With much that was barbaric still attaching to them, with a rude and inartificial government, savage passions, a debasing religion, and a general tendency to materialism, they were, towards the close of their empire, in all the ordinary arts and appliances of life, very nearly on a par with ourselves; and thus their history furnishes a warning--which the records of nations constantly repeat--that the greatest material prosperity may co-exist with the decline--and herald the downfall--of a kingdom.
APPENDIX.
[Illustration: PAGE 508] [Illustration: PAGE 509] [Illustration: PAGE 510] [Illustration: PAGE 511] [Illustration: PAGE 512] [Illustration: PAGE 513] LIST OF AUTHORS AND EDITIONS QUOTED IN THE NOTES.
ABULPHARAGIUS, Chronicon Syriacum, ed.

J.Bruno, Lipsim, 1789.
Agathangelus, Historia Regni Tiridatis, in C.Muller's Fragm.

Hist.
Gr.

vol.v.,Parisiis, 1870.
Agathias, in the Corpus Script.Hist.Byz.of B.G.Niebuhr, Bonnm, 1828.
Ammianus Marcellinus, ed.

Gronovius, Lugd.Bat., 1693.
Analecta Grmca, ed.Benedict., Lutetite Parisioruin, 1688.
Annales de l'Institut Archeologique, Paris, 1828, &c.
Anonymus (continuator of Dio Cassius),in the Fragm.Hist.