the history-第24章

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　of　the　rock。　The　Cnidians；　therefore；　sent　to　Delphi；　to　inquire　what　it　was　that　hindered　their　efforts；　and　received；　according　to　their　own　account；　the　following　answer　from　the　oracle：…

　　　　Fence　not　the　isthmus　off；　nor　dig　it　through…　　　　　Jove　would　have　made　an　island；　had　he　wished。

So　the　Cnidians　ceased　digging；　and　when　Harpagus　advanced　with　his　army；　they　gave　themselves　up　to　him　without　striking　a　blow。　　　　　Above　Halicarnassus　and　further　from　the　coast；　were　the　Pedasians。　With　this　people；　when　any　evil　is　about　to　befall　either　themselves　or　their　neighbours；　the　priestess　of　Minerva　grows　an　ample　beard。　Three　times　has　this　marvel　happened。　They　alone；　of　all　the　dwellers　in　Caria；　resisted　Harpagus　for　a　while；　and　gave　him　much　trouble；　maintaining　themselves　in　a　certain　mountain　called　Lida；　which　they　had　fortified；　but　in　course　of　time　they　also　were　forced　to　submit。　　　　　When　Harpagus；　after　these　successes；　led　his　forces　into　the　Xanthian　plain；　the　Lycians　of　Xanthus　went　out　to　meet　him　in　the　field：　though　but　a　small　band　against　a　numerous　host；　they　engaged　in　battle；　and　performed　many　glorious　exploits。　Overpowered　at　last；　and　forced　within　their　walls；　they　collected　into　the　citadel　their　wives　and　children；　all　their　treasures；　and　their　slaves；　and　having　so　done；　fired　the　building；　and　burnt　it　to　the　ground。　After　this；　they　bound　themselves　together　by　dreadful　oaths；　and　sallying　forth　against　the　enemy；　died　sword　in　hand；　not　one　escaping。　Those　Lycians　who　now　claim　to　be　Xanthians；　are　foreign　immigrants；　except　eighty　families；　who　happened　to　be　absent　from　the　country；　and　so　survived　the　others。　Thus　was　Xanthus　taken　by　Harpagus；　and　Caunus　fell　in　like　manner　into　his　hands；　for　the　Caunians　in　the　main　followed　the　example　of　the　Lycians。　　　　　While　the　lower　parts　of　Asia　were　in　this　way　brought　under　by　Harpagus；　Cyrus　in　person　subjected　the　upper　regions；　conquering　every　nation；　and　not　suffering　one　to　escape。　Of　these　conquests　I　shall　pass　by　the　greater　portion；　and　give　an　account　of　those　only　which　gave　him　the　most　trouble；　and　are　the　worthiest　of　mention。　When　he　had　brought　all　the　rest　of　the　continent　under　his　sway；　he　made　war　on　the　Assyrians。　　　　　Assyria　possesses　a　vast　number　of　great　cities；　whereof　the　most　renowned　and　strongest　at　this　time　was　Babylon；　whither；　after　the　fall　of　Nineveh；　the　seat　of　government　had　been　removed。　The　following　is　a　description　of　the　place：…　The　city　stands　on　a　broad　plain；　and　is　an　exact　square；　a　hundred　and　twenty　furlongs　in　length　each　way；　so　that　the　entire　circuit　is　four　hundred　and　eighty　furlongs。　While　such　is　its　size；　in　magnificence　there　is　no　other　city　that　approaches　to　it。　It　is　surrounded；　in　the　first　place；　by　a　broad　and　deep　moat；　full　of　water；　behind　which　rises　a　wall　fifty　royal　cubits　in　width；　and　two　hundred　in　height。　（The　royal　cubit　is　longer　by　three　fingers'　breadth　than　the　common　cubit。）　　　　　And　here　I　may　not　omit　to　tell　the　use　to　which　the　mould　dug　out　of　the　great　moat　was　turned；　nor　the　manner　wherein　the　wall　was　wrought。　As　fast　as　they　dug　the　moat　the　soil　which　they　got　from　the　cutting　was　made　into　bricks；　and　when　a　sufficient　number　were　completed　they　baked　the　bricks　in　kilns。　Then　they　set　to　building；　and　began　with　bricking　the　borders　of　the　moat；　after　which　they　proceeded　to　construct　the　wall　itself；　using　throughout　for　their　cement　hot　bitumen；　and　interposing　a　layer　of　wattled　reeds　at　every　thirtieth　course　of　the　bricks。　On　the　top；　along　the　edges　of　the　wall；　they　constructed　buildings　of　a　single　chamber　facing　one　another；　leaving　between　them　room　for　a　four…horse　chariot　to　turn。　In　the　circuit　of　the　wall　are　a　hundred　gates；　all　of　brass；　with　brazen　lintels　and　side…posts。　The　bitumen　used　in　the　work　was　brought　to　Babylon　from　the　Is；　a　small　stream　which　flows　into　the　Euphrates　at　the　point　where　the　city　of　the　same　name　stands；　eight　days'　journey　from　Babylon。　Lumps　of　bitumen　are　found　in　great　abundance　in　this　river。　　　　　