The Persian religion was both noble and sublime, and its teaching concerning the two opposing forces of good and evil, affected the philosophy of the Greeks, and indirectly, the thought of the later Christian world. By carrying the plan of Assyrian conquest further, the Persians opened districts remote from social centers and helped the course of civilization. Their systematic government improved upon the one developed by Assyria in this particular: each governor was made supreme in his province under Assyrian administration, none other being accountable to the king for conditions in his territory. An opportunity thus offered for the governor to seize any favorable moment to shake off allegiance to the state and attempt to establish his own supremacy. Darius, on the other hand, posted troops in each satrapy, and both the commander of these troops and the governor were required to submit reports, and to act jointly in certain matters. In this way, one served as a check upon the other. Fine roads were built to allow rapid communication between the capital and distant provinces; these naturally facilitated commerce, and made travel safe--as one has graphically expressed it, "helped set the world a-mixing." A new day was dawning for humanity, and an age coming when one might look back to the infancy of the world, likening its progress to that of a man who has gained some perceptions, some ideas and experiences in childhood days which unconsciously but surely, influence his later life, illuminated by wider experiences and deeper truths. FOOTNOTES: [1] West: Ancient History. [2] Rawlinson: Persia. THE BOOK-STAMP OF SARDANAPALUS. Assurbanipal, or, as the Greeks called him, Sardanapalus, is supposed to have stored in his palace at Nineveh not less than 30,000 tablets. Upon every work in his library his ownership was stamped as follows: THE PALACE OF ASSURBANIPAL, KING OF REGIONS, KING OF MULTITUDES, KING OF ASSYRIA, TO WHOM THE GOD NEBO AND THE GODDESS TASMETI HAVE GRANTED ATTENTIVE EARS AND OPEN EYES TO DISCOVER THE WRITINGS OF THE SCRIBES OF MY KINGDOM, WHOM THE KINGS MY PREDECESSORS HAVE EMPLOYED. IN MY RESPECT FOR NEBO, THE GOD OF INTELLIGENCE, I HAVE COLLECTED THESE TABLETS; I HAVE HAD THEM COPIED; I HAVE MARKED THEM WITH MY NAME; AND I HAVE DEPOSITED THEM IN MY PALACE. THE CHALDEAN ACCOUNT OF THE DELUGE.