to re-ascend his throne, he put him to death. Psammenitus reigned but six months: all Egypt submitted immediately to the victor. The particulars of this history will be related more at large, when I come to that of Cambyses.

Here ends the succession of the Egyptian kings. From this æra the history of this nation, as was before observed, will be blended with that of the Persians and Greeks, till the death of Alexander. At that period, a new monarchy will arise in Egypt, founded by Ptolemy the son of Lagus, which will continue to Cleopatra, that is, for about three hundred years. I shall treat each of these subjects, in the several periods to which they belong.

BOOK THE SECOND.

THE

HISTORY

OF THE

CARTHAGINIAN S.

PART THE FIRST.

CHARACTER, MANNERS, RELIGION, and GOVERNMENT of the CARTHAGINIANS.

SECT. I.

CARTHAGE formed after the Model of TYRE, of which that City was a Colony.

THE Carthaginians were indebted to the Tyrians, not only for their origin, but for their manners, language, customs, laws, religion, and their great application to commerce, as will appear from every part of the sequel. They spoke the same language with the Tyrians, and these the same with the Canaanites and Israelites, that is, the Hebrew tongue, or at least a language, which was entirely derived from it. Their names had commonly some particular meaning: a Thus Hanno signified gracious,

a Bochart, Part II. 1. ii. c. 16.

bountiful; Dido, amiable, or well beloved; Sophonisba, one who keeps faithfully her husband's secrets. From a spirit of religion, they likewise joined the name of God to their own, conformably to the genius of the Hebrews. Hannibal, which answers to Hananias, signifies Baal, [or the Lord has been gracious to me. Asdrubal, answering to Azarias, implies, the Lord will be our succour. It is the same with other names, Adherbal, Maharbal, Mastanabal, &c. The word Poeni, from which Punic is derived, is the same with Phoni, or Phœnicians, because they came originally from Phonicia. In the Poenulus of Plautus, is a scene written in the Punic tongue, which has very much exercised the learned *.

с

But the strict union which always subsisted between the Phoenicians and Carthaginians, is still more remarkable. When Cambyses had resolved to make war upon the latter, the Phoenicians, who formed the chief strength of his fleet, told him plainly, that they could not serve him against their countrymen; and this declaration obliged that prince to lay aside his design. The Carthaginians, on their side, were never forgetful of the country from whence they came, and to which they owed their origin. They sent regularly every year to Tyre, a ship freighted with presents, as a quit-rent or acknowledgment paid to their ancient country; and an annual sacrifice was offered to the tutelar gods of Tyre by the Cathaginians, who considered them as their protectors likewise. They never failed to send thither the first fruits of their revenues; nor the tithe of the spoils taken from their enemies, as offerings to Hercules, one of the principal gods of Tyre and Carthage. The Tyrians, to secure from Alexander (who was then besieging their city) what they valued above all things, I mean their wives

b Herod. 1. iii. c. 17-19.

• Polyb. 944. Q. Curt. l. iv. c. 2,3.

*The first scene of the fifth act, translated into Latin by Petit, in the second book of his Miscellanies.