"سرد لرحلة إلى موقع مدينة بابل في ١٨١١، طُبعت الآن لأول مرة: مذكرات على الأطلال؛ مع نقوش من الخرائط المدبئية للمؤلف: ملاحظات على طبوغرافية بابل القديمة،بقلم الرائد رينيل؛ في إشارة إلى المذكرات: مذكرات ثانية على الأطلال؛ في إشارة إلى ملاحظات الرائد رينيل: مع سرد لرحلة إلى برسبوليس: طُبعت الآن لأول مرة، مع كتابات مسمارية نسخت في برسبوليس ولم تُنشر من قبل: كتبها الراحل كلوديوس جيمس ريتش، المحترم، المقيم البريطاني السابق لشركة الهند الشرقية في بغداد. حررته أرملته." [‎٢‎٥] (٤٧٤/٥٢)

INTRODUCTION.
XXV
further shores of the Tigris, and down towards the
south of Persia.
Seleucus Nicator, who succeeded Alexander in
this portion of his empire, determined to abandon
Babylon altogether, and to transfer the capital of his
empire to the city which he had founded on the
banks of the Tigris, and to which he had given his
own name ; and Pausanias informs us that the Baby
lonians were compelled by that prince to come and
settle there.
" The walls of Babylon," adds this author, " and
the Temple of Belus, had almost ceased to exist,
though there were still a few Chaldeans who con
tinued to dwell around the latter edifice."
Pliny assures us that Babylon was swallowed up
by Seleucia, and became quite a wilderness. Strabo
says much the same thing, but his language is very
remarkable. " None of Alexander's successors ever
cared more for Babylon ; and the remains*of that
city were entirely neglected. The Persians destroyed
one part of it, and time, and the indifference of the
Macedonian princes, completed its ruin, especially
after Seleucus Nicator had built Seleucia in its
neighbourhood. This prince and his successors ma
nifested a decided preference to the latter place, and
fixed there the capital of their empire. At the pre
sent time Seleucia is actually a much more consider-
able city than Babylon, which is to a great degree
deserted, and to which may be applied, without any