Assyria contains many large cities; but of these Babylon, to which,
after the destruction of Nineveh, the seat of government was removed,
is by far the most renowned and the most strongly fortified. Babylon
is situated in an extensive plain. Each side of the city, which forms
a square, measures one hundred and twenty stadia (about fourteen
miles), making the entire circuit of the city four hundred and eighty
stadia--such is the magnitude of this city Babylon! and in
magnificence also it surpassed every city of which we have any
knowledge. It is surrounded by a trench, deep, wide, and full of
water. Within this is a wall, the width of which is fifty royal
cubits, and its height two hundred cubits.[6] The royal cubit exceeds
the common measure by three fingers' breadth.
It is proper I should say in what manner the earth removed from the
trench was disposed of, and how the wall was constructed. The earth,
as fast as it was removed from the trench, was converted into bricks
and baked in furnaces: when thus prepared, melted bitumen was used
instead of mortar; and between every thirtieth course of bricks there
was inserted a layer of reeds. The sides of the trench were first
lined with brickwork, and then the wall raised in the manner
described. On the upper edges of the wall, and opposite to one
another, were constructed turrets; between these turrets a space was
left wide enough for a chariot and four horses to pass and turn. In
the walls were one hundred gates, all of brass, with posts and upper
lintels of the same. Eight days' journey from Babylon is a city named
Is, near which runs a small river of the same name, discharging itself
into the Euphrates; this river brings down with its waters clots of
bitumen in large quantities. From this source was derived the bitumen
used in cementing the walls of Babylon.
Such are the fortifications of Babylon. The city is divided into two
portions by the river Euphrates, which runs through the midst of it.
This river rises in Armenia, and throughout its course is wide, deep,
and swift; it empties itself into the Red sea.[7] Each of the city
walls is extended to the river, where it makes an angle, and, with a
coating of burnt bricks, lines the sides of the river. The city is
filled with houses of three or four stories, forming streets in
straight lines, and running parallel with one another, the cross
streets opening upon the river through as many smaller brazen gates,
placed in the breastwork of the river walls. Within the principal wall
just mentioned is a second, not much inferior to the first in
strength, tho less in width.
In the center of each portion of the city is an enclosed space--the
one occupied by the royal palace, a building of vast extent and great
strength; in the other stands the temple of Jupiter Belus, with its
brazen gates, remaining in my time: it is a square structure; each
side measures two stadia. Within the enclosure is erected a solid
tower, measuring a stadium both in width and depth; upon this tower is
raised another, and then another, and another, making eight in all.
The ascent is by a path which is formed on the outside of the towers;
midway in the ascent is a resting-place, furnished with easy chairs,
in which those who ascend repose themselves. On the summit of the
topmost tower stands a large temple; and in this temple is a great
couch, handsomely fitted up; and near it stands a golden table: no
statue whatever is erected in the temple, nor does any man ever pass
the night there; but a woman only, chosen from the people by the god,
as the Chaldeans, who are the priests of the temple affirm. The same
persons say--tho I give no credit to the story--that the god himself
comes to the temple and reposes on the bed, in like manner as at
Thebes in Egypt, where also, in the temple of Jupiter, a woman passes
the night. A similar custom is observed at Pataris, in Lycia, where
there is at times an oracle, on which occasions the priestess is shut
up by night in the temple.
Within the precincts of the temple at Babylon there is a smaller
sacred edifice on the ground, containing an immense golden statue of
Jupiter in a sitting posture: around the statue are large tables,
which, with the steps and throne, are all of gold, and, as the
Chaldeans affirm, contain eight hundred talents of gold. Without this
edifice is a golden altar; there is also another altar of great size,
on which are offered full-grown animals: upon the golden altar it is
not lawful to offer sacrifices except sucklings. Once in every year,
when the festival of this god is celebrated, the Chaldeans burn upon
the greater altar a thousand talents of frankincense. There was also,
not long since, in this sacred enclosure a statue of solid gold,
twelve cubits in height; at least so the Chaldeans affirm: I did not
myself see it. This figure Darius Hystaspes would fain have taken, but
dared not execute his wishes; however, his son Xerxes not only took
it, but put to death the priests who endeavored to prevent its
removal. Such was the magnificence of this temple, which contained
also many private offerings.
Of this Babylon there were several monarchs--as I shall mention in my
history of the Assyrians--who adorned the city and its temples. Among
these, two young women must be mentioned. The former, named
Semiramis,[8] reigned five generations before the latter. This queen
raised an embankment worthy of admiration through the plain to confine
the river, which heretofore often spread over the level like a lake.
The latter of these two queens, named Nitocris,[9] excelled the
former in intelligence: she left monuments, some of which I must
describe. Seeing the Medes already possest of extensive empire, and
restlessly extending their power, by taking city after city, among
which was Nineveh, she resolved in good time to secure herself against
them in the best manner possible. In the first place, therefore, as
the river Euphrates ran in a straight course through the city, she
formed excavations at a distance above it, by which means its course
became so tortuous that it three times passed a certain town of
Assyria, called Ardericca; travelers from our sea,[10] in descending
the Euphrates toward Babylon, three times arrive at that town in the
course of three days. She also raised both banks of the river to an
amazing height and thickness. At some distance above Babylon, and near
the river, she dug a reservoir in the marsh, of such depth as to drain
it. The width of this excavation was such as to make its circuit four
hundred and twenty stadia. The earth removed from it was taken to
raise the banks of the river; this done, she brought stones, with
which the sides of the lake were lined. Both these works--the
diverting of the river and the reservoir--were formed with the
intention of rendering the current less rapid by its many windings,
which broke its force, and at the same time made the navigation more
circuitous; so that those who descended toward Babylon by water might
have to make a long circuit around the lake. These works were
effective on that side which was exposed to the inroads of the Medes,
and where the distance between her dominions and theirs was the least;
for she wished to cut off all communication with them, and to keep
them in ignorance of her movements.
