famous Carthaginian general. Such inftances of patriotifm will be the subject of praise till time fhall be no more. Their vaft applaufe fhall reach the ftarry frame, VIDA. How long has that tragical event preceded the present year 1810? Anf. 2029 years. No. 16. SIEGE OF NUMANTIA.-Numantia was fituated near Soria in Old Caftile, Spain, and is celebrated for the long war which it maintained against the Romans. Scipio Africanus befieged this famous city 133 years B. C.; when the magnanimous inhabitants, after a long conflict against the extremity of famine and the despair of fuccour, fignalized their love of LIBERTY by fetting fire to their houses, and perishing in the flames: "A patriot-people, who death's terrors scorn'd: How long has that heroic event preceded the current year 1810? Ans. 1943 years. No. 17. BATTLE OF MARATHON.-Marathon was a village of Attica, about ten miles from Athens. In the adjacent plains the Athenians, with only 10,000 men*, commanded by the heroic MILTIADES, defeated Datis at the head of 100,000 Perfian infantry, and 10,000 This is the ufual number affigned the Athenians; but Mr. Mitford, in his Hiftory of Greece, fuppofes it probable, that the Athenian army amounted to 20,000 free men, and an equal number of arined flaves. Some authors alfo ftate the Perfian army at 300.000; others 600,000, and raise their lofs in the expedition, and in the battle, to 200,000 men. horfe. horfe. Five Athenian generals, and about 200 citizens, perished in the engagement. The Perfians loft 6000 of their braveft troops. The battle of Marathon has often defervedly filled the page of the hiftorian. Never had fo fmall a body of forces overcome fo great an hoft. Their fplendid achievements and extraordinary fuccefs, infpired the Greeks with an enthufiafm of valour, and are confidered by Plato as the fource and original caufe of their future conquefts and victories. The terror of the Perfian power, hitherto fo formidable, was diffipated. The Greeks were taught, from fuccefs, to know their own ftrength, and to tremble no more at the name of an enemy whom they had conquered. On all following occafions of importance, the orators recalled the field of MARATHON to the remembrance of their countrymen, and held up MILTIADES and his victorious troops to view, in order to infpire them with a paffion for glory, and the emulation of their ancestors. The battle of Marathon was fought 490 years B. C. How long is that ago this present year 1810? Anf. 2300 years. No. 18. BATTLE OF LEUCTRA.-Leuctra was a village of Boeotia *, a country of Greece, now forming a part of Livadia, in European Turkey. Here the brave * Boeotia was ftigmatized for its foggy atmosphere and the dulness of its inhabitants: there were, however, many illuftrious exceptions to their general character; for Democritus, Hefiod, Pindar, Epaminondas, and Plutarch, were all Baotians. Hence, all the virtues of exalted mind, JUVENAL, by Mr. WAKEFIELD. The beautiful and accomplished CORINNA was also a Boeotian, having been born at TANAGRA, a famous town in that district. She obtained five times a poetical prize, in which Pindar was one of her competitors; but it is fuppofed that her personal charms greatly contributed to the defeat of her rivals. See Exer. on the Globes, art. Lyre, and Tanagra. EPAMINONDAS EPAMINONDAS, the Theban general, in conjunction with his illuftrious friend PELOPIDAS, obtained a famous victory over the fuperior force of Cleombrotus, king of Sparta, who was flain in the engagement, together with 4000 of his fubjects and allies; while the lofs on the part of the Thebans was only 300 men. Never had the Spartans received fuch a blow. The defeat was difgrace; and the lofs of this battle was the lofs of all they held dear, of a character for pre-eminent bravery, which they had acquired, and hitherto fupported. From this period the Spartans loft the dominion of Greece, which they had enjoyed for nearly 500 years. The battle of Leucira was fought 371 years B. C. How many years have intervened between that period and the prefent year 1810? Anf. 2181 years. No. 19. BATTLE OF MANTINEA." Fair Mantinea's ever pleafing fite" was in Arcadia, Peloponnefus, now the Morea, a peninfula of European Turkey. This place is rendered memorable by the death of the who was flain in an engagement with the combined forces of feveral Grecian ftates. The laft moments of the Theban general did not obfcure the fplendor of a life, which had been spent in the acquifition