ar to the city, the Babylonians
joined battle with him, and having been worsted in the fight they were
shut up close within their city. But knowing well even before this that
Cyrus was not apt to remain still, and seeing him lay hands on every
nation equally, they had brought in provisions beforehand 194 for very
many years. So while these made no account of the siege, Cyrus was
in straits what to do, for much time went by and his affairs made no
progress onwards.

191. Therefore, whether it was some other man who suggested it to him
when he was in a strait what to do, or whether he of himself perceived
what he ought to do, he did as follows:--The main body of his army 195 he
posted at the place where the river runs into the city, and then again
behind the city he set others, where the river issues forth from the
city; and he proclaimed to his army that so soon as they should see that
the stream had become passable, they should enter by this way into the
city. Having thus set them in their places and in this manner exhorted
them he marched away himself with that part of his army which was not
fit for fighting: and when he came to the lake, Cyrus also did the same
things which the queen of the Babylonians had done as regards the river
and the lake; that is to say, he conducted the river by a channel into
the lake, which was at that time a swamp, and so made the former course
of the river passable by the sinking of the stream. When this had been
done in such a manner, the Persians who had been posted for this very
purpose entered by the bed of the river Euphrates into Babylon, the
stream having sunk so far that it reached about to the middle of a man's
thigh. Now if the Babylonians had had knowledge of it beforehand or had
perceived that which was being done by Cyrus, they would have allowed
196 the Persians to enter the city and then destroyed them miserably;
for if they had closed all the gates that led to the river and mounted
themselves upon the ramparts which were carried along the banks of the
stream, they would have caught them as it were in a fish-wheal: but as
it was, the Persians came upon them unexpectedly; and owing to the size
of the city (so it is said by those who dwell there) after those about
the extremities of the city had suffered capture, those Babylonians who
dwelt in the middle did not know that they had been captured; but
as they chanced to be holding a festival, they went on dancing and
rejoicing d