a, she resolved to direct her forces towards that
quarter. She had an army of three millions of foot, five hundred thousand
horse, and one hundred thousand chariots. For the passing of rivers, and
engaging with the enemy by water, she had procured two thousand ships, to
be so constructed as to be taken to pieces for the advantage of carriage:
which ships were built in Bactria by experienced persons from Phenicia,
Syria, and Cyprus. With these she entered into a naval engagement with
Strabrobates king of India; and at the first encounter sunk a thousand of
his ships. Upon this she built a bridge over the river Indus, and
penetrated into the heart of the country. Here Strabrobates engaged her;
but being deceived by the numerous appearance of her elephants, at first
gave way. For being deficient in those animals, she had procured the hides
of three thousand black oxen; which being properly sewed, and stuffed with
straw, formed an appearance of so many elephants. All this was done so
naturally, that the real animals could not stand the sight. But this
stratagem being at last discovered, Semiramis was obliged to retreat, after
having lost a great part of her [915]army. Soon after this she resigned the
government to her son Ninyas, and died. According to some writers, she was
slain by his hand.

The history of Ninus and Semiramis, as here represented, is in great
measure founded upon terms, which have been misconstrued; and these
fictions have been invented in consequence of the mistakes. Under the
character of Semiramis we are certainly to understand a people styled
Semarim, a title assumed by the antient Babylonians. They were called
Semarim from their insigne, which was a dove, expressed Semaramas, of which
I shall speak hereafter more at large. It was used as an object of worship;
and esteemed the same as Rhea, the mother of the gods: [916][Greek:
Semiramin kai ten Rhean kaloumenen par' Assuriois.]

If we take the history of Semiramis, as it is given us by Ctesias and
others; nothing can be more inconsistent. Some make her the wife of Ninus:
others say that she was his [917]daughter: and about the time of her birth
they vary beyond measure. She is sometimes made coeeval with the city
Nineve: at other times she is brought down within a few centuries of
[918]Herodotus. She invades the Babylonians before the city was [919]built,
from whence they were denominated: and makes sumptuous gardens at Ecbatana.
Hence that city is in