of knowledge, in acts of beneficence, and in the aggrandizement of his country. Amid the agonies of diffolution, his only folicitude was for his own military glory, and the profperity of Thebes." Is my fhield fafe? Are the Thebans victorious?" were queftions that he repeated with the utmost anxiety. Viewing his fhield, which was brought to him, and being informed that the Spartans were defeated, a gleam of joy prevailed for a moment over the languor of death: "Mine," faid he, " is a glorious departure; I die in the arms of victory ; tell me not that I am childlefs, for LEUCTRA and MANTINEA * In the midft of the general affliction, one of his most intimate friends exclaimed, "Oh! Epaminondas, you are dying, and we fhall MANTINEA are immortal children." He then commanded the javelin to be extracted, which he knew was to occafion his immediate death, and expired in the arms, and amid the groans, of his furrounding friends. His body was depofited in the field of battle, where a monument to his memory remained to the time of Paufanias.* With Epaminondas expired the fplendor of the Theban name. For to him, and to his friend Pelopidas +, the famous "Theban Pair," that obfcure republic owed the pre-eminence it had acquired in Greece. The battle of Mantinea was fought about 363 years B. C. How long is that ago this prefent year 1810? Anf. 2173 years. No. 20. BATTLE OF THERMOPYLEÆ. Thermopyla was a narrow defile leading from Theffaly into Locris and Phocis, diftricts of Greece, and now part of European Turkey. It had a large ridge of high mountains on the Welt, and the Euripus, a ftrait which feparates the island of Negropont from the continent, on the Eaft, with deep and dangerous marfhes, being in the most confined part only 25 feet in breadth. This pafs obtained its name from the adjacent hot springs, and was confidered fhall lofe you entirely, without a hope remaining of feeing you revive in your offspring; you leave us no children behind you."" You are mistaken," replied Epaminondas coolly, "I fhall leave behind me two immortal daughters; the victory of Leultra and that of Mantinea," Folard's Life of Epam. by Parry. When that eminent artift Michael Angelo was asked why he did not marry? he answered, that "Painting was his wife, and his works were his children." See Chron. and Biog. Exer. 4th edit. * See Dr. Rutherford's Anç. Hift. vol. ii, p. 525. + Pelopidas was a famous general of Thebes. He shared with Epaminondas the glory of the victory at Leuctra. He was re-elected thirteen times fucceffively to fill the honourable office of governor of Boeotia. l'elopidas was killed in a battle with the troops of Alexander, tyrant of Phere (a town of Theffaly), after he had gained the victory ; 364 years B. C. as as the gate or opening into Greece *. Here it was that a fmall band of heroic Spartans, commanded by their illuftrious king LEONIDAS, gloriously repulfed the invading army of Xerxes, king of Perfia, confifting of more than 3,000,000 of men. While the Great King, as this infamous marauder was called, anxious and perplexed at the ineffectual endeavours of his myriads of flaves to force their way through the defile, knew not what refolution to adopt, a deteftable mifcreant named Epialtes, an inhabitant of the country, induced by the hopes of reward, brought information of another pass over the mountains of Öeta. The Spartans being by this treacherous manœuvre attacked by a detachment of 20,000 Perfians in the rear, while the main body affailed them in the front, it was no longer poffible to refift the weapons of furrounding multitudes; and this undaunted band perished to the laft man, overwhelmed rather than conquered by the Perfian arms, Twenty thoufand Perfians fell in this engagement, and among the reft the two brothers of the Great King," who was thus taught that with all the millions of the East, it might be poffible to exterminate the Greeks, but it was impoffible to fubdue them. To the memory of thofe brave defenders of Greece, a magnificent monument was afterwards erected on the spot where they fell, bearing two infcriptions; one in honour. of all those who had fallen on that occafion: the other, to the memory of LEONIDAS and his 300 Spartans : His fair renown fhall never fade away, TYRTAUS. The puos, hot, or fcalding; and Tuλai, ftraits, or narrow paffages between hills. + The expreffion native country, it has been well remarked, prefents itself to the mind, decorated with many ideas from the ward robe |