There could be no use in razing one and leaving the other, which was almost as strong (Hdt.i.

181).

It is, however, not quite certain that Herodotus (i.

181) meant that there were two outer parallel walls.
Turn now to the actual remains of Babylon, as known from surveys and excavations.

We find a large district extending to both banks of the Euphrates, which is covered rather irregularly by the mounds of many ruined buildings.