title of “King of Parthia.”  Though he had fought well at Nisibis, he had not given any indications of remarkable military talent.  Artaxerxes, having taken the measure of his antagonist during the course of the Roman war, having estimated his resources and formed a decided opinion on the relative strength of Persia and Parthia, deliberately resolved, a few years after the Roman war had come to an end, to revolt and accept the consequences.  He was no doubt convinced that his nation would throw itself enthusiastically into the struggle, and he believed that he could conduct it to a successful issue.  He felt himself the champion of a depressed, if not an oppressed, nationality, and had faith in his power to raise it into a lofty position.  Iran, at any rate, should no longer, he resolved, submit patiently to be the slave of Turan; the keen, intelligent, art-loving Aryan people should no longer bear submissively the yoke of the rude, coarse, clumsy Scyths.  An effort after freedom should be made.  He had little doubt of the result.  The Persians, by the strength of their own right arms and the blessing of Ahuramazda, the “All-bounteous,” would triumph over their impious masters, and become once more a great and independent people.  At the worst, if he had miscalculated, there would be the alternative of a glorious death upon the battle-field in one of the noblest of all causes, the assertion of a nation’s freedom.

CHAPTER II.

Situation and Size of Persia.  General Character of the Country and Climate.  Chief Products.  Characteristics of the Persian People, physical and moral.  Differences observable in the Race at different periods.

Persia Proper was a tract of country lying on the Gulf to which it has given name, and extending about 450 miles from north-west to south-east, with an average breadth of about 250 miles.  Its entire area may be estimated at about a hundred thousand square miles.  It was thus larger than Great Britain, about the size of Italy, and rather less than half the size of France.  The boundaries were, on the west, Elymais or Susiana (which, however, was sometimes reckoned a part of Persia); on the north, Media; on the east, Carmania; and on the south, the sea.  It is nearly represented in modern times by the two Persian provinces of Farsistan and Laristan, the former of which retains, but slightly changed, the ancient appellation.  The Hindyan or Tab (ancient Oroatis) seems towards its mouth to have formed the western limit.  Eastward, Persia extended to about the site of the modern Bunder Kongo.  Inland, the northern boundary ran probably a little south of the thirty-second parallel, from long. 50 deg. to 55 deg..  The line dividing Persia Proper from Carmania (now Kerman) was somewhat uncertain.