statue are large tables,
which, with the steps and throne, are all of gold, and, as the
Chaldeans affirm, contain eight hundred talents of gold. Without this
edifice is a golden altar; there is also another altar of great size,
on which are offered full-grown animals: upon the golden altar it is
not lawful to offer sacrifices except sucklings. Once in every year,
when the festival of this god is celebrated, the Chaldeans burn upon
the greater altar a thousand talents of frankincense. There was also,
not long since, in this sacred enclosure a statue of solid gold,
twelve cubits in height; at least so the Chaldeans affirm: I did not
myself see it. This figure Darius Hystaspes would fain have taken, but
dared not execute his wishes; however, his son Xerxes not only took
it, but put to death the priests who endeavored to prevent its
removal. Such was the magnificence of this temple, which contained
also many private offerings.

Of this Babylon there were several monarchs--as I shall mention in my
history of the Assyrians--who adorned the city and its temples. Among
these, two young women must be mentioned. The former, named
Semiramis,[8] reigned five generations before the latter. This queen
raised an embankment worthy of admiration through the plain to confine
the river, which heretofore often spread over the level like a lake.
The latter of these two queens, named Nitocris,[9] excelled the
former in intelligence: she left monuments, some of which I must
describe. Seeing the Medes already possest of extensive empire, and
restlessly extending their power, by taking city after city, among
which was Nineveh, she resolved in good time to secure herself against
them in the best manner possible. In the first place, therefore, as
the river Euphrates ran in a straight course through the city, she
formed excavations at a distance above it, by which means its course
became so tortuous that it three times passed a certain town of
Assyria, called Ardericca; travelers from our sea,[10] in descending
the Euphrates toward Babylon, three times arrive at that town in the
course of three days. She also raised both banks of the river to an
amazing height and thickness. At some distance above Babylon, and near
the river, she dug a reservoir in the marsh, of such depth as to drain
it. The width of this excavation was such as to make its circuit four
hundred and twenty stadia. The earth removed from it was taken to
raise the banks of the river