of

Romans were unsuccessful against him, but in the space two years Jugurtha was overthrown in several battles, driven from his dominions, and constrained to beg peace. He now had recourse for assistance to Bocchus, king of Mauritania, and gained a trifling advantage over the Romans; but his success was not of long duration. Marius soon after overcame him in a signal engagement, in which not less than ninety thousand of the Africans were slain. Bocchus, thinking it useless to oppose the Romans, and useless to hazard his own crown, to protect his ally, resolved to make peace upon any terms, and accordingly sent to Rome, imploring friendship and protection. The senate received his ambassadors, and, in reply to their request, granted Bocchus their pardon, but not their friendship; and, after a short time, he was informed, that by giving up his son-inlaw, Jugurtha, to the Romans, he might, in some measure, appease their resentment. He for a long time hesitated, but at length, after a severe mental conflict, he delivered up Jugurtha into the hands of Sylla, who sent him to Marius, the Roman dictator.

Marius entered Rome in triumph, dragging Jugurtha in chains, who, it is said, during the ceremony, went distracted, and was afterwards thrown into prison, where he died of starvation; thus terminating a life of crime by a cruel death.

EXERCISES.

To whom did Masinissa at his death entrust the care of his family?

How did Scipio divide his kingdom?

Who was Jugurtha?

What event put Micipsa in possession of the whole of the dominions left by Masinissa?

Give some account of the state of the arts and sciences at this period.

THE

HISTORY OF THE ASSYRIANS.

PART III.

OF THE SITUATION OF BABYLON, AND AN ACCOUNT OF SOME OF ITS BUILDINGS.

A. C. 2204.

THE Assyrian empire was undoubtedly one of A. M. 1800. the most powerful of the ancient world, and was founded by Nimrod, about one hundred and fortyfour years after the deluge.

The capital city Babylon, built on the banks of the river Euphrates, was remarkable both as to its size and splendor, and deserves particular description.

Babylon stood on a very rich plain, and was surrounded by prodigious walls, eighty-seven feet thick, three hundred and fifty feet high, and four hundred and eighty furlongs in circumference. The walls formed an exact square, each side one hundred and twenty furlongs in length; in each side were twenty-five gates of brass, and between every two gates were three towers. From the twenty-five gates in each side of the wall ran twenty-five streets to the gates opposite, so that the whole number of streets was fifty, each fifteen miles long, these streets crossing each other; the whole city was cut into squares, around which the houses were built, and the void spaces between them were cultivated, so that Babylon was greater in appearance than reality, nearly one half of the city being occupied as gardens.

A branch of the river Euphrates ran quite across the city, from north to south. On each side of the river was a quay, and high walls of the same thickness as those that encompassed the city. In these walls were gates, and from them steps down to the river, for the convenience of the inhabitants, who used boats to cross the river, before

the building of the bridge. The gates were always open in the day time, and shut at night. The bridge was not inferior to the other buildings in beauty, and was a furlong in length, and thirty feet in breadth. There were also several other very admirable works in Babylon, among which may be mentioned the lakes and canals cut for receiving the increased quantity of water in the river Euphrates, produced by the melting of the snow on the mountains of Armenia in the beginning of summer.

At each end of the bridge was a palace. The old palace on the east side of the river was three miles and three quarters in circumference; and the new palace on the west side is said to have been seven miles and a half in circumference, including the space occupied by the hanging gardens. These palaces communicated by means of a vault under the channel of the river. The hanging gardens, so celebrated by the Greeks, were among the most extraordinary works in Babylon; they contained a square of 400 feet on every side, and were raised like terraces one above another, as high as the walls of the city. The ascent from terrace to terrace was by stairs ten feet wide. whole pile was supported by vast arches, raised one above another. On the top of these arches were laid large flat stones sixteen feet long and four broad; over these was a layer of reeds mixed with a great quantity of bitumen, upon which were two rows of bricks, closely cemented with plaster, and the whole was covered with thick sheets of lead, on which lay the mould of the garden. All this flooring was contrived to keep the moisture of the mould from running away through the arches, while the earth was so deep that the largest trees might take root in it. In the spaces

The

between the arches were magnificent rooms, which were very light, and had the advantage of a beautiful prospect. The gardens were irrigated by an engine placed on the upper terrace, which raised water from the river.

