Histories

Then, when the basin she had made for a lake was filled by the river and the bridge was finished, Nitocris brought the Euphrates [47.5,31.83] (river), AsiaEuphrates back to its former channel out of the lake; thus she had served her purpose, as she thought, by making a swamp of the basin, and her citizens had a bridge made for them.

There was a trick, too, that this same queen contrived. She had a tomb made for herself and set high over the very gate of that entrance of the city which was used most, with writing engraved on the tomb, which read:

“If any king of Babylon [44.4,32.55] (deserted settlement), Babil, Iraq, AsiaBabylon in the future is in need of money, let him open this tomb and take as much as he likes: but let him not open it unless he is in need; for it will be the worse for him.”

This tomb remained untouched until the kingship fell to Darius. He thought it a very strange thing that he should never use this gate, or take the money when it lay there and the writing itself invited him to.