Page:Herodotus and the Empires of the East.djvu/42

36

Herodotus says little about the buildings and streets of Babylon. "The town itself," he states, "which is full of houses three and four stories high, is intersected by streets which run in straight lines; not only the principal streets, but also the cross streets which lead to the river." (I., 180.) According to this description, we must believe that the principal streets ran from north to south, or parallel to the river. Such a principal street, which divides the town from one end to the other, is mentioned in the inscriptions of Nebuchadrezar under the name of A-a-îbur-šâbû; it consisted of an elevated terrace structure built by the king, and served as a festal road of the god Merodach (Mašdaḫa bêli rabî Marduk ).

Of the many prominent structures of Babylon, Herodotus mentions only two—i. e., the royal palace and the temple of "Zeus Belos." He speaks of them as follows: "In one half of the city was built the royal palace, surrounded by a great and strong circuit wall, and in the other half stood the sanctuary of Zeus Belos with bronze gates, this being in existence even in my time. It is two stades in each direction, and is a rectangle. In the midst of the sanctuary is built a solid tower a stade long and a stade broad, and on this tower is built another tower, and another tower upon this, up to the number of eight towers. Winding about these towers on the outside is an ascent; and when one reaches the middle of this ascent he finds a resting place and seats where those who ascend may sit and