OF

ANCIENT HISTORY;

INCLUDING

GREECE, EGYPT, PERSIA, CARTHAGE,

ROME: THE PHILISTINES,

PHOENICIANS, JEWS, GOTHS, HUNS, ETC.

THE WHOLE SELECTED FROM OR COLLATED WITH

THE MOST AUTHENTIC HISTORIES.

WITH

QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION.

BY JOSEPH GUY,

FORMERLY OF THE ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE: AUTHOR OF THE GENERAL

SCHOOL QUESTION BOOK," "CHART OF GENERAL HISTORY," "SCHOOL

GEOGRAPHY," "BRITISH SPELLING BOOK," ETC., ETC,

Si quid novisti rectius istis,

Candidus imperti; si non, his utere mecum.-Hor.

LONDON:

BALDWIN AND CRADOCK, PATERNOSTER ROW.

1836.

91.

PREFACE.

IT has been the frequent complaint of tutors, that among all the histories drawn up for the purpose of schools, not one seems altogether suitable both in size and price. There are books for schools in which both the ancient and modern history are comprised in two or three hundred pages. There are others in which the whole is extended to nearly ten times that bulk. The former may be perused and leave the tyro ignorant of the most important events; the latter cannot be waded through without the neglect of other studies of more than equal importance.

Hitherto, if it were needful for scholars to be supplied with histories of any country, ancient or modern, they must be purchased either in as many separate and expensive volumes; or, if several ample histories be comprised in a single volume, it becomes too bulky and expensive for the usual school purposes.

Formerly it generally was deemed sufficient-even at the more respectable schools to render boys acquainted with the histories of only England, Rome, and Greece,-and yet these alone are, to the whole of general history, but as an oasis in the desert-almost all else of the great world is still to the young reader a mere blank. From the perusal of only these three portions of general history, they can form no correct idea of the great stream of events from remote ages to the present, nor of the collateral course of different nations extending through a series of centuries.

a 2

To remedy this deficiency, the Author has thus ventured to add to his former publications for youth, an Elementary course of General History, in three moderate volumes; one containing ANCIENT HISTORY, a second BRITISH HISTORY, and a third MODERN HISTORY. The present treatise embraces Ancient History, which he flatters himself tutors will be happy to see, for the first time comprised in one volume. The whole he hopes will fill up a void in the school library, which he has often had occasion to regret. The volumes are quite distinct from each other, and may be purchased separately to suit the wants of the pupil, who may one half-year be studying ancient, another half-year British, or Modern History.

It appears to the Compiler to be an essential requisite that the volumes put into the hands of youth should contain a very fair and full abridgment of the great leading events of history, both ancient and modern, and that the price of the Work should be such as would not prevent each pupil of the class from possessing a copy to himself.

It may perhaps be asserted, without fear of contradic tion, that so large a portion of history has not in any work been exhibited within the same compass, the object having been to comprise as much as possible of authentic, valuable, and interesting history in each volume.

Having had frequent occasion to notice the inefficiency of the little vocabularies placed at the head of historical sections, the learners often looking for words that are not there explained-for all scholars have not the like wantsto some they prove redundant, to others deficient-the Compiler has uniformly enjoined upon his scholars, in their historical studies, that they should keep beside them, as their vade mecum, both a dictionary and an atlas,* as their only efficient aids. Thus the imperfect vocabulary becomes entirely superseded, and its absence most amply supplied.

* Ostell's Atlas is an accurate and handsomely engraved work, with the addition of a copious Index.

Adepts and Critics in History will be pleased not hastily to censure the work because it may not fully satisfy their enquiries; but remember for whose use it is written; and that abstracts alone are suited to the capacities, and the time of learners, whose other varied studies claim so large a share of their daily attention. They will form, however, if rightly studied, a tolerable basis upon which to erect a superstructure, after their course of school instruction shall be completed; and even to those who have no occasion for the information they contain, summaries of this kind may occasionally be welcome, in helping them to survey at a rapid glance that course which they have examined in detail.

Among the numerous authorities which the Compiler has had occasion to consult, he has often found one differ from another in the spelling of names,-nor do the dates always exactly correspond; but it is impossible it should be otherwise; while authors translate or transcribe from different languages, and calculate time from different eras. Nor will it be at all surprising if these volumes, with all the care that has been taken to ensure correctness, should not agree with some dates and names with which they may be compared.

The Compiler presumes to hope, that while the whole is written upon true Protestant principles, his object has been not to bias but to inform; not to serve the political or religious views of any sect or party, but the more enlarged purposes of general knowledge. Indeed, no more of either politics or polemics have been introduced than youth are expected to understand, or than their early period of life entitles them to investigate.

The Questions for examination have not been suffered to intermix with, and interrupt the connected chain of history; but they are appended to the volume; and the sections are so marked and numbered that they are capable of being easily and conveniently referred to.