is said to have been built upon the banks of the [913]Euphrates. His last expedition was against the Bactrians: at which time he first saw Semiramis, a woman of uncommon endowments, and great personal charms. He had an army which amounted to seven millions of foot, and two millions of horse, with two hundred thousand chariots with scythes. For the possibility of which circumstances Diodorus tries to account in favour of the historian, from whom he borrows. By the conduct of Semiramis the Bactrians are subdued; and Ninus takes the capital of the country: upon which, in return for her services, he makes Semiramis his queen. Not long after he dies, leaving only one son by this princess, who was called Ninyas. The history of Semiramis is variously related by different authors. Some make her a native of Ascalon; and say that she was exposed in the desert, and nourished by pigeons. She was in this situation discovered by a shepherd named Simma. He bred her up, and married her to Menon; whom she deserted for Ninus. During her son's minority she assumed the regal state: and the first work which she undertook was the interment of her husband. She accordingly buried him with great splendor; and raised over him a mound of earth, no less than a mile and a quarter high, and proportionally wide at bottom: after which she built Babylon. This being finished, she made an expedition into Media; and wherever she came left memorials of her power and munificence. This was effected by erecting vast structures, forming lakes, and laying out gardens of great extent; particularly in Chaonia and Ecbatana. In short, she levelled hills, and raised [914]mounds of an immense height, which retained her name for ages. After this she invaded Egypt, and conquered Ethiopia, with the greater part of Lybia: and having accomplished her wish, and there being no enemy to cope with her, excepting the people of India, she resolved to direct her forces towards that quarter. She had an army of three millions of foot, five hundred thousand horse, and one hundred thousand chariots. For the passing of rivers, and engaging with the enemy by water, she had procured two thousand ships, to be so constructed as to be taken to pieces for the advantage of carriage: which ships were built in Bactria by experienced persons from Phenicia, Syria, and Cyprus. With these she entered into a naval engagement with Strabrobates king of India; and at the first encounter sunk a thousand of his ships. Upon this she built a bridge over the river Indus, and penetrated into the heart of the country. Here Strabrobates engaged her; but being deceived by the numerous appearance of her elephants, at first gave way. For being deficient in those animals, she had procured the hides of three thousand black oxen; which being properly sewed, and stuffed with straw, formed an appearance of so many elephants. All this was done so naturally, that the real animals could not stand the sight. But this