§2.9.1μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα τῆς Βαβυλωνίας ἐκλεξαμένη τὸν ταπεινότατον τόπον ἐποίησε δεξαμενὴν τετράγωνον, ἧς ἦν ἑκάστη πλευρὰ σταδίων τριακοσίων, ἐξ ὀπτῆς πλίνθου καὶ ἀσφάλτου κατεσκευασμένην καὶ τὸ βάθος ἔχουσαν ποδῶν τριάκοντα καὶ πέντε.
After this, having selected the lowest place of Babylonia, she made a square reservoir, of which each side was three hundred stades, constructed of baked brick and asphalt, and having a depth of thirty-five feet.
§2.9.2εἰς ταύτην δʼ ἀποστρέψασα τὸν ποταμὸν κατεσκεύασεν ἐκ τῶν ἐπὶ τάδε βασιλείων εἰς θάτερα διώρυχα· ἐξ ὀπτῆς δὲ πλίνθου συνοικοδομήσασα τὰς καμάρας ἐξ ἑκατέρου μέρους ἀσφάλτῳ κατέχρισεν ἡψημένῃ, μέχρι οὗ τὸ πάχος τοῦ χρίσματος ἐποίησε πηχῶν τεττάρων.
Having diverted the river into this, she constructed a passage from the palace on this side to the other; and having built up the arches of baked brick, she smeared them on both sides with boiled asphalt, until she made the thickness of the coating four cubits.
τῆς δὲ διώρυχος ὑπῆρχον οἱ μὲν τοῖχοι τὸ πλάτος ἐπὶ πλίνθους εἴκοσι, τὸ δʼ ὕψος χωρὶς τῆς καμφθείσης ψαλίδος ποδῶν δώδεκα, τὸ δὲ πλάτος ποδῶν πεντεκαίδεκα.
Of this passage, the walls were twenty bricks in width, and the height was twelve feet, excluding the curved arch, and the width was fifteen feet.
§2.9.3ἐν ἡμέραις δʼ ἑπτὰ κατασκευασθείσης αὐτῆς ἀποκατέστησε τὸν ποταμὸν ἐπὶ τὴν προϋπάρχουσαν ῥύσιν, ὥστε τοῦ ῥεύματος ἐπάνω τῆς διώρυχος φερομένου δύνασθαι τὴν Σεμίραμιν ἐκ τῶν πέραν βασιλείων ἐπὶ θάτερα διαπορεύεσθαι μὴ διαβαίνουσαν τὸν ποταμόν.
When it had been constructed in seven days, she restored the river to its former flow, so that, with the current being carried above the passage, Semiramis was able to pass from the palaces on the opposite side to the other without crossing the river.
ἐπέστησε δὲ καὶ πύλας τῇ διώρυχι χαλκᾶς ἐφʼ ἑκάτερον μέρος, αἳ διέμειναν μέχρι τῆς Περσῶν βασιλείας.
She also placed bronze gates at each end of the passage, which remained until the kingdom of the Persians.
§2.9.4μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ἐν μέσῃ τῇ πόλει κατεσκεύασεν ἱερὸν Διός, %5ὃν καλοῦσιν οἱ Βαβυλώνιοι, καθάπερ εἰρήκαμεν, Βῆλον.
After this, she constructed in the middle of the city a temple of Zeus, whom the Babylonians call Belus, as we have said.
περὶ τούτου δὲ τῶν συγγραφέων διαφωνούντων, καὶ τοῦ κατασκευάσματος διὰ τὸν χρόνον καταπεπτωκότος, οὐκ ἔστιν ἀποφήνασθαι τἀκριβές.
Since writers disagree about this, and the building has fallen down due to time, it is not possible to declare the exact truth.
ὁμολογεῖται δʼ ὑψηλὸν γεγενῆσθαι καθʼ ὑπερβολήν, καὶ τοὺς Χαλδαίους ἐν αὐτῷ τὰς τῶν ἄστρων πεποιῆσθαι παρατηρήσεις, ἀκριβῶς θεωρουμένων τῶν τʼ ἀνατολῶν καὶ δύσεων διὰ τὸ τοῦ κατασκευάσματος ὕψος.
But it is agreed that it was exceedingly high, and that the Chaldaeans made their observations of the stars in it, the risings and settings being accurately observed because of the height of the building.
