Page:History of Art in Persia.djvu/216

 The Built Tomb. 205 admit that "the coffin was in the middle of the bed/' * so that the latter was no more than a fectangular couch that served as support. We shall find no difficulty in disposing of the carpets, coloured pelisses, and fringed shawls about the bed, the floor, or against the walls.' Alexander again visited Pasargadae and Persepolis on his return from India, but, unwilling to take his troops across the lofty ranges of Pars, he left them to follow the more direct route to Susa, where they were to meet him, and, with a squadron of cavalry and some light troops, he soon reached Pasargadae,' where, as far as possible, he had the interior of the funereal chamber set to rights. But as he wished everything dcme before he set out again, the doorway, which he ordered to be walled up, was hastily stopped with broken stone laid in mud. When all was complete, the conqueror affixed his royal seal to the stilt humid day.^ In order to protect the mortal remains of Cyrus against fresh injury, he coimted less on this thin barrier than the terror inspired by his name. We cannot be surprised, then, to find wide open the door formerly sealed by the victor of Arbela. When treasure-seekers penetrated later into the chamber in the hope of still finding some precious objects in it, a few blows with the pick sufficed to bring down the light masonry; whereas the case of hewn stone is as good as ever. A last difficulty to be met is the absence of the inscription, whose existence has been affirmed by every writer who has busied himself with the monument. A recent traveller, M. Stolze, thinks he can trace over the doorvray a cavity« intended, perhaps, to fit a tablet fastened to the wall by metal clamps, upon which was incised the epigraphic text we have reproduced a few pages back. But Aristobulus says nothing as to its situation, and, for aught we ' I suppose — and if I am wrong will Dieulafoy enlighten me ?— that " the golden trough (bath) that might be used for a partial or entire bath " is a translation of ir^iXoff {VArt oMtifui^ etc, torn. i. p. 2 1 ), but the word is current in the language of dw Inscriptions to denote a funereal vat (coffin). That it was so employed might be shown by hundreds of instances, but should doubts be felt on the subject, Arrian's words, which we subjoin here, will effectually remove them: vutkw x^wcrqi' iccurAu, Iva-To o-wfut Tov Kvpov ^^cra^rro {Anab., VI. xxix. 5). ' Arrian, Am^.^ VI. xxix. I ' : Kai rT]v Ovp&a Sc axftavCaai ra /tcv avr^ Xi^ iMMKoSofufiram, T& Sk VfXf ifurXiawTV »u imfiakuv ry injAf r6 m^Mav to /SooiAucor. Digitized by Google
 * See note above, p. 203.