the history-第22章

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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　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　Tig