al circumstances, that she
menaces seriously her northern neighbors. Persia seems never to have
experienced any alarm of an Arab invasion; her relations with the tribes
that came into closest contact with her were friendly; and she left the
bulk of the nation in unmolested enjoyment of their independence.

Another country adjoining the Persian Empire on the south, and one which
might have been expected to cause some trouble, was Ethiopia. To Egypt
Ethiopia had always proved an unquiet, and sometimes even a dangerous,
neighbor; she was fertile, rich, populous; her inhabitants were tall,
strong, and brave; she had a ready means of marching into Egypt down the
fertile valley of the Nile; and her hosts had frequently ravaged,
and even held for considerable terms of years, that easily subjected
country. It is remarkable that during the whole time of the Persian
dominion Ethiopia seems to have abstained from any invasion of the
Egyptian territory. Apparently, she feared to provoke the power which
had seated itself on the throne of the Pharaohs, and preferred the quiet
enjoyment of her own wealth and resources to the doubtful issues of a
combat with the mistress of Asia.

On her western horizon, clearly discernible from the capes and headlands
of the Asiatic coast, but separated from her, except in one or two
places, by a tolerably broad expanse of sea, and so--as it might have
seemed--less liable to come in contact with her than her neighbors upon
the land, lay the shores and isles of Greece--lovely and delightful
regions, in possession of a brave and hardy race, as yet uncorrupted by
luxury, though in the enjoyment of a fair amount of civilization. As the
eye looked across the Egean waters, resting with pleasure on the varied
and graceful forms of Sporades and Cyclades, covetous thoughts might
naturally arise in the beholder's heart; and the idea might readily
occur of conquering and annexing the fair tracts which lay so temptingly
near and possessed such numerous attractions. The entire region,
continent and islands included, was one of diminutive size--not half
so large as an ordinary Persian satrapy; it was well peopled, but its
population could not have amounted to that of the Punjab or of Egypt,
countries which Persia had overrun in a single campaign; its inhabitants
were warlike, but they were comparatively poor, and the true sinews of
war are money; moreover, they were divided amongst themselves, locally
split up by