wanting; Peres--thy kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and
Persians."

Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put
a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him,
that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

· · · · · · ·

As soon as Cyrus saw that the ditches, which they had long worked upon,
were finished, he began to plan for the execution of his vast design,
which as yet he had communicated to no one. He was informed that, in the
city, on a certain day, a great festival was to be celebrated, and that
the Babylonians, on occasions of that solemnity, were accustomed to pass
the whole night in drunkenness and debauchery. Of this impious feast we
have already spoken. Thus Providence furnished him with as fit an
opportunity as he could desire. He therefore posted a part of his troops
on that side where the river entered the city, and another part on that
side where it went out, and commanded them to enter the city that very
night by marching along the channel of the river as soon as ever they
found it fordable. Having given all necessary orders, he exhorted his
officers to follow him--that he was under the direction of the gods. In
the evening he gave orders to open the great receptacles, or ditches, on
both sides of the town, above and below, that the waters of the rivers
might run into them. By this means the Euphrates was quickly emptied and
its channel became dry. Then the two bodies of troops, according to their
orders, went into the channels, the one commanded by Gobryas and the
other by Gadates, and advanced toward each other without meeting any
impediment.