Semiramis

SEMIRAMIS Daughter of Dercetis, or of the Syrian Venus, a famous Queen of Assyria, the Wife of Ninus, who for a long time govern’d the Empire of Assyria, during the Minority of her Son Ninias. She undertook several Wars, which succeeded very fortunately, and executed many great Works at Babylon, and elsewhere. Herodot. l.1. c.184.Herodotus speaks of several Ramparts and Moles that she had thrown up near Babylon. Diodor. l. 1. Bibloth. Trog. seu Justin. l. 1. Strab. Geograph. l.2,16.Diodorus Siculus, Trogus, Strabo, and many others, ascribe to her the Honour of building the Walls of Babylon; but the more exact Chronologers believe, that Semiramis did nothing at Babylon; and it is very probable, that her other Actions have been extravagantly enlarged upon. However this be, as this Princess is no-where named in Scripture, we shall content our selves with observing, that she began to reign at Nineveh in the Year of the World 2789, before Christ 1211, before the Vulgar Era 1215, about the Beginning of the High-priest Eli’s Administration; and that she died after two and forty Years Reign, in the sixty-second Year of her Age, in the Year of the World 2831, before Christ 1169, before the Vulgar Era 1173. Ninias her Son kill’d her, out of Horror at the Proposal she made him, of Lying with her. Justin. l. 1. See Usher upon the Years of the World 2789, and 2831.

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