The reader having been thus prepared for a regular progress in ancient history, by the perusal of such parts of the above epitomes as confine themselves to that period, (for some of these epitomes, it may be observed, embrace modern as well as ancient history,) we shall now lay down a method by which the principal authors of antiquity may' be read, so as to collect fro.n them a pretty regular series or facts, which will comprise the history of Asia, Africa, Greece, and Rome, till the dissolution of the empire of Constantinople.
Herodotus is the earliest historian extant, next to the authors of the historical books of the Old Testament. His history comprises every thing he had an opportunity of learning respecting the Lydians, Ionians, Lycians, Egyp tians, Persians, Greeks, and Macedonians, from the year 713 to the year 479 before the birth of Christ. Perhaps no author of history, ancient or modern, might be appeal ed to, as more fully illustrating the truth of the remark made at the beginning of this article, that, even in respect to amusement, history presents claims to attention not in ferior to works of fiction. The great merits of this author are, his diligence, accuracy, fidelity, and impartiality. The accuracy of the geographical knowledge which he dis plays, is continually receiving confirmation from the dis coveries of the moderns. His style is simple and elegant. His faults and defects are his digressive method, and his intermixture of fable. A more particular account of several events in the period of Herodotus' History may be extracted from the following authors : Justin, books i. iii. and vii.; the 7th book of Xenophon's Cyropadia ; the lives of Aristides, Themislocles, Cimon, Miltiades, and Pausanius, by Plutarch and Cornelius Nepos ; and those of Anaximander, Zeno, Euripides, Herachtus, and De mocritus, by Diogenes Laertius, will illustrate not only the history of Herodotus, but also the state of manners and philosophy at that period.
Thucydides must be read after Herodotus. In his in troduction he connects his history with that of Hcrodotus, by giving a summary view of the history of Greece, from the departure of Xerxes to the commencement of the Peloponnesian war. He proposed to write the entire his tory of that war, but his work reaches only to the 21st year of it. The method he pursues is directly the reverse of that followed by Herodutus ; for his exact and scru pulous observance of chronological order, obliges him to interrupt his narrative, in a manner that is very pain ful and disagreeable to his reader. His style is uncom
monly compact and dense ; so that his meaning is fre quently not brought out with sufficient fulness and per spicuity. His reflections are acute and profound, but more interesting to the politician than the philosopher. After the first book of this author, the 1 1 th and 12th of Diodorus Siculus ought to be read ; and, after the whole of his work, the 4th and 5th books of Justin, and the lives of Alcibiades, Chabrias, Thrasybulus, and Ly sias, by Plutarch.
The 1st and 2d books of Xenophon's History of Greece complete the account of the Peloponnesian war, with the contemporary affairs of the Medes and Persians. After this the expedition of Cyrus, by the same author, should he read ; and, lastly, the remainder of his History of Greece, which contains an account of the affairs of the Greeks and Persians till the battle of Mantinea, in the year 363 before Christ. All the historical books of Xe nophon comprise a period of about 48 years. The style of Xenophon is remarkable for its elegance ; his impar tiality is undoubted ; and his manner and plan form a happy medium between the loose and slightly connect ed excursions of Herodotus, and the extreme rigour of Thucydides. His account of the retreat of the Ten Thousand, in which he bore a principal part, is perhaps as interesting a portion of history as ancient or modern times can present, and is told in the most interesting man ner. To complete the history of all that period of which Xenophon treats, the lives of Lysander, Agesilaus, Ar taxerxes, Conon, and Datatues, by Plutarch or Cornelius Nepos, and the 13th, 14th and 15th books of Diodorus . Siculus, ought to be read. The continuation of the work of Diodorus Siculus brings the history of Greece and Persia down to the commencement of the reign of Alex ander the Great, in the year 336 before Christ. The history of Alexander has been written by Arrian, Plu tarch, and Quintus Curtius. After these authors, may be read the 18in, 19111, and 20th books of Diodorus Siculus, together with the 13th, 14th, and 15th books of Justin ;— these contain the history of Greece from the year 323 before Christ to the year 301. At this period, the course of historical narrative may be traced from the 16th to the 30th books of Justin, and all that follow till the two last, which complete the history of Greece till it mingles with that of Rome.