Babylon as a centre of civilization--Illustrations of foreign influence--Babylon's share in the origin of the culture she distributed--Causes which led to her rise as capital--Advantages of her geographical position--Transcontinental lines of traffic--The Euphrates route, the Royal Road, and the Gates of Zagros--Her supremacy based on the strategic and commercial qualities of her site--The political centre of gravity in Babylonia illustrated by the later capitals, Seleucia, Ctesiphon, and Baghdad--The Persian Gulf as barrier, and as channel of international commerce--Navigation on the Euphrates and the Tigris--Causes of Babylon's deposition--Her treatment by Cyrus, Alexander, and Seleucus--T…
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