———Here thou beholdst

Assyria, and her Empire’s ancient bounds,

Araxes, and the Caspian lake; thence on

As far as Indus east, Euphrates west,

And oft beyond———For now the Parthian king

In Ctesiphon hath gathered all his host

Against the Scythian, whose incursions wild

Have wasted Sogdiana.

MILTON.