text_original: Three cen  turies ago they had made themselves a name in his  tory by humbling the dynasty of Syria ; the energy of conquest had carried them from their highland homes and sent the thrones of Asia toppling down whose before them, till all from the Euphrates to the ^ 1 T T 1 If. , was then m Oxus and Hydaspes owned their sway ; but its decay. now the tide had spent its force and the great empire was slowly sinking to decay.
text_transcription: THREE CENTURIES AGO THEY HAD MADE THEMSELVES A NAME IN HISTORY BY HUMBLING THE DYNASTY OF SYRIA THE ENERGY OF CONQUEST HAD CARRIED THEM FROM THEIR HIGHLAND HOMES AND SENT THE THRONES OF ASIA TOPPLING DOWN BEFORE THEM TILL ALL FROM THE EUPHRATES TO THE OXUS AND HIDAPUS OWNED THEIR SWAY BUT NOW THE TIDE HAD SPENT ITS FORCE AND THE GREAT EMPIRE WAS SLOWLY SINKING TO DECAY
phonemes: θɹˈiː sˈɛn tˈʌɹiz ɐɡˈoʊ ðeɪ hæd mˌeɪd ðɛmsˈɛlvz ɐ nˈeɪm ɪn hɪz tˈɔːɹi baɪ hˈʌmblɪŋ ðə dˈaɪnɐsti ʌv sˈɪɹiə ; ðɪ ˈɛnɚdʒi ʌv kˈɑːŋkwɛst hæd kˈæɹid ðˌɛm fɹʌm ðɛɹ hˈaɪlənd hˈoʊmz ænd sˈɛnt ðə θɹˈoʊnz ʌv ˈeɪʒə tˈɑːplɪŋ dˌaʊn hˌuːz bᵻfˈɔːɹ ðˌɛm, tˈɪl ˈɔːl fɹʌmðə juːfɹˈeɪɾiːz tə ðə wˈʌn tˈiː tˈiː wˈʌn ɪf. , wʌz ðˈɛn ˈɛm ˈɑːksəs ænd hˈaɪdæsps ˈoʊnd ðɛɹ swˈeɪ ; bˌʌt ɪts dᵻkˈeɪ. nˈaʊ ðə tˈaɪd hæd spˈɛnt ɪts fˈɔːɹs ænd ðə ɡɹˈeɪt ˈɛmpaɪɚ wʌz slˈoʊli sˈɪŋkɪŋ tə dᵻkˈeɪ.