the history-第25章

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my　Assyrian　history。　Among　them　two　were　women。　Of　these；　the　earlier；　called　Semiramis；　held　the　throne　five　generations　before　the　later　princess。　She　raised　certain　embankments　well　worthy　of　inspection；　in　the　plain　near　Babylon；　to　control　the　river；　which；　till　then；　used　to　overflow；　and　flood　the　whole　country　round　about。　　　　　The　later　of　the　two　queens；　whose　name　was　Nitocris；　a　wiser　princess　than　her　predecessor；　not　only　left　behind　her；　as　memorials　of　her　occupancy　of　the　throne；　the　works　which　I　shall　presently　describe；　but　also；　observing　the　great　power　and　restless　enterprise　of　the　Medes；　who　had　taken　so　large　a　number　of　cities；　and　among　them　Nineveh；　and　expecting　to　be　attacked　in　her　turn；　made　all　possible　exertions　to　increase　the　defences　of　her　empire。　And　first；　whereas　the　river　Euphrates；　which　traverses　the　city；　ran　formerly　with　a　straight　course　to　Babylon；　she；　by　certain　excavations　which　she　made　at　some　distance　up　the　stream；　rendered　it　so　winding　that　it　comes　three　several　times　in　sight　of　the　same　village；　a　village　in　Assyria；　which　is　called　Ardericea；　and　to　this　day；　they　who　would　go　from　our　sea　to　Babylon；　on　descending　to　the　river　touch　three　times；　and　on　three　different　days；　at　this　very　place。　She　also　made　an　embankment　along　each　side　of　the　Euphrates；　wonderful　both　for　breadth　and　height；　and　dug　a　basin　for　a　lake　a　great　way　above　Babylon；　close　alongside　of　the　stream；　which　was　sunk　everywhere　to　the　point　where　they　came　to　water；　and　was　of　such　breadth　that　the　whole　circuit　measured　four　hundred　and　twenty　furlongs。　The　soil　dug　out　of　this　basin　was　made　use　of　in　the　embankments　along　the　waterside。　When　the　excavation　was　finished；　she　had　stones　brought；　and　bordered　with　them　the　entire　margin　of　the　reservoir。　These　two　things　were　done；　the　river　made　to　wind；　and　the　lake　excavated；　that　the　stream　might　be　slacker　by　reason　of　the　number　of　curves；　and　the　voyage　be　rendered　circuitous；　and　that　at　the　end　of　the　voyage　it　might　be　necessary　to　skirt　the　lake　and　so　make　a　long　round。　All　these　works　were　on　that　side　of　Babylon　where　the　passes　lay；　and　the　roads　into　Media　were　the　straightest；　and　the　aim　of　the　queen　in　making　them　was　to　prevent　the　Medes　from　holding　intercourse　with　the　Babylonians；　and　so　to　keep　them　in　ignorance　of　her　affairs。　　　　　While　the　soil　from　the　excavation　was　being　thus　used　for　the　defence　of　the　city；　Nitocris　engaged　also　in　another　undertaking；　a　mere　by…work　compared　with　those　we　have　already　mentioned。　The　city；　as　I　said；　was　divided　by　the　river　into　two　distinct　portions。　Under　the　former　kings；　if　a　man　wanted　to　pass　from　one　of　these　divisions　to　the　other；　he　had　to　cross　in　a　boat；　which　must；　it　seems　to　me；　have　been　very　troublesome。　Accordingly；　while　she　was　digging　the　lake；　Nitocris　be。　thought　herself　of　turning　it　to　a　use　which　should　at　once　remove　this　inconvenience；　and　enable　her　to　leave　another　monument　of　her　reign　over　Babylon。　She　gave　orders　for　the　hewing　of　immense　blocks　of　stone；　and　when　they　were　ready　and　the　basin　was　excavated；　she　turned　the　entire　stream　of　the　Euphrates　into　the　cutting；　and　thus　for　a　time；　while　the　basin　was　filling；　the　natural　channel　of　the　river　was　left　dry。　Forthwith　she　set　to　work；　and　in　the　first　place　lined　the　banks　of　the　stream　within　the　city　with　quays　of　burnt　brick；　and　also　bricked　the　landing…places　opposite　the　river…gates；　adopting　throughout　the　same　fashion　of　brickwork　which　had　been　used　in　the　town　wall；　after　which；　with　the　materials　which　had　been　prepared；　she　built；　as　near　the　middle　of　the　town　as　possible；　a　stone　bridge；　the　blocks　whereof　were　bound　together　with　iron　and　lead。　In　the　daytime　square　wooden　platforms　were　laid　along　from　pier　to　pier；　on　which　the　inhabitants　crossed　the　stream；　but　at　night　they　were　withdrawn；　to　prevent　people　passing　from　side　to　side　in　the　dark　to　commit　robberies。　