'Narrative of a journey to the site of Babylon in 1811, now first published: memoir on the ruins; with engravings from the original sketches by the author: remarks on the topography of ancient Babylon, by Major Rennell; in reference to the memoir: second memoir on the ruins; in reference to Major Rennell's remarks: with narrative of a journey to Persepolis: now first printed, with hitherto unpublished cuneiform inscriptions copied at Persepolis: by the late Claudius James Rich, Esq., formerly the Resident of the Hon. East India Company at Bagdad. Edited by his widow.' [‎176] (264/474)

176 NOTES ON SECOND MEMOIR
Herodotus guilty of an absurdity that would reduce him to
a level with Ctesias, originated in an error which had long
ago been exploded. (Vide Herod. Wess. p. 85, note.)
(C.) Page 153.
Some observations occur here respecting the palace or
palaces, which ought not to be omitted. In the Geography
of Herodotus, p. 355, it is said (from Diodorus) that the
lesser palace is on the east, where is also the brazen statue
of Belus. Lest it should be conceived that this statement
contains some allusion to the Temple of Belus, and con
sequently be used to establish the position of that building,
it is proper to give the whole passage from Diodorus: ^ In
place of the fictile earthen images of beasts (which orna
ment the walls of the large palace) are here (in the smaller
palace) the brazen statues of Ninus and Semiramis, of the
prefects, and also of Jupiter, who is named by the Baby
lonians, Belus." (Diod. lib. ii. c. 8.)
In the same work (p. 337) Major Rennell, in giving an
account of Babylon according to the notions of Herodotus,
says, a In the centre of each division of the city is a circular
space, surrounded by a wall; in one of these stands the
royal palace, which fills a large and strongly defended
space; the Temple of Jupiter occupies the other." And
yet in the " Remarks" he objects to the inclosure which I
suppose may have contained the palace, on account of its
being circular. Neither is the description he has given
from Herodotus, as quoted above, reconcileable with what
he says a little further on, on the authority of Diodorus,—
that the palace was a square of 1| mile.—(See Geog. of
Herod., p. 354.) But the truth is, that neither does
Herodotus mention the circle, nor Diodorus the square.
There is certainly no reason to believe that the palace was
of the latter form.