Chap. I.

PHOENICIAN.

5

* subsequently fell under the dominion of the Roman empire; and the Latins were notnally driven from Syria until about a century after the death of Saladin . In the yearConrad of Montserrat was hailed as the prince and champion of Tyre, which wasen besieged by the conqueror of Jerusalem . The Egyptian fleet was allowed to enterle a ucient harbour, the chain was immediately drawn across the entrance from mole to°J e » an d a thousand Turks were slain. Saladin was obliged to burn all his engines, and. aIce a disgraceful retreat to Damascus . Afterwards, Tyre was a place of rendezvous tole ships of Genoa, Pisa, and Venice, and eventually it became a part of the Turkish

dominions.

,, insular Tyre, destroyed by Alexander, is now “ a place for the spreading of nets ine midst of the sea,” as Ezekiel prophesied; the mole which the conqueror raised wasshed away by a storm, and thus the peninsular state of Tyre was destroyed.

-dradus was also a city belonging to the Phoenicians ; and another, called Tripoli, wasdt by the inhabitants of Aradus and Tyre, and hence its name.

J-he settlers at a very early period excelled in the sciences, and brought the arts and^anufactures to great perfection. They were the inventors of astronomy, and from theme Greeks received their letters. The glass, the purple dye, and fine linen, produced® re > was celebrated all over the then known world; they were skilled in the working ofa als and carving of timber; and were so perfect in the arts of construction, that we hearbem, in the time of Hiram, being employed by king Solomon in the construction of hise mple, more than 1000 years before our era.

As merchants, they had the commerce of the world; as navigators, they were the mostex perienced; and the greatest discoverers as well as planters of colonies; and for manythey had no competitors.

they carried on considerable trade with Syria ; and, having convenient harbours, andexcellent timber furnished them, they built great numbers of ships.

. '-'O.rthage, according to Velleius , was founded 65 years before Rome ; while many writersimagine that,it was built 130 years before the imperial city, by Dido, the sister ofygmahon, king of Tyre, and wife of Sichasus; and the Tyrians she carried with her, toco onise this new settlement, were among the most skilful in the arts of the then known. or . • ^he f° rrn government she introduced was by Aristotle said to be the most perfectm existence.

CARTHAGE

Carthage was situated at the extremity rf . »

miles in circumference- and the isthmus which united this peninsula to the continent otAfrica , was oFstadTa or “ore than 3 miles in breadth. On the west projected a long slipof 'and, halfrii atldium in breadth, which separated the sea from a lake, which was strongly

Vus. On the south side of the city was a triple wall, 30 cubits in height, and at every 480

B 5