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Herodotus · Histories §1.181.1-1.181.5

Inner Wall of Babylon and the Tower of Zeus Belus

Passage 181 of 1577 · Greek

Summary

The passage describes the inner wall of Babylon and the structures of the royal palace and the sacred precinct of Zeus Belus, including its eight-layered tower and the temple on top.

§1.181.1τοῦτο μὲν δὴ τὸ τεῖχος θώρηξ ἐστί, ἕτερον δὲ ἔσωθεν τεῖχος περιθέει, οὐ πολλῷ τεῳ ἀσθενέστερον τοῦ ἑτέρου τείχεος, στεινότερον δέ.
Now this wall is as it were a breastplate, but another wall runs round inside it, not much weaker than the other wall, but narrower.
§1.181.2ἐν δὲ φάρσεϊ ἑκατέρῳ τῆς πόλιος ἐτετείχιστο ἐν μέσῳ ἐν τῷ μὲν τὰ βασιλήια περιβόλῳ μεγάλῳ τε καὶ ἰσχυρῷ, ἐν δὲ τῷ ἑτέρῳ Διὸς Βήλου ἱρὸν χαλκόπυλον, καὶ ἐς ἐμὲ ἔτι τοῦτο ἐόν, δύο σταδίων πάντῃ, ἐὸν τετράγωνον.
In the middle of each of the two divisions of the city a fortress was built: in the one, the royal palace with a great and strong wall around it; in the other, the sacred precinct of Zeus Belus with bronze gates, which still existed in my time, being a square of two stades on every side.
§1.181.3ἐν μέσῳ δὲ τοῦ ἱροῦ πύργος στερεὸς οἰκοδόμηται, σταδίου καὶ τὸ μῆκος καὶ τὸ εὖρος, καὶ ἐπὶ τούτῳ τῷ πύργῳ ἄλλος πύργος ἐπιβέβηκε, καὶ ἕτερος μάλα ἐπὶ τούτῳ, μέχρι οὗ ὀκτὼ πύργων.
In the middle of the sacred precinct a solid tower has been built, measuring a stade both in length and in width, and upon this tower another tower is placed, and another again upon this, up to the number of eight towers.
§1.181.4ἀνάβασις δὲ ἐς αὐτοὺς ἔξωθεν κύκλῳ περὶ πάντας τοὺς πύργους ἔχουσα πεποίηται.
The ascent to them is made on the outside, running in a circle round all the towers.
μεσοῦντι δέ κου τῆς ἀναβάσιος ἐστὶ καταγωγή τε καὶ θῶκοι ἀμπαυστήριοι, ἐν τοῖσι κατίζοντες ἀμπαύονται οἱ ἀναβαίνοντες.
About halfway up the ascent there is a landing place and seats for resting, where those who go up sit down and rest.
§1.181.5ἐν δὲ τῷ τελευταίῳ πύργῳ νηὸς ἔπεστι μέγας· ἐν δὲ τῷ νηῷ κλίνη μεγάλη κέεται εὖ ἐστρωμένη, καὶ οἱ τράπεζα παρακέεται χρυσέη.
On the topmost tower there is a great temple; and in the temple is laid a great couch well furnished, and by it stands a golden table.
ἄγαλμα δὲ οὐκ ἔνι οὐδὲν αὐτόθι ἐνιδρυμένον, οὐδὲ νύκτα οὐδεὶς ἐναυλίζεται ἀνθρώπων ὅτι μὴ γυνὴ μούνη τῶν ἐπιχωρίων, τὴν ἂν ὁ θεὸς ἕληται ἐκ πασέων, ὡς λέγουσι οἱ Χαλδαῖοι ἐόντες ἱρέες τούτου τοῦ θεοῦ.
No image is set up there, nor does any human being spend the night there, except only one woman of the natives, whom the god chooses for himself out of them all, as the Chaldeans say, who are the priests of this god.

Notes

  1. §1.181.1οὐ πολλῷ τεῳ — πολλῷ is the dative of degree of difference modifying the comparative ἀσθενέστερον. τεῳ is the Ionic form of the dative neuter singular τινί from the indefinite pronoun τις. The entire phrase means 'not by any large amount', i.e., 'not much [weaker]'.
  2. §1.181.4μεσοῦντι ... τῆς ἀναβάσιος — μεσοῦντι is the dative masculine singular of the active present participle of μεσόω (to be in the middle). It functions as a dative of relation or reference ('to one who is halfway up'). τῆς ἀναβάσιος is the genitive dependent on the participle ('reaching the middle of the ascent').
  3. §1.181.5ὅτι μὴ — ὅτι μή is an idiomatic conjunctive phrase meaning 'except' or 'save only'. It corresponds to the English 'except', limiting the preceding negative οὐδείς.

Cite this passage

Herodotus, Histories §1.181.1-1.181.5. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:1.181.1-1.181.5

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