PERSEPOLIS. 
579 
that struck me in my first walk amidst them, was, that en masse, 
and in detail, they bore a strong resemblance to the architectural 
taste of Egypt. A circumstance which need not be a matter of 
surprise, since the early wars, mutual conquests, and reciprocal 
captivities of each other’s subjects between the sovereigns of this 
part of the world, may well account for a general resemblance in 
the building of their cities, and even in the manners of their 
people. And when we recollect certain particulars in the 
history of Egypt, we may more readily understand why we find 
the columns of the Nile on the plains of Persia. About forty 
years before the conquest of Babylon by Cyrus, Nebuchadnezzar 
over-ran the whole of Egypt, and loading himself and his army 
with the rich spoils of the country, returned to Babylon with a 
multitude of captives. This great conquest achieved, and after 
having made an end of all his other wars, he set himself down 
to erect and to finish the great buildings of his own gigantic 
city. Hence, what is more probable than, in consequence of the 
family relationship between the Persian monarch Cambyses 
(who had married Mandana of Media, the sister of Amyitis, the 
queen of Nebuchadnezzar,) and the conqueror of Egypt, that he 
should be permitted to share in the talents of the ingenious, 
amongst the captives of his kinsman and ally ? And again, when 
Cyrus the son of Cambyses annexed Babylon to his empire, and 
brought away with him its treasures and artisans into other 
cities of his kingdoms, Babylon would then yield the lessons it 
learnt in Egypt, to the Persian conqueror. And if these are not 
enough to account for the Egyptian appearance of Persepolis, 
Diodorus Siculus gives ample details of the expedition of 
Cambyses the son of Cyrus against Amasis, and his successor 
Psammenitus ; both princes having refused the usual tribute to the 
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