the history-第23章

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tains；　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　body　at　the　back　of　the　place　where　it　issues　forth；　with　orders　to　march　into　the　town　by　the　bed　of　the　stream；　as　soon　as　the　water　became　shallow　enough：　he　then　himself　drew　off　with　the　unwarlike　portion　of　his　host；　and　made　for　the　place　where　Nitocris　dug　the　basin　for　the　river；　where　he　did　exactly　what　she　had　done　formerly：　he　turned　the　Euphrates　by　a　canal　into　the　basin；　which　was　then　a　marsh；　on　which　the　river　sank　to　such　an　extent　that　the　natural　bed　of　the　stream　became　fordable。　Hereupon　the　Persians　who　had　been　left　for　the　purpose　at　Babylon　by　the；　river…side；　entered　the　stream；　which　had　now　sunk　so　as　to　reach　about　midway　up　a　man's　thigh；　and　thus　got　into　the　town。　Had　the　Babylonians　been　apprised　of　what　Cyrus　was　about；　or　had　they　noticed　their　danger；　they　would　never　have　allowed　the　Persians　to　enter　the　city；　but　would　have　destroyed　them　utterly；　for　they　would　have　made　fast　all　the　street…gates　which　gave　upon　the　river；　and　mounting　upon　the　walls　along　both　sides　of　the　stream；　would　so　have　caught　the　enemy；　as　it　were；　in　a　trap。　But；　as　it　was；　the　Persians　came　upon　them　by　surprise　and　so　took　the　city。　Owing　to　the　vast　size　of　the　place；　the　inhabitants　of　the　central　parts　（as　the　residents　at　Babylon　declare）　long　after　the　outer　portions　of　the　town　were　taken；　knew　nothing　of　what　had　chanced；　but　as　they　were　engaged　in　a　festival；　continued　dancing　and　revelling　until　they　learnt　the　capture　but　too　certainly。　Such；　then；　were　the　circumstances　of　the　first　taking　of　Babylon。　　　　　Among　many　proofs　which　I　shall　bring　forward　of　the　power　and　resources　of　the　Babylonians；　the　following　is　of　special　account。　The　whole　country　under　the　dominion　of　the　Persians；　besides　paying　a　fixed　tribute；　is　parcelled　out　into　divisions；　which　have　to　supply　food　to　the　Great　King　and　his　army　during　different　portions　of　the　year。　Now　out　of　the　twelve　months　which　go　to　a　year；　the　district　of　Babylon　furnishes　food　during　four；　the　other　of　Asia　during　eight；　by　the　which　it　appears　that　Assyria；　in　respect　of　resources；　is　one…third　of　the　whole　of　Asia。　Of　all　the　Persian　governments；　or　satrapies　as　they　are　called　by　the　natives；　this　is　by　far　the　best。　When　Tritantaechmes；　son　of　Artabazus；　held　it　of　the　king；　it　brought　him　in　an　artaba　of　silver　every　day。　The　artaba　is　a　Persian　measure；　and　holds　three　choenixes　more　than　the　medimnus　of　the　Athenians。　He　also　had；　belonging　to　his　own　private　stud；　besides　war　horses；　eight　hundred　stallions　and　sixteen　thousand　mares；　twenty　to　each　stallion。　Besides　which　he　kept　so　great　a　number　of　Indian　hounds；　that　four　large　villages　of　the　plain　were　exempted　from　all　other　charges　on　condition　of　finding　them　in　food。　　　　　But　little　rain　falls　in　Assyria；　enough；　however；　to　make　the　corn　begin　to　sprout；　after　which　the　plant　is　nourished　and　the　ears　formed　by　means　of　irrigation　from　the　river。　For　the　river　does　not；　as　in　Egypt；　overflow　the　corn…lands　of　its　own　accord；　but　is　spread　over　them　by　the　hand；　or　by　the　help　of　engines。　The　whole　of　Babylonia　is；　like　Egypt；　intersected　with　canals。　The　largest　of　them　all；　which　runs　towards　the　winter　sun；　and　is　impassable　except　in　boats；　is　carried　from　the　Euphrates　into　another　stream；　called　the　Tigris；　the　river　upon　which　the　town　of　Nineveh　formerly　stood。　Of　all　the　countries　that　we　know　there　is　none　which　is　so　fruitful　in　grain。　