the history-第29章

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　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　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；