The　city　is　divided　into　two　portions　by　the　river　which　runs　through　the　midst　of　it。　This　river　is　the　Euphrates；　a　broad；　deep；　swift　stream；　which　rises　in　Armenia；　and　empties　itself　into　the　Erythraean　sea。　The　city　wall　is　brought　down　on　both　sides　to　the　edge　of　the　stream：　thence；　from　the　corners　of　the　wall；　there　is　carried　along　each　bank　of　the　river　a　fence　of　burnt　bricks。　The　houses　are　mostly　three　and　four　stories　high；　the　streets　all　run　in　straight　lines；　not　only　those　parallel　to　the　river；　but　also　the　cross　streets　which　lead　down　to　the　water…side。　At　the　river　end　of　these　cross　streets　are　low　gates　in　the　fence　that　skirts　the　stream；　which　are；　like　the　great　gates　in　the　outer　wall；　of　brass；　and　open　on　the　water。　　　　　The　outer　wall　is　the　main　defence　of　the　city。　There　is；　however；　a　second　inner　wall；　of　less　thickness　than　the　first；　but　very　little　inferior　to　it　in　strength。　The　centre　of　each　division　of　the　town　was　occupied　by　a　fortress。　In　the　one　stood　the　palace　of　the　kings；　surrounded　by　a　wall　of　great　strength　and　size：　in　the　other　was　the　sacred　precinct　of　Jupiter　Belus；　a　square　enclosure　two　furlongs　each　way；　with　gates　of　solid　brass；　which　was　also　remaining　in　my　time。　In　the　middle　of　the　precinct　there　was　a　tower　of　solid　masonry；　a　furlong　in　length　and　breadth；　upon　which　was　raised　a　second　tower；　and　on　that　a　third；　and　so　on　up　to　eight。　The　ascent　to　the　top　is　on　the　outside；　by　a　path　which　winds　round　all　the　towers。　When　one　is　about　half…way　up；　one　finds　a　resting…place　and　seats；　where　persons　are　wont　to　sit　some　time　on　their　way　to　the　summit。　On　the　topmost　tower　there　is　a　spacious　temple；　and　inside　the　temple　stands　a　couch　of　unusual　size；　richly　adorned；　with　a　golden　table　by　its　side。　There　is　no　statue　of　any　kind　set　up　in　the　place；　nor　is　the　chamber　occupied　of　nights　by　any　one　but　a　single　native　woman；　who；　as　the　Chaldaeans；　the　priests　of　this　god；　affirm；　is　chosen　for　himself　by　the　deity　out　of　all　the　women　of　the　land。　　　　　They　also　declare…　but　I　for　my　part　do　not　credit　it…　that　the　god　comes　down　in　person　into　this　chamber；　and　sleeps　upon　the　couch。　This　is　like　the　story　told　by　the　Egyptians　of　what　takes　place　in　their　city　of　Thebes；　where　a　woman　always　passes　the　night　in　the　temple　of　the　Theban　Jupiter。　In　each　case　the　woman　is　said　to　be　debarred　all　intercourse　with　men。　It　is　also　like　the　custom　of　Patara；　in　Lycia；　where　the　priestess　who　delivers　the　oracles；　during　the　time　that　she　is　so　employed…　for　at　Patara　there　is　not　always　an　oracle…　is　shut　up　in　the　temple　every　night。　　　　　Below；　in　the　same　precinct；　there　is　a　second　temple；　in　which　is　a　sitting　figure　of　Jupiter；　all　of　gold。　Before　the　figure　stands　a　large　golden　table；　and　the　throne　whereon　it　sits；　and　the　base　on　which　the　throne　is　placed；　are　likewise　of　gold。　The　Chaldaeans　told　me　that　all　the　gold　together　was　eight　hundred　talents'　weight。　Outside　the　temple　are　two　altars；　one　of　solid　gold；　on　which　it　is　only　lawful　to　offer　sucklings；　the　other　a　common　altar；　but　of　great　size；　on　which　the　full…grown　animals　are　sacrificed。　It　is　also　on　the　great　altar　that　the　Chaldaeans　burn　the　frankincense；　which　is　offered　to　the　amount　of　a　thousand　talents'　weight；　every　year；　at　the　festival　of　the　God。　In　the　time　of　Cyrus　there　was　likewise　in　this　temple　a　figure　of　a　man；　twelve　cubits　high；　entirely　of　solid　gold。　I　myself　did　not　see　this　figure；　but　I　relate　what　the　Chaldaeans　report　concerning　it。　Darius；　the　son　of　Hystaspes；　plotted　to　carry　the　statue　off；　but　had　not　the　hardihood　to　lay　his　hands　upon　it。　Xerxes；　however；　the　son　of　Darius；　killed　the　priest　who　forbade　him　to　move　the　statue；　and　took　it　away。　Besides　the　ornaments　which　I　have　mentioned；　there　are　a　large　number　of　private　offerings　in　this　holy　precinct。　　　　　Many　sovereigns　have　ruled　over　this　city　of　Babylon；　and　lent　their　aid　to　the　building　of　its　walls　and　the　adornment　of　its　temples；　of　whom　I　shall　make　mention　in　my　Assyrian　history。　Among　them　two　were　women。　Of　these；　the　earlier；　called　Semiramis；　held　the　th