Amytes, the wife of Nebuchadnezzar, having been brought up in Media (for she was the daughter of Astyages king of that country), on coming to Babylon regretted the loss of the woods and mountains of her country; and Nebuchadnezzar, in some measure to compensate her for the loss of those natural beauties, erected this prodigious edifice.

Another great work in Babylon was the temple of Belus,

which stood near the old palace.

It was most remarkable

for a prodigious tower, that stood in the middle of it, the height of which exceeded any of the pyramids of Egypt. We may therefore conclude that this was the same as mentioned in Scripture, under the name of the Tower of Babel. On the top of this tower was an observatory, by means of which the Babylonians became in a short time well acquainted with the motions of the heavenly bodies.

The chief use to which this temple was applied was the worship of the god Belus, and other deities; and the riches it contained were immense. The entire value is supposed to have been equal to twenty millions sterling.

Such were some of the works which rendered Babylon so famous.

EXERCISES.

Who founded the Assyrian empire?

At what period?

Who was Nimrod?

For what was Babylon remarkable?

Describe the hanging gardens.

What river ran through the city?
Describe the walls?

Give some account of the temple of Belus.

CHAPTER II.

OF THE KINGS OF ASSYRIA.

The kingdoms of Babylon and Assyria were originally distinct, and remained so until Ninus, the son of Nimrod, built Ninevah; after which both countries were known by the name of Assyria.

Ninus conquered all the countries from the Euxine and Caspian seas to Arabia and Egypt. At his death he left the government of the kingdom to Semiramis his queen, who extended her conquests over Egypt, Lybia, and Ethiopia. When Semiramis had embellished her own city (for many of its splendid edifices are imputed to her), she made a progress through several parts of her empire, and left there many monuments of her magnificence. The authority this queen had over her people was truly extraordinary: as an instance it may be mentioned, that one day, while she was dressing, word was brought her of a tumult in the city; whereupon she went out immediately with her head half

dressed, and did not return till the disturbance was appeased. Her people erected a statue, representing her in that very attitude, flying to her duty.

When in Africa, Semiramis visited the temple of Jupiter Ammon, to inquire of the oracle how long she had to live, and was answered, that she should not die until her son Ninyas conspired against her; and that, after her death, one part of Asia would pay her divine honors. Her greatest and last expedition was against India. On this occasion. she raised a large army out of all the provinces of her empire, and appointed Bactria for the place of rendezvous. As the strength of the Indians consisted chiefly in their elephants, she caused a multitude of camels to be accoutred in the same manner as those animals, in hopes of deceiving the enemy, but the artifice was detected. The Indian king, having notice of her approach, sent to ask her who she was, adding, that her boldness should soon receive the punishment it deserved. “Tell your master," replied the queen, "that in a little time I myself will let him know who I am." Advancing towards the river from which the country takes its name, and having prepared a sufficient number of boats, she attempted to pass it with her army. Their passage was long disputed; but, after a bloody battle, she put her enemies to flight.

Encouraged by success, she made her way into the country, whither the king had fled, in order to bring her to an engagement at a distance from the river. As soon as he thought her sufficiently advanced, he gave her battle, and completely defeated her. The queen, having exchanged prisoners at Bactria, returned to her own dominions, with scarcely a third of her army. Semiramis, and Alexander after her, were the only warriors that ventured to carry war beyond the Indus.

Shortly after her return to Babylon, Semiramis discovered that her son Ninyas, and one of her principal officers, were plotting against her, when, calling to remembrance the oracle of Jupiter Ammon, she voluntarily abdicated the throne, placed the government in the hands of her son, and withdrew from the sight of men, hoping speedily to receive divine honors, as had been predicted. She was worshipped, it is said, under the form of a dove. Semiramis lived sixtytwo years, of which she reigned forty-two.