It　makes　no　pretension　indeed　of　growing　the　fig；　the　olive；　the　vine；　or　any　other　tree　of　the　kind；　but　in　grain　it　is　so　fruitful　as　to　yield　commonly　two…hundred…fold；　and　when　the　production　is　the　greatest；　even　three…hundred…fold。　The　blade　of　the　wheat…plant　and　barley…plant　is　often　four　fingers　in　breadth。　As　for　the　millet　and　the　sesame；　I　shall　not　say　to　what　height　they　grow；　though　within　my　own　knowledge；　for　I　am　not　ignorant　that　what　I　have　already　written　concerning　the　fruitfulness　of　Babylonia　must　seem　incredible　to　those　who　have　never　visited　the　country。　The　only　oil　they　use　is　made　from　the　sesame…plant。　Palm…trees　grow　in　great　numbers　over　the　whole　of　the　flat　country；　mostly　of　the　kind　which　bears　fruit；　and　this　fruit　supplies　them　with　bread；　wine；　and　honey。　They　are　cultivated　like　the　fig…tree　in　all　respects；　among　others　in　this。　The　natives　tie　the　fruit　of　the　male…palms；　as　they　are　called　by　the　Greeks；　to　the　branches　of　the　date…bearing　palm；　to　let　the　gall…fly　enter　the　dates　and　ripen　them；　and　to　prevent　the　fruit　from　falling　off。　The　male…palms；　like　the　wild　fig…trees；　have　usually　the　gall…fly　in　their　fruit。　　　　　But　that　which　surprises　me　most　in　the　land；　after　the　city　itself；　I　will　now　proceed　to　mention。　The　boats　which　come　down　the　river　to　Babylon　are　circular；　and　made　of　skins。　The　frames；　which　are　of　willow；　are　cut　in　the　country　of　the　Armenians　above　Assyria；　and　on　these；　which　serve　for　hulls；　a　covering　of　skins　is　stretched　outside；　and　thus　the　boats　are　made；　without　either　stem　or　stern；　quite　round　like　a　shield。　They　are　then　entirely　filled　with　straw；　and　their　cargo　is　put　on　board；　after　which　they　are　suffered　to　float　down　the　stream。　Their　chief　freight　is　wine；　stored　in　casks　made　of　the　wood　of　the　palm…tree。　They　are　managed　by　two　men　who　stand　upright　in　them；　each　plying　an　oar；　one　pulling　and　the　other　pushing。　The　boats　are　of　various　sizes；　some　larger；　some　smaller；　the　biggest　reach　as　high　as　five　thousand　talents'　burthen。　Each　vessel　has　a　live　ass　on　board；　those　of　larger　size　have　more　than　one。　When　they　reach　Babylon；　the　cargo　is　landed　and　offered　for　sale；　after　which　the　men　break　up　their　boats；　sell　the　straw　and　the　frames；　and　loading　their　asses　with　the　skins；　set　off　on　their　way　back　to　Armenia。　The　current　is　too　strong　to　allow　a　boat　to　return　upstream；　for　which　reason　they　make　their　boats　of　skins　rather　than　wood。　On　their　return　to　Armenia　they　build　fresh　boats　for　the　next　voyage。　　　　　The　dress　of　the　Babylonians　is　a　linen　tunic　reaching　to　the　feet；　and　above　it　another　tunic　made　in　wool；　besides　which　they　have　a　short　white　cloak　thrown　round　them；　and　shoes　of　a　peculiar　fashion；　not　unlike　those　worn　by　the　Boeotians。　They　have　long　hair；　wear　turbans　on　their　heads；　and　anoint　their　whole　body　with　perfumes。　Every　one　carries　a　seal；　and　a　walking…stick；　carved　at　the　top　into　the　form　of　an　apple；　a　rose；　a　lily；　an　eagle；　or　something　similar；　for　it　is　not　their　habit　to　use　a　stick　without　an　ornament。　　　　　Of　their　customs；　whereof　I　shall　now　proceed　to　give　an　account；　the　following　（which　I　understand　belongs　to　them　in　common　with　the　Illyrian　tribe　of　the　Eneti）　is　the　wisest　in　my　judgment。　Once　a　year　in　each　village　the　maidens　of　age　to　marry　were　collected　all　together　into　one　place；　while　the　men　stood　round　them　in　a　circle。　Then　a　herald　called　up　the　damsels　one　by　one；　and　offered　them　for　sale。　He　began　with　the　most　beautiful。　When　she　was　sold　for　no　small　sum　of　money；　he　offered　for　sale　the　one　who　came　next　to　her　in　beauty。　All　of　them　were　sold　to　be　wives。　The　richest　of