網頁圖片
PDF
ePub 版

and in this condition prefented himself before Da

rius.

CLV. When the king beheld a man of his illuftrious rank in fo deplorable a condition, he instantly leaped in anger from his throne 11, and asked who had dared to treat him with fuch barbarity? Zopyrus made this reply, "No man, Sir, except "yourfelf, could have this power over my perfon; "I alone have thus disfigured my body, which I prompted to do from vexation at beholding "the Affyrians thus mock us.”—“Wretched man," anfwered the king, "do you endeavour to difguife "the shameful action you have perpetrated under " an honourable name? Do you fuppofe that because <t you have thus deformed yourself, the enemy will "the fooner furrender? I fear what you have done "has been occafioned by fome defect of your rea

quently done as expreffive of mourning in the most remote tines; and it was one characteristic mark of the fervile condition. See Juvenal, fat. v. book i. 170..

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small]

Leaped in anger from his throne.]-This incident, with the various circumftances attending it, properly confidered, would furnifh an artift with an excellent fubject for an hiftorical painting-The city of Babylon, at a distance, the Perfian camp,' the king's tent, himself and principal nobles in deep confultation, with the fudden appearance of Zopyrus in the mutilated condition here defcribed, might furely be introduced and arranged with the most admirable effect.-T.

"fon."

1

** fon.".

محمد

"Sir," anfwered Zopyrus, "if I had previously disclosed to you my intentions, you "would have prevented their accomplishment; my "prefent fituation is the refult of my own determi«nation only. If you do not fail me, Babyfon is

[ocr errors]

our own. I propofe to go, in the condition in "which you fee me, as a deferter to the Babyloni"ans it is my hope to perfuade them that I have "fuffered these cruelties from you, and that they « will, in confequence, give me fome place of military trust. Do you, on the tenth day after my departure, detach to the gate of Semiramis 17 a thousand men of your army, whofe lofs will be of no confequence; at an interval of feven days more "fend to the Ninian gates other two thoufand; again, after twenty days, let another party, to the number " of four thousand, be ordered to the Chaldean gates, "but let none of thefe detachments have any wea

τε

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

112 The gate of Semiramis.]-Mr. Bryant's remark on this word is too curious to be omitted:-

Semiramis was an emblem, and the name was a compound, of Sama-Ramas, or Ramis: it fignified the divine token, the type of providence; and as a military enfign, it may with fome latitude be interpreted the ftandard of the Moft High. It confifted of the figure of a dove, which was probably encircled with the Iris, as thofe two emblems were often reprefented together. All who went under that standard, or who payed any deference to that emblem, were ftiled Semarim and Samorim. One of the gates of Babylon was ftiled the gate of Semiramis, undoubtedly from having the facred emblem of Sama-Ramas, or the dove, engraved by way of diftinction over it. Probably the lofty obelifk of Semiramis, mentioned by Diodorus, was named from the fame hieroglyphic.

pons

-176

[ocr errors]

pons but their fwords; after this laft-mentioned "period, let your whole army advance, and furround "the walls. At the Belidian and Ciffian gates be "careful that Perfians are ftationed. I think that "the Babylonians, after witneffing my exploits in "the field, will entrust me with the keys of those gates. Doubt not but the Perfians, with my aid, "will then accomplish the reft."

[ocr errors]

CLVI. After giving thefe injunctions, he proceeded towards the gates; and, to be consistent in the character which he affumed 173, he frequently stopped to look behind him. The centinels on the watch-towers, obferving this, ran down to the gate,

173 The character which he affumed.]Many circumftances in history of Zopyrus refemble thofe of Sinon in the Æneid.

Qui fe ignotum venientibus ultro

Hoc ipfum ut ftrueret, Trojamque aperiret Achivis,
Obtulerat, fidens animi, atque in utrumque paratus
Seu verfare dolos, feu certæ occumbere morti.-

Both tell a miferable tale of injuries received from their country-
men, and both affect an extraordinary zeal to diftinguish them-
felves in the fervice of their natural enemies.

Sinon fays of himself

Cui neque apud Danaos ufquam locus, & fuper ipfi
Dardanidæ infenfi pœnas cum fanguine pofcunt.-

Again he says,

Fas mihi Graiorum facrata refolvere jura
Fas odiffe viros, atque omnia ferre fub auras
Si qua tegunt: teneor patriæ nec legibus ullis.

T.

which,

which, opening a little, they enquired who he was, and what he wanted? When he told them his name was Zopyrus, and that he had deserted from the Perfians, they conducted him before their magiftrates. He then began a miferable tale of the injuries he had fuffered from Darius, for no other reafon but that he had advised him to withdraw his army, seeing no likelihood of his taking the city. "And now," fays he, "ye men of Babylon, I come a friend "to you, but a fatal enemy to Darius and his <c army. I am well acquainted with all his defigns, and his treatment of me fhall not be un" revenged."

[ocr errors]

CLVII. When the Babylonians beheld a Perfian of fuch high rank deprived of his ears and his nofe, covered with wounds and blood, they entertained no doubts of his fincerity, or of the friendliness of his intentions towards them. They were prepared to accede to all that he defired; and on his requesting a military command, they gave it him without hefitation. He then proceeded to the execution of what he had concerted with Darius. On the tenth day, at the head of fome Babylonian troops, he made a fally from the town, and encountering the Perfians, who had been ftationed for this purpofe by Darius, he put every one of them to death. The Babylonians, obferving that his actions correfponded with his profeffions, were full of exultation, and were ready to yield him the most implicit obediA fecond time, at the head of a chofen de

ence.

tachment

18

tachment of the befieged, he advanced from the town at the time appointed, and flew the two thoufand foldiers of Darius. The joy of the citizens at this fecond exploit was fo extreme, that the name of Zopyrus refounded with praise from every tongue. The third time alfo, after the number of days agreed upon had paffed, he led forth his troops, attacked and flaughtered the four thousand. Zopyrus, after this, was every thing with the Babylonians, fo that they made him the commander of their army, and guardian of their walls.

CLVIII. At the time appointed Darius advanced with all his forces to the walls. The perfidy of Zopyrus then became apparent; for as foon as the Babylonians mounted the wall to repel the Perfian affault, he immediately opened to his countrymen what are called the Belidian and Ciffian gates. Thofe Babylonians who faw this tranfaction fled for refuge to the temple of Jupiter Belus; they who, faw it not, continued in their posts, till the circumftance of their being betrayed became notorious to all.

CLIX. Thus was Babylon a fecond time taken. As foon as Darius became master of the place 174,

he

[ocr errors]

174 Master of the place.]-Plutarch informs us, in his Apophthegms, that Xerxes being incenfed against the Babylonians for revolting, after having conquered them a fecond time forbad

their

« 上一頁繼續 »