[Footnote37:Dion，l。xxviii。p。1335。]
Seleucia，onthewesternbankoftheTigris，aboutforty—fivemilestothenorthofancientBabylon，wasthecapitaloftheMacedonianconquestsinUpperAsia。^38Manyagesafterthefalloftheirempire，SeleuciaretainedthegenuinecharactersofaGreciancolony，arts，militaryvirtue，andtheloveoffreedom。Theindependentrepublicwasgovernedbyasenateofthreehundrednobles；thepeopleconsistedofsixhundredthousandcitizens；thewallswerestrong，andaslongasconcordprevailedamongtheseveralordersofthestate，theyviewedwithcontemptthepoweroftheParthian:butthemadnessoffactionwassometimesprovokedtoimplorethedangerousaidofthecommonenemy，whowaspostedalmostatthegatesofthecolony。^39TheParthianmonarchs，liketheMogulsovereignsofHindostan，delightedinthepastorallifeoftheirScythianancestors；andtheImperialcampwasfrequentlypitchedintheplainofCtesiphon，ontheeasternbankoftheTigris，atthedistanceofonlythreemilesfromSeleucia。^40Theinnumerableattendantsonluxuryanddespotismresortedtothecourt，andthelittlevillageofCtesiphoninsensiblyswelledintoagreatcity。
^41UnderthereignofMarcus，theRomangeneralspenetratedasfarasCtesiphonandSeleucia。TheywerereceivedasfriendsbytheGreekcolony；theyattackedasenemiestheseatoftheParthiankings；yetbothcitiesexperiencedthesametreatment。
ThesackandconflagrationofSeleucia，withthemassacreofthreehundredthousandoftheinhabitants，tarnishedthegloryoftheRomantriumph。^42Seleucia，alreadyexhaustedbytheneighborhoodofatoopowerfulrival，sunkunderthefatalblow；
butCtesiphon，inaboutthirty—threeyears，hadsufficientlyrecovereditsstrengthtomaintainanobstinatesiegeagainsttheemperorSeverus。Thecitywas，however，takenbyassault；theking，whodefendeditinperson，escapedwithprecipitation；ahundredthousandcaptives，andarichbooty，rewardedthefatiguesoftheRomansoldiers。^43Notwithstandingthesemisfortunes，CtesiphonsucceededtoBabylonandtoSeleucia，asoneofthegreatcapitalsoftheEast。Insummer，themonarchofPersiaenjoyedatEcbatanathecoolbreezesofthemountainsofMedia；butthemildnessoftheclimateengagedhimtopreferCtesiphonforhiswinterresidence。