Thus did this princess raise from the depths a fortification, within
which she was included. The city being divided into two portions by
the river in former times, whoever wished to pass from one to the
other was obliged to take a boat, which manifestly was a great
inconvenience. This defect she supplied. When she had dug the lake in
the marsh, she availed herself of the occasion to construct another
monument also, by which her fame will be perpetuated. She caused
stones of great magnitude to be hewn, and when they were ready, the
lake being empty, she turned the waters of the Euphrates into it;
which, as it filled, left the old channel dry. Then she lined both
sides of the river and the descent from the gates with burnt bricks,
in like manner as the city walls; and with the stones already
mentioned she constructed, as near the middle of the city as possible,
a bridge, binding the stones together with iron and lead. During the
day, planks of wood were extended from pier to pier, so as to form a
pathway; these were withdrawn at night, to prevent the people from
passing over to plunder one another. This bridge was, as we have said,
formed by withdrawing the water of the Euphrates into the artificial
lake; when completed, the river was restored to its ancient channel;
the propriety of this mode of proceeding then become apparent, by
means of which the citizens obtained the accommodation of a bridge.
The same queen also executed the following machination: she
constructed for herself a tomb, aloft upon a gate in one of the most
frequented ways of the city; upon the sepulcher she engraved this
inscription: "If any one of my successors, the kings of Babylon, shall
lack money, let him open the sepulcher, and take what treasures he
pleases. But let him beware of opening it from any other cause than
necessity; for in such a case it shall not turn to his advantage."
This sepulcher remained undisturbed till Darius ascended the throne.
To this king it seemed a grievance both that this gate should remain
useless, and that the wealth deposited in it, and which invited
research, should not be appropriated. The gate was not used, because
no one could pass through it without having a dead body over his head.
He therefore opened the tomb, in which he found--of treasures indeed
nothing, but the corpse, and an inscription to this effect: "If thou
hadst not been insatiably eager for riches, and greedy of filthy
lucre, thou wouldst not have opened the depository of the dead." So
much for this queen and the reports that have been handed down
concerning her.
It was against the son of this woman that Cyrus made war; he was named
(like his father) Labynetus, and reigned over the Assyrians. When the
Great King[11] goes out to battle, he is attended by ample provisions
and cattle drawn from the home stock; and even water from the
Choaspian spring at Susa,[12] of which alone the king drinks, is
carried about for his use; for he can taste no other stream. This
Choaspian water, after having been boiled, is put into vases of
silver, which are transported in four-wheeled wagons drawn by mules,
following him wherever he goes.
Cyrus advancing toward Babylon arrived at the river Gyndes, which,
rising in the Matienian hills and running through the country of the
Dardanians (or Darnians), empties itself into the Tigris; and this
river, passing by the city Opis, discharges its waters into the Red
Sea.[13] When Cyrus attempted to pass this river Gyndes, which could
only be done by boats, one of the white horses called sacred, full of
mettle, plunged into the stream and endeavored to reach the opposite
bank; but, being submerged in the current, it was carried away. Cyrus,
enraged at the river for this injury, threatened to reduce it so low
that in future women should ford it with ease, not wetting their
knees. Having uttered this threat, he delayed the progress of his army
toward Babylon, and, dividing his forces into two bodies, measured out
one hundred and eighty channels to be cut from both banks of the
river, thus diverting the Gyndes on all sides. He enjoined upon his
army the work of digging these trenches, and by their numbers they
completed it; but the whole summer was spent there in the labor.
Cyrus having in this manner punished the river Gyndes, by distributing
its waters into three hundred and sixty trenches, as soon as the next
spring appeared, advanced toward Babylon. The Babylonians, coming out
in battle-array, waited his approach; when he drew nigh to the city
they engaged him, but, being defeated, retired within the walls. Some
time before, well knowing the restless intentions of Cyrus, and seeing
him attack one nation after another, they had brought into the city an
abundance of corn for many years. They therefore disregarded the
siege. But Cyrus, beset with difficulties, saw a long time pass away
without his making any progress toward the accomplishment of his
object.
At length, either at the suggestion of some one else or from a thought
of his own, he resorted to the following means: He disposed the whole
of his army, by placing one part above the city, where the river
enters it, and another part below, where it makes its exit, commanding
them as soon as they should perceive the river to be sufficiently
shallow to enter by that way. This order being given, he himself went
off with the inferior troops of the army. Arriving at the lake, he did
what had been done before by the queen of Babylon in the marsh; for,
by making a trench from the river to the empty reservoir, he diverted
the water from the ancient channel, till it so far subsided as to
become fordable.
As soon as this happened, the Persians who had been appointed for this
purpose entered Babylon by the bed of the river, the water of which
was little more than knee-deep. If the Babylonians had been before
apprized of the intentions of Cyrus, or if they had learned at the
moment what he was doing, they would not have suffered the Persians to
enter the city, nor would the Babylonians have perished so
shamefully; for if they had closed all the gates by the river's side,
and ascended the walls which ran along it, they might have taken the
Persians as in a net. But the Persians came upon their opponents quite
unexpectedly; and from the great extent of the city--as it has been
affirmed by some of the inhabitants--those who dwelt in the outskirts
of the city were made prisoners before the people in the center of
Babylon knew that the place was taken. But, as it happened, they were
celebrating a festival, and were dancing and feasting when they
learned what had happened. Thus was Babylon the first time taken.