. vol 



1. iv. ; Diod. Sicul. 

 ; Just, xviii. 5; Ptol. 

 xxxiii. 5. xxxvi. 26; 

 vol. iii. p. 772 ; Rol- 

 vii. 112. ix. 275. Ma- 

 i. passim ; Sonnini's 



Travels in Greece and Turkey, pp. 24 — 71 ; and Clarke's 

 Travels, part 2d, page 308, &c. (p) 



CYRENAIC Sect. See Aristippus. 



CYRILLA. See Botany, p. 176 and 250. 



CYRTANDRA, a genus of plants of the class Dian- 

 dria, and order Monogynia. See Botany, p. 88. 



CYRTANTHUS, a genus of plants of the class Hex- 

 andria, and order Monogynia. See Botany, p. 186. 



CYRTOSTYLIS, a genus of plants of the class Gy- 

 nandria, and order Monandria. See Brown's Prodro- 

 mus Plant. Nov. Holl. el Ins. Van Diem. p. 322, and Bo- 

 tany, p. 317. 



CYRUS the Great, the founder of the ancient Persi- 

 an empire, is generally believed to have been the son of 

 Cambyses, king of Persia, and of Mandane, daughter of 

 Astyages, king of the Medes. He was born probably 

 about the year 590 B. C. The biography of this mighty 

 conqueror, however, is inextricably involved in the ob- 

 scure mazes of contradictory statements and fabulous 

 traditions. The circumstances attending his birth, his 

 education, his expeditions, and his death, may all be 

 regarded as historical problems for the exercise of learn- 

 ing and ingenuity, rather than as authentic facts to be 

 implicitly believed upon the credit of any of the ancient 

 annalists. 



According to the recital of Herodotus and Ctesias, 

 Cambyses, in consequence of a dream, ordered the in- 

 fant Cyrus to be destroyed, and committed the execu- 

 tion of this order to his chief minister, Harpagus. Har- 

 pagus, being unwilling to execute this barbarous order 

 himself, gave the infant to the king's shepherd, whose 

 wife happened, at that very time, to be delivered of a 

 dead male child. Being greatly taken with the appear- 

 ance of the royal infant, she persuaded her husband to 

 preserve him, and expose their own in Iris stead; and 

 Cyrus was accordingly brought up as their son. Hav- 

 ing grown up to manhood, he, after various adventures, 

 dethroned his grandfather Astyages, conquered Croesus, 

 king of Lydia, overthrew the empire of the Babylonians, 

 published the famous edict by which the captive Jews 

 were permitted to return to Jerusalem and to rebuild 

 the temple ; then, pushing his conquests still farther, 

 after a wonderful career of success, created an exten- 

 sive empire in Asia, which was bounded on the east 

 by the river Indus, on the north by the Caspian and 

 Euxine seas, on the west by the iEgean Sea, and on the 

 south by Ethiopia and the Arabian Gulf. At length, 

 having carried his arms against the Scythians, or Mas- 

 sagetse, he was defeated and slain in battle by their 

 queen, Tomyris, who caused his head to be cut off and 

 put into a leathern bag full of blood, with these sar- 

 castic expressions — Now glut thyself with blood, for 

 which thou hast ever thirsted. 



Xenophon relates the history of Cyrus in a manner 

 considerably different. But the Cyrop&dia was evi- 

 dently written with the view of delineating, for the 

 instruction of sovereigns and of statesmen, the model 

 of a perfect prince, and a well-regulated monarchy ; 

 and not with the design of exhibiting a faithful record 

 of historical facts. The narrative of Xenophon, how- 

 ever, has been scrupulously followed by Rollin, and 

 most of the modern compilers of ancient history. There 

 is, indeed, little discrepancy, among ancient authors, 

 in regard to the grand historical features of his reign ; 

 the disagreement chiefly respects the birth, education, 

 death, and character of the hero. 



According to Xenophon, the education of children 

 was regarded by the ancient Persians as the most im- 

 portant duty, and the most essential part of govern- 

 ment. Boys were brought up publicly, in an uniform 

 manner, and accustomed, from their infancy, to gym- 

 nastic exercises, and to the utmost temperance in eat- 

 ing and drinking. Cyrus himself was educated in this 

 manner; and, according to Xenophon's account, sur- 

 passed all of his age in aptness to learn, and in cou- 

 rage and address in executing whatever he undertook. 

 We cannot afford room to enter minutely into the cir- 

 cumstantial detail of the elegant Grecian biographer. 

 Suffice it to mention, that, after passing through the ele- 

 mentary classes, to the previous discipline of which the 

 Persian youth were subjected, Cyrus was, at length, 

 initiated into the actual business of war ; being intrust- 

 ed with the command of the troops which were sent 

 to co-operate with the forces of his uncle Cyaxares, 

 who had succeeded Astyages on the throne of Media, 

 and was involved in a contest against the Babylonians. 

 In all his campaigns, Cyrus displayed uncommon ad- 

 dress and military genius ; and was no less renowned 

 for the generous and benevolent virtues, than for cou- 

 rage, prudence, and warlike abilities in the field. We 

 have already observed, that, in regard to the principal 

 historical events of his reign, there is not any very 

 material difference between the narrative of Xenophon 

 and those of other ancient authors. These events will 



Cyru*. 



