In the Oriental world we see the beginnings of civilized life--the
first successful efforts of man to subdue the earth and to utilize
the resources of nature; the beginnings of science and of a
well-defined written language; the first evidences of architectural
skill in the construction of great buildings; and the first marked
tendency in the direction of great empires and of centralized
governments. The chief nations may be summarized as follows:
EGYPTIANS.--One of the earliest civilized nations--the great
representative of the Hamitic race--developed apart--were not a
conquering or aggressive people--wonderful builders in the massive
style--made great progress in mechanical arts, and some advances in
science--government a monarchy restricted in authority by law, custom,
and powerful priesthood--religion a nature-worship--popular worship the
adoration of animals--an artistic, industrious and peculiar
nation--always wonderful and interesting to foreigners---did not greatly
influence others.
BABYLONIANS.--As ancient a race in civilization as the
Egyptians--partially of Tartar race, mainly Semitic--made great progress
at an early date in science--reached a high pitch of power and
civilization--known to us, in great measure, from ruins with
inscriptions in cuneiform writing--invented permanent system of weights
and measures--great in astronomy--the Chaldæan priests developed into a
caste of learned men, continuing (in the later Babylonian and Persian
empires) long after extinction of their own nation as an independent
power.
ASSYRIANS.--A Semitic people--warlike and conquering race--great in
architecture and sculpture--very wealthy and luxurious--empire extended
over Asia Minor (east of river Halys), Syria, Phœnicia, Palestine, most
of Egypt, Media, and countries on Tigris and Euphrates to Persian
Gulf--artistic workers in glass, metals, gems--rule despotic over
loosely connected nations.
BABYLONIANS (Later kingdom).--A Semitic people--as a political power
ruled for only eighty-seven years, 625-538 B.C., from end of Assyrian
power to conquest by Persians under Cyrus--were a commercial and
luxurious race--city of Babylon emporium for trade between eastern Asia
and western Asia, Egypt and Europe--great in manufactures of woven
stuffs and gem-engraving.
HEBREWS.--A pure Semitic race--little influence on political history of
antiquity--distinguished by their worship of one God, and for the
Scriptures transmitted to future ages--a great monarchy under David and
Solomon, then declined--a non-artistic, unscientific nation in ancient
history.
PHŒNICIANS.--A pure Semitic people--greatest commercial and colonizing
race of early times--distinguished as transmitters of civilization from
East to West--never formed one great independent state--several
independent cities, sometimes in alliance, sometimes hostile--Tyre and
Sidon famous for dyes, glass-making, embroideries, brass-work, weaving
of cloth in linen and cotton, ship-building, mining--developers of
alphabet still used by modern nations--religion a sensual worship--a
crafty, money-making people--Carthage was the greatest of all the
Phœnician colonies.
MEDES AND PERSIANS.--Pure Aryans in race--warlike people, great in
cavalry and as archers--Median monarchy ended 558 B.C., then Persian
monarchy arose--Persians a lively, brave, poetical people, simple in
life at first, after their great conquests degenerated into luxury--more
like Europeans in civilization than any other Asiatics--were the great
ruling power in Asia from time of Cyrus to conquest by Alexander the
Great (558-331 B.C.)--first Asiatics that tried to conquer in
Europe--signally failed--empire extended over all western Asia, and over
Egypt--religion recognized two principles, a good and a bad spirit--had
taste in architecture--no literature of importance.
HINDUS.--Until recent times almost isolated from the western
world--unwarlike, dreamy specimens of Aryan stock--early advance in
civilization--a rich and remarkable religious and poetical literature in
Sanscrit, one of the oldest of the Indo-European tongues--first known in
real history on invasion by Alexander the Great, 327 B.C.--progress
greatly checked by rigid system of castes--government of native princes
thoroughly despotic--no free aspirations or political instincts in the
people--popular religion grossly superstitious--Brahminism (a
philosophic deism), creed of the educated, along with Mohammedanism,
introduced by conquest in thirteenth century A.D.--skilled at an early
period in mathematics, manufactures, architecture--a tasteful,
intelligent, but unpractical, non-historical people.
[Illustration: =THE ASSYRIAN EMPIRE AND THE REGION ABOUT THE EASTERN
MEDITERRANEAN, 750-625 B. C.=]
GREEKS.--In the Greek world we see a finer type of humanity: a
versatile intellect, expressed in exalted works of philosophy and
literature; a refined æsthetic taste embodied in the most beautiful
specimens of architecture and sculpture; and a strong love of
freedom, shown in the development of democratic institutions.
ROMANS.--In the Roman world we see a more practical genius and a
more vigorous manhood; a great capacity for military and political
organization; a broad sense of civil justice, expressed in an
enduring system of law; a wide cosmopolitan spirit, capable of
appropriating the ideas of other peoples--in short, a civilization
which expressed the highest unity and broadest culture of the
ancient world.