B
Babilius, a Roman, who, by the help of a certain herb, is said to have passed in six days from the Sicilian sea to Alexandria. Pliny, preface to ch. 19.
Babilus, an astrologer in Nero’s age, who told the emperor to avert the danger which seemed to hang upon his head, from the appearance of a hairy comet, by putting all the leading men of Rome to death. His advice was faithfully followed. Suetonius, Nero, ch. 36.
Baby̆lon, a son of Belus, who, as some suppose, founded a city which bears his name.——A celebrated city, the capital of the Assyrian empire, on the banks of the Euphrates. It had 100 brazen gates; and its walls, which were cemented with bitumen, and greatly enlarged and embellished by the activity of Semiramis; measured 480 stadia in circumference, 50 cubits in thickness, and 200 in height. It was taken by Cyrus, B.C. 538, after he had drained the waters of the Euphrates into a new channel, and marched his troops by night into the town, through the dried bed; and it is said that the fate of the extensive capital was unknown to the inhabitants of the distant suburbs till late in the evening. Babylon became famous for the death of Alexander, and for the new empire which was afterwards established there under the Seleucidæ. See: [Syria]. Its greatness was so reduced in succeeding ages, according to Pliny’s observations, that in his time it was but a desolate wilderness, and at present the place where it stood is unknown to travellers. The inhabitants were early acquainted with astrology. Pliny, bk. 6, ch. 26.—Herodotus, bks. 1, 2, 3.—Justin, bk. 1, &c.—Diodorus, bk. 2.—Xenophon, Cyropædia, bk. 7, &c.—Propertius, bk. 3, poem 11, li. 21.—Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 4, fable 2.—Martial, bk. 9, ltr. 77.——There is also a town of the same name near the Bubastic branch of the Nile, in Egypt.
Babylōnia, a large province of Assyria, of which Babylon was the capital. The inhabitants shook off the Assyrian yoke, and afterwards became very powerful.——The surname of Seleucia, which arose from the ruins of Babylon, under the successors of Alexander. Pliny, bk. 6, ch. 26.
Babylōnii, the inhabitants of Babylon, famous for their knowledge of astrology, first divided the year into 12 months, and the zodiac into 12 signs.
Babyrsa, a fortified castle near Artaxata. Strabo, bk. 11.
Babytăce, a city of Armenia, whose inhabitants despise gold. Pliny, bk. 6, ch. 27.
Bacabasus, betrayed the snares of Artabanus, brother of Darius, against Artaxerxes. Justin, bk. 3, ch. 1.
Bacchæ, the priestesses of Bacchus. Pausanias, bk. 2, ch. 7.