hem.

6. Now upon his observation of a place near the sea, which was very
proper for containing a city, and was before called Strato's Tower, he
set about getting a plan for a magnificent city there, and erected many
edifices with great diligence all over it, and this of white stone.
He also adorned it with most sumptuous palaces and large edifices for
containing the people; and what was the greatest and most laborious work
of all, he adorned it with a haven, that was always free from the waves
of the sea. Its largeness was not less than the Pyrmum [at Athens], and
had towards the city a double station for the ships. It was of excellent
workmanship; and this was the more remarkable for its being built in a
place that of itself was not suitable to such noble structures, but was
to be brought to perfection by materials from other places, and at very
great expenses. This city is situate in Phoenicia, in the passage by sea
to Egypt, between Joppa and Dora, which are lesser maritime cities, and
not fit for havens, on account of the impetuous south winds that beat
upon them, which rolling the sands that come from the sea against the
shores, do not admit of ships lying in their station; but the merchants
are generally there forced to ride at their anchors in the sea itself.
So Herod endeavored to rectify this inconvenience, and laid out such a
compass towards the land as might be sufficient for a haven, wherein the
great ships might lie in safety; and this he effected by letting down
vast stones of above fifty feet in length, not less than eighteen in
breadth, and nine in depth, into twenty fathom deep; and as some were
lesser, so were others bigger than those dimensions. This mole which he
built by the sea-side was two hundred feet wide, the half of which was
opposed to the current of the waves, so as to keep off those waves which
were to break upon them, and so was called Procymatia, or the first
breaker of the waves; but the other half had upon it a wall, with
several towers, the largest of which was named Drusus, and was a work of
very great excellence, and had its name from Drusus, the son-in-law of
Caesar, who died young. There were also a great number of arches where
the mariners dwelt. There was also before them a quay, [or landing
place,] which ran round the entire haven, and was a most agreeable walk
to such as had a mind to that exercise; but the entrance or mouth of the
port was made on the north quarter, on which s