Histories

Cyrus, then, marched against Nitocris' son, who inherited the name of his father Labynetus and the sovereignty of Assyria. Now when the Great King campaigns, he marches well provided with food and flocks from home; and water from the Choaspes river that flows past Shush [48.333,32.2] (inhabited place), Khuzestan, Iran, AsiaSusa is carried with him, the only river from which the king will drink.

This water of the Choaspes [*](Modern Kerkha.) is boiled, and very many four-wheeled wagons drawn by mules carry it in silver vessels, following the king wherever he goes at any time.

When Cyrus reached the Gyndes river on his march to Babylon [44.4,32.55] (deserted settlement), Babil, Iraq, AsiaBabylon,[*](Modern Diala.) which rises in the mountains of the Matieni and flows through the Dardanean country into another river, the Tigris [47.416,31] (river), AsiaTigris, that again passes the city of Opis and empties into the Red Sea [42,15] (sea) Red Sea—when, I say, Cyrus tried to cross the Gyndes, which was navigable there, one of his sacred white horses dashed recklessly into the river trying to get through it, but the current overwhelmed him and swept him under and away.

At this violence of the river Cyrus was very angry, and he threatened to make it so feeble that women could ever after cross it easily without wetting their knees.

After uttering this threat, he paused in his march against Babylon [44.4,32.55] (deserted settlement), Babil, Iraq, AsiaBabylon, and, dividing his army into two parts, drew lines planning out a hundred and eighty canals running every way from either bank of the Gyndes; then he organized his army along the lines and made them dig.