g the
Persian Gulf between Bushire and Bunder Abbas. In ancient times the
inhabitants, divided into tribes, led a simple, rustic life, superior
in all respects to their neighbours the Medes, already enervated by
civilisation. Between the ages of five and twenty, says Herodotus,
the young Persians are taught three things: to mount the horse, to
stretch the bow, and to speak the truth (Her., Clio, cxxxi.). It was
amongst them, and amongst the Bactrians, that the principles of the
Zoroastrian religion had been maintained in all their purity.

With Cyrus, the descendant of Achaemenes, the real history of Persia
begins. He founded the dynasty of the Achaemenides, which lasted for
two centuries, and attained by its conquests a degree of splendour
of which we find unmistakable traces everywhere. It was at Arbela [5]
(331) that Alexander overthrew Darius, the last prince of this dynasty,
and, on his death, Persia was numbered amongst the countries that had
passed under the subjection of the Seleucidae. In 225 B.C., Arsace,
of the province of Parthia, revolted against Antiochus Theos, and
laid the foundations of a new empire. The dynasty of the Arsacides
reigned until a Persian prince of somewhat inferior birth, Ardeshir,
founded in his turn a national dynasty, viz., that of the Sassanides
(226 A.D.). The Romans were its constant enemies. However, the
real danger revealed itself only with the advent of the Arabs, who,
approaching nearer and nearer, had already conquered several provinces
when King Yezdezard made preparations for resistance.

The first invasion took place under Khalif Omar (633). [6] Khalud Ben
Walid at the head of ten thousand men, and Mosanna at the head of eight
thousand, had marched against Hormuz, the Persian Governor of Irak,
and had vanquished him. After this victory Khalud had gone forward
and conquered Irak; but he was defeated at the battle of Marwaha
(634). Four thousand Mussulmans were killed, and two thousand returned
to Medina. Unfortunately the Persian general Behman did not follow up
this advantage. The country was at this time divided into two factions,
one under Rustam, the generalissimo of the Persian Empire, the other
under Prince Firoz. Behman, instead of securing the independence of
his country, hastened to support Rustam against Firoz. The Arabs,
emboldened by their rapid successes, established their camp between
Kadesia [7] and Koufah, where by the Caliph's order hordes of Nomads
came to