CTESIPHON. The Babylonian empire was sub verted by Cyrus, who is said to have taken the capital by turning the course of the Euphrates, and marching his troops along the bed of the river into the centre of the city. The walls and temple of Belus are said to have been demolished by Xerxes on his return from the Grecian expedition ; but if so, they must have been rebuilt, as they were stand ing in the time of Alexander. After the build ing of Seleucia and Ctesiphon, Babylon became gradually deserted ; and we learn from St. Jerome that the space within the walls was converted by the Parthian kings into a royal hunting park. From this period we cease to hear of Babylon as a city ; but, notwithstanding that so many ages of barbarism and ignorance have passed away, tradi tion still continues to identify both its name and situation. The town of Hilleh is said by the people of the country to be built on the site of Babel ; and some gigantic ruins, still to be seen in its vicinity, are believed to be remains of that ancient metropolis. From her fallen towers have arisen not only all the present cities in her vicinity, but others which, like herself, are long ago gone down into the dust. Since the days of Alexander, we find four capitals at least built out of her remains,—Seleucia by the Greeks, Ctesiphon by the Parthians, Al Modain by the Persians, and Kufa by the Khalifs,—with towns, villages, and caravansaris without number. The ruins of Ctesiphon are to be seen on the eastern shore of the Tigris, 18 miles south of Baghdad; and immediately opposite to it the ramparts and fosse of the Grecian city of Seleucia, which after wards becoming identified with the former under the name of Coche, they assumed, when thus united, the epithet of Al Modain, or the cities. Ctesiphon was most admirably situated, on a sort of peninsula formed by a sudden flexure of the Tigris, which must have embraced the greatest part of the town. Its foundation, however, can hardly be ascribed to any particular person, as it would seem to have increased gradnally, during a succession of many years, from a camp to a city. Pacoras, supposed to be Orodes, king of the Parthians, and contemporary with Anthony, is thought to be the first who surrounded it with walls, and made it the capital of the Parthiau empire. It was sacked, together with Seleucia, by
the generals of Marcus Aurelius, A.D. 165, and afterwards by the emperor Severus. It became the favourite winter residence of the powerful suc cessors of Artaxerxes, from whom it was taken by Said, the general of the khalif Omar, A.D. 637. The capital was taken by assault, and the tumultuous resistance of the people gave a keener edge to the sabres of the Mahomedans, who shouted with religious transport, This is the white palace of Chosroes 1 this is the promise of the Apostle of God!' The sack of Ctesiphon was followed by its desertion and gradual decay. The Arabs disliked the air and situation of the place, and Omar was advised by his general to remove the seat of government to the western side of the Euphrates ; and little now remains but part of the palace of Chosroes, called Tak-i-Kesra, the Arch of Chosroes. It is seen from afar on the plain, and presents a front of 300 feet in length by 160 in depth, having in its centre a vaulted hall 106 feet in height to the top of the arch, the span of which is 85 feet. The Ali Capi at Isfahan, and gates of the palace of Dehli, sink into insignificance beside the Tak-i-Kesra. The city walls, which appear to have been of very great thickness, may also be traced to a considerable distance on both banks of the river. The names of Seleucia and Ctesiphon are very frequently confounded by the early Christian writers ; but the cities stood on opposite sides of the river Tigris, and were built at different periods. Mr. Jackson, when proceeding up the Tigris in 1797, passed by the ruins of Ctesi phon, which that river had considerably undermined. There were visible a great many earthen jars, some half-exposed, others ready to fall into the river. Captain Mignon dug into the sides and bases of many of the mounds at the Tak-i-Kesra, and found their foundations invariably composed of the fire-burnt brick.—Layard, Nineveh, i. p. 242; Kinneir's Geographical Memoir, pp. 253-54, 27:3, 274 ; Porter's Travels ; J. B. Fraser's Travels.