ea over the
whole plain.

185. The queen who lived after her time, named Nitocris, was wiser than
she who had reigned before; and in the first place she left behind her
monuments which I shall tell of; then secondly, seeing that the monarchy
of the Medes was great and not apt to remain still, but that besides
other cities even Nineveh had been captured by it, she made provision
against it in so far as she was able. First, as regards the river
Euphrates which flows through the midst of their city, whereas before
this it flowed straight, she by digging channels above made it so
winding that it actually comes three times in its course to one of the
villages in Assyria; and the name of the village to which the Euphrates
comes is Ardericca; and at this day those who travel from this Sea of
ours to Babylon, in their voyage down the river Euphrates 18901 arrive
three times at this same village and on three separate days. This she
did thus; and she also piled up a mound along each bank of the river,
which is worthy to cause wonder for its size and height: and at a great
distance above Babylon, she dug a basin for a lake, which she caused to
extend along at a very small distance from the river, 190 excavating it
everywhere of such depth as to come to water, and making the extent such
that the circuit of it measured four hundred and twenty furlongs: and
the earth which was dug out of this excavation she used up by piling it
in mounds along the banks of the river: and when this had been dug by
her she brought stones and set them all round it as a facing wall. Both
these two things she did, that is she made the river to have a winding
course, and she made the place which was dug out all into a swamp, in
order that the river might run more slowly, having its force broken
by going round many bends, and that the voyages might be winding to
Babylon, and after the voyages there might succeed a long circuit of the
pool. These works she carried out in that part where the entrance to the
country was, and the shortest way to it from Media, so that the Medes
might not have dealings with her kingdom and learn of her affairs.

186. These defences she cast round her city from the depth; and she made
the following addition which was dependent upon them:--The city was in
two divisions, and the river occupied the space between; and in the
time of the former rulers, when any one wished to pass over from the
one division to the other, he had to pas