When　the　river　had　filled　the　cutting；　and　the　bridge　was　finished；　the　Euphrates　was　turned　back　again　into　its　ancient　bed；　and　thus　the　basin；　transformed　suddenly　into　a　lake；　was　seen　to　answer　the　purpose　for　which　it　was　made；　and　the　inhabitants；　by　help　of　the　basin；　obtained　the　advantage　of　a　bridge。　　　　　It　was　this　same　princess　by　whom　a　remarkable　deception　was　planned。　She　had　her　tomb　constructed　in　the　upper　part　of　one　of　the　principal　gateways　of　the　city；　high　above　the　heads　of　the　passers　by；　with　this　inscription　cut　upon　it：…　〃If　there　be　one　among　my　successors　on　the　throne　of　Babylon　who　is　in　want　of　treasure；　let　him　open　my　tomb；　and　take　as　much　as　he　chooses…　not；　however；　unless　he　be　truly　in　want；　for　it　will　not　be　for　his　good。〃　This　tomb　continued　untouched　until　Darius　came　to　the　kingdom。　To　him　it　seemed　a　monstrous　thing　that　he　should　be　unable　to　use　one　of　the　gates　of　the　town；　and　that　a　sum　of　money　should　be　lying　idle；　and　moreover　inviting　his　grasp；　and　he　not　seize　upon　it。　Now　he　could　not　use　the　gate；　because；　as　he　drove　through；　the　dead　body　would　have　been　over　his　head。　Accordingly　he　opened　the　tomb；　but　instead　of　money；　found　only　the　dead　body；　and　a　writing　which　said…　〃Hadst　thou　not　been　insatiate　of　pelf；　and　careless　how　thou　gottest　it；　thou　wouldst　not　have　broken　open　the　sepulchres　of　the　dead。〃　　　　　The　expedition　of　Cyrus　was　undertaken　against　the　son　of　this　princess；　who　bore　the　same　name　as　his　father　Labynetus；　and　was　king　of　the　Assyrians。　The　Great　King；　when　he　goes　to　the　wars；　is　always　supplied　with　provisions　carefully　prepared　at　home；　and　with　cattle　of　his　own。　Water　too　from　the　river　Choaspes；　which　flows　by　Susa；　is　taken　with　him　for　his　drink；　as　that　is　the　only　water　which　the　kings　of　Persia　taste。　Wherever　he　travels；　he　is　attended　by　a　number　of　four…wheeled　cars　drawn　by　mules；　in　which　the　Choaspes　water；　ready　boiled　for　use；　and　stored　in　flagons　of　silver；　is　moved　with　him　from　place　to　place。　　　　　Cyrus　on　his　way　to　Babylon　came　to　the　banks　of　the　Gyndes；　a　stream　which；　rising　in　the　Matienian　mountains；　runs　through　the　country　of　the　Dardanians；　and　empties　itself　into　the　river　Tigris。　The　Tigris；　after　receiving　the　Gyndes；　flows　on　by　the　city　of　Opis；　and　discharges　its　waters　into　the　Erythraean　sea。　When　Cyrus　reached　this　stream；　which　could　only　be　passed　in　boats；　one　of　the　sacred　white　horses　accompanying　his　march；　full　of　spirit　and　high　mettle；　walked　into　the　water；　and　tried　to　cross　by　himself；　but　the　current　seized　him；　swept　him　along　with　it；　and　drowned　him　in　its　depths。　Cyrus；　enraged　at　the　insolence　of　the　river；　threatened　so　to　break　its　strength　that　in　future　even　women　should　cross　it　easily　without　wetting　their　knees。　Accordingly　he　put　off　for　a　time　his　attack　on　Babylon；　and；　dividing　his　army　into　two　parts；　he　marked　out　by　ropes　one　hundred　and　eighty　trenches　on　each　side　of　the　Gyndes；　leading　off　from　it　in　all　directions；　and　setting　his　army　to　dig；　some　on　one　side　of　the　river；　some　on　the　other；　he　accomplished　his　threat　by　the　aid　of　so　great　a　number　of　hands；　but　not　without　losing　thereby　the　whole　summer　season。　　　　　Having；　however；　thus　wreaked　his　vengeance　on　the　Gyndes；　by　dispersing　it　through　three　hundred　and　sixty　channels；　Cyrus；　with　the　first　approach　of　the　ensuing　spring；　marched　forward　against　Babylon。　The　Babylonians；　encamped　without　their　walls；　awaited　his　coming。　A　battle　was　fought　at　a　short　distance　from　the　city；　in　which　the　Babylonians　were　defeated　by　the　Persian　king；　whereupon　they　withdrew　within　their　defences。　Here　they　shut　themselves　up；　and　made　light　of　his　siege；　having　laid　in　a　store　of　provisions　for　many　years　in　preparation　against　this　attack；　for　when　they　saw　Cyrus　conquering　nation　after　nation；　they　were　convinced　that　he　would　never　stop；　and　that　their　turn　would　come　at　last。　　　　　Cyrus　was　now　reduced　to　great　perplexity；　as　time　went　on　and　he　made　no　progress　against　the　place。　In　this　distress　either　some　one　made　the　suggestion　to　him；　or　he　bethought　himself　of　a　plan；　which　he　proceeded　to　put　in　execution。　He　placed　a　portion　of　his　army　at　the　point　where　the　river　enters　the　city；　and　another