The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1878-03-08
TIE NAPOLEON OF woxEN.
Queen Semiramis.

Queen Seniramis.
The celebrated Assyrian queen wa
born at Ascalon, somewhere about th
year 1000 B. &. 1t is said that her sur
passing beauty, combined with grea
talent, captivated the affections of Me
non, Governor of Assyria, during tn
reign of Minus, King of that country
Her husband accompanied the kim
during his campaign in Bactria, where
after they had subdued all the cities an(
stronghOlds, Minus beseiged Bactria
the Capital of the Empire. Semirami:
having acquired that ascendency
| which superior understanding soon oh.
tains over those of less penetration
and sagacity, she ventured to express
herself freely upon the methods which
were adopted in conducting the siege,
pointing out what she deemed to be
errors, and suggesting especially the
advantage likely to ensue from at
tacking the Citadel, one of the chief
places Of strength, instead of combining
their efforts to more vulnerable parts OF
defense. She prevailed so far as to be
appointed to lead a division of picked
men who were particularly skilled in
climbing, and with these see complete
ly succeeded in seizing on the citadel,
and opening passage for the assyri-
ans The extraordinary daring dis
played in this action, and the success
of her spirited efforts, soon met with
an appropriate reward, and, together
with her beauty, OccasiOned Minus to
ultimately cherish so irresistible a pas
sion for her, that he used every means
to induce her husband to relinquish
her to him. In vain, however, did he
solicit; in vain did he even promise
MenOn his own daughter SOsana in
marriage, till at last, proceeding from
entreaties to threats, and particularly
the cruel one of putting out his eyes,
her husband committed suicide in de-
spair, and the infamous cOnqueror
possessed himself of Semiramis, and
exalted her to an ill-acquired sover=
eighty.
After the return of Minus from this
war, in which he had accumulated
immense treasure, Semiramis brought
him son, vino was called NinyaS
Soon after Minus died, leaving the
Government i'm the hands of his bride
Some have attributed his death to
assassination, and that by her, who
was indebted for her honors solely to
his partially. They represent Semira-
mis- as requesting the King to entrust
her with the sovereign power for five
days, with which his ardent affection
induced him to comply. No sooner
was she in this situation than, having
already secured the interest of the
principal persons of the State by her
unbounded liberalities she put Minus
to death, or at least placed him in pris-
OH for the remainder of his days. This
act of pertidy can scarcely, however,
with any probability be imputed to her,
especially as she paid her husband eX-
traOrdinary sepulchral honors, rearing
over him q mound of earth of enOr-
nous height, which was visible from
every quarter to a considerable dis
tance in the surrounding country, and
continued for many ages.
Semiramis now determined to COM
mence some mighty undertaking that
should transmit her name to succeed
ing generations; and, as 1t regarded
her contemporaries, in particular, eff
fectually conceal the meanness of her
birth. Collecting, therefore, out of all
the numerous provinces of her empire
no fewer than two millions of men,
she set about the building of Babylon,
q city whose magnitude and magnifi-
cence have excited the astonishment
of all subsequent times. The natural
propensity of mankind, however, to
eXaggeration, ought perhaps to induce
us to receive with SOmeabatementS the
wonderful descriptions of the ancient
writers. BY some this work is ascrib-
ed TO Belus, and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS is
admitted to have completed the Ia
Dor.
Peaceful and laborous occupation did
not long furnish scope enough for the
enterprising ambition which now ru-
led the Babylonish Empire. Assem-
bling Il numerous army, Semiranlis
marched at the head of it into Media,
and at the first considerable encamp-
ment, near a mountain called Bagis-
tan, she arranged n beautiful garden,
six miles In circumference. At the
base of the mountain she had statue
erected representing herself attended
with hundred of her guards. 1t is
reported that she assembled from the
plain TO the summit on the packs and
loads oarted by the beasts of burden in
her train-a circumstance byno means
unlikely, being quite in union with
her adventurous and heroic character,
and eminently calculated to advance
her reputation in such an age and
country. Always intent upon what
ever might conduce to throw Il magnifi-
cence around hername and dominion,
at the next encampment, which was
at Chaon, Median city, she formed
another garden on the summit af a
lofty hill or rock, and added several
splendid edificeS, from which she
might command view of her army
aud the widely extended prospects
that stretched before the eye in every
direction, EebatRn, or Ecbatana, was
the next halting place, III tho way to
which the Queen cut n passage through
a precipitOus mountain called Zarcse-
rum, or, as some represented it, level
ed it to the plain. though of consider
able extent; and GPot -hpF ARRIVAL at
the city proceeded upon her usual
magnificent plan of erecting some
thing tp perpetuate her name and
glory. In the present instance, this
was palace of great extent and splen-
dor; to which work she added others
of more importance, as the formation
of aqueducts to supply the city with
wafer, of which it had hitherto been in
extreme need.
Semiranais proceeded hence into Per-
sin, and traversed tii6 rest of her Asiat-
ic provinces, everywhere erecting pal
aces, towns and cities, leVeling hills
IlliI III NphAoN1 vi MClC
calculated to impede the progress of
the future traveller; and 70 diversity
the scene and TO serve as MEMORIALS of
her urIncipal commanders, These
were renerslIv CALLED "the works of
Semiramis," #" and i2ng survived her.
From Asia she passed into Egypt
aud the sandy tracts of Libya, where
her curiosity induced her To pay vis-
il to the celebrated temple Of Jupiter
Ammon, for the particular purpose of
making inquiry of the oracle how long
she had to live. The answer was little
calculated To afford her satisfaction,
unless her personal comforts were of
inferior consideration to her postum
NOUS reputation. She was told that
she would die when her son Ninyas
conspired against her life; and that af-
ter her decease, some of the nations of
Asia should render her divine hoEr
ors.
At length she marched back again
To Baetria, after settling the affairs in
Ethiopia; but her restless spirit was
unable TO remain inactive and tran
0uil. New projects presented them-
selves to her Imagination, which she
| Iastened to carry into execution. In
din of whose immense riches and
boundIess fertility she had been in
| formed, Attracted her first, and, rs 1t