such pillars as the houses could boast were of the same material. The
construction of these last was very rude. Around posts of palm-wood
were twisted wisps of rushes, which were covered with plaster, and then
colored according the taste of the owner.

The Euphrates ran through the town, dividing it nearly in half. Its
banks were lined throughout with quays of brick laid in bitumen, and
were further guarded by two walls of brick, which skirted them along
their whole length. In each of these walls were twenty-five gates,
corresponding to the number of the streets which gave upon the river;
and outside each gate was a sloped landing place, by which you could
descend to the water's edge, if you had occasion to cross the river.
Boats were kept ready at these landing-places to convey passengers from
side to side; while for those who disliked this method of conveyance
a bridge was provided of a somewhat peculiar construction. A number
of stone piers were erected in the bed of the stream, firmly clamped
together with fastenings of iron and lead; wooden drawbridges connected
pier with pier during the day, and on these passengers passed over; but
at night they were withdrawn, in order that the bridge might not be used
during the dark. Diodorus declares that besides this bridge, to which he
assigns a length of five stades (about 1000 yards) and a breadth of 30
feet, the two sides of the river were joined together by a tunnel, which
was fifteen feet wide and twelve high to the spring of its arched roof.

The most remarkable buildings which the city contained were the two
palaces, one on either side of the river, and the great temple of
Belus. Herodotus describes the great temple as contained within a square
enclosure, two stades (nearly a quarter of a mile) both in length and
breadth. Its chief feature was the _ziggurat_ or tower, a huge solid
mass of brick-work, built (like all Babylonian temple-towers) in stages,