§2.9.5τῆς δʼ ὅλης οἰκοδομίας ἐξ ἀσφάλτου %5καὶ πλίνθου πεφιλοτεχνημένης πολυτελῶς, ἐπʼ ἄκρας τῆς ἀναβάσεως τρία κατεσκεύασεν ἀγάλματα χρυσᾶ σφυρήλατα, Διός, Ἥρας, Ῥέας.
While the whole structure was luxuriously crafted of asphalt and brick, at the top of the ascent she set up three golden images of beaten work, of Zeus, Hera, and Rhea.
τούτων δὲ τὸ μὲν τοῦ Διὸς ἑστηκὸς ἦν καὶ διαβεβηκός, ὑπάρχον δὲ ποδῶν τετταράκοντα τὸ μῆκος σταθμὸν εἶχε χιλίων ταλάντων Βαβυλωνίων· τὸ δὲ τῆς Ῥέας ἐπὶ δίφρου καθήμενον χρυσοῦ τὸν ἴσον σταθμὸν εἶχε τῷ προειρημένῳ· ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν γονάτων αὐτῆς εἱστήκεσαν λέοντες δύο, καὶ πλησίον ὄφεις ὑπερμεγέθεις ἀργυροῖ, τριάκοντα ταλάντων ἕκαστος ἔχων τὸ βάρος.
Of these, that of Zeus was standing and striding forward, and being forty feet in height, it had a weight of one thousand Babylonian talents; that of Rhea, sitting upon a golden throne, had a weight equal to the aforementioned; on her knees stood two lions, and nearby were exceedingly large silver serpents, each having a weight of thirty talents.
§2.9.6τὸ δὲ τῆς Ἥρας ἑστηκὸς ἦν ἄγαλμα, σταθμὸν ἔχον ταλάντων ὀκτακοσίων, καὶ τῇ μὲν δεξιᾷ χειρὶ κατεῖχε τῆς κεφαλῆς ὄφιν, τῇ δʼ ἀριστερᾷ σκῆπτρον λιθοκόλλητον.
The image of Hera was standing, having a weight of eight hundred talents, and with her right hand she held a serpent by the head, and in her left hand a sceptre set with precious stones.
§2.9.7τούτοις δὲ πᾶσι κοινὴ παρέκειτο τράπεζα χρυσῆ σφυρήλατος, τὸ μὲν μῆκος ποδῶν τετταράκοντα, τὸ δʼ εὖρος πεντεκαίδεκα, σταθμὸν ἔχουσα ταλάντων πεντακοσίων.
For all of these there lay a common golden table of beaten work, forty feet in length and fifteen in width, having a weight of five hundred talents.
ἐπὶ δὲ ταύτης ἐπέκειντο δύο καρχήσια, §2.9.8σταθμὸν ἔχοντα τριάκοντα ταλάντων.
Upon this lay two karchesia, having a weight of thirty talents.
ἦσαν δὲ καὶ θυμιατήρια τὸν μὲν ἀριθμὸν ἴσα, τὸν δὲ σταθμὸν ἑκάτερον ταλάντων τριακοσίων· ὑπῆρχον δὲ καὶ κρατῆρες χρυσοῖ τρεῖς, ὧν ὁ μὲν τοῦ Διὸς εἷλκε τάλαντα Βαβυλώνια χίλια καὶ διακόσια, τῶν δʼ ἄλλων ἑκάτερος ἑξακόσια.
There were also censers equal in number, each weighing three hundred talents; and there were also three golden kraters, of which that of Zeus weighed one thousand two hundred Babylonian talents, and each of the others six hundred.
§2.9.9ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν οἱ τῶν Περσῶν βασιλεῖς ὕστερον ἐσύλησαν· τῶν δὲ βασιλείων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων κατασκευασμάτων ὁ χρόνος τὰ μὲν ὁλοσχερῶς ἠφάνισε, τὰ δʼ ἐλυμήνατο· καὶ γὰρ αὐτῆς τῆς Βαβυλῶνος νῦν βραχύ τι μέρος οἰκεῖται, τὸ δὲ πλεῖστον ἐντὸς τείχους γεωργεῖται.
But the kings of the Persians later plundered these; and as for the palaces and the other structures, time has entirely vanished some and damaged others; for indeed of Babylon itself only a small part is now inhabited, and the greatest part within the wall is cultivated.