NINYAS-SARDANAPALUS-END OF THE ASSYRIAN EMPIRE, ETC.

CHAPTER XLI.

2000 to 876 B. C.

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besieged, but he kept his hopes alive by the remembrance of an ancient prediction that "Nineveh could never be taken till the river became her enemy." The city being abundantly supplied with provisions, Ninyas-Sardanapalus-End of the First As- the confederated forces remained two years before the syrian Empire-Its Dismemberment. walls, without compelling the inhabitants to surrender. NINYAS Succeeded his mother Semiramis, and when But at length the Tigris, being swelled by an unusual seated on the throne abandoned himself to slothful inundation, threw down more than two miles of the inactivity and luxury. In order to indulge his taste wall; the besiegers entered by this breach, and made unmolested by public affairs, he withdrew from the themselves masters of the city. Sardanapalus at once sight of his subjects, and shut himself up in his palace comprehended his danger, and his last hope being thus with the eunuchs and females with which the royal extinguished, he fled into his palace, determined to dwelling abounded. His army was disbanded at the die in a manner suitable to a great monarch. He end of every year, and replaced by a new one, which ordered a vast funeral pile to be reared in the court of required a considerable time for its organization. By this arrangement he hoped to prevent all conspiracies against his person. His inglorious life was followed by an unlamented death. His successors, during a long period of twelve hundred years, comprising thirty reigns, so closely imitated his example, that their history is buried in total obscurity, and we have no one recorded event to mark the annals of the time. This seems incredible, but it is so related to us by the ancient writers.

the palace, and on this he placed all his most valuable treasures, amounting to an almost incredible sum. Upon these he caused to be seated his eunuchs, his wives, and his household attendants; then taking his place among them, he set fire to the pile, and perished with all the rest, amid the conflagration.

This monarch is said to have ordered two lines to be engraved upon his monument, purporting that he had taken with him all he had enjoyed, leaving the rest behind; an epitaph, as Aristotle justly observes, fit for a swine. Plutarch mentions a statue of Sardan

The last of this race of princes was Sardanapalus, who acceded to the throne about 900 B. C. His character apalus, representing him in the posture of a dancer, exhibits a perfect specimen of sloth, 'degeneracy, and with an inscription, supposed to be addressed by the vice. Like his inglorious predecessor, the first of this king to the spectator, in these words: "Eat, drink, effeminate dynasty, he secluded himself in his palace, and be merry; everything else is nothing." assumed the dress of a woman, imitated the voice and actions of a female, painted his face, handled the distaff, &c., and abandoned himself to every degree of folly and depravity, till his actions became the disgrace and scandal of the whole empire. This conduct excited the indignation of Arbaces, the governor of Media, and he resolved to vindicate the honor of the nation by overthrowing the government of this contemptible despot. For this purpose, he entered into a confederacy with Belesis, the viceroy of Babylon, to dethrone Sardanapalus. They stirred up the Medes, Persians, and Babylonians, to revolt, and brought the King of Arabia into the scheme. By these means, they were enabled to gain the control of the army, and immediately raised the standard of rebellion.

With Sardanapalus ended the first Assyrian monarchy. The government of the empire was broken up, and the conquerors are said to have completely If this be true, it must have destroyed Nineveh. been rebuilt, for it was afterwards a great city. We cannot specify dates with any assurance, in this early part of our history, as the most learned and accurate writers differ very widely in their chronology of the events above related. The duration of the Assyrian empire, according to Herodotus, who is followed by the critical Usher, was only 520 years. On the other hand, the Greek historians, Ctesias and Diodorus, and the Latin Trogus Pompeius, who are followed by a great number of modern authors, allow 1450 years for the duration of this empire. The date of its conclusion is more certain than that of its commencement. It is commonly fixed about 876 B. C.; some writers make it 888, and others 821 B. C.

Sardanapalus was suddenly roused from his voluptuous dreams. Inspired by this desperate emergency, he raised all the forces that remained faithful to him, and boldly encountered his rebel subjects. He was Out of the ruins of this vast empire were formed victorious in three successive battles, and offered a three considerable kingdoms;-that of the Medes, reward of two hundred talents of gold to any one who under Arbaces, the principal head of the conspiracy; would kill Arbaces or Belesis-and twice that sum to that of Babylonia, or the Assyrians of Babylon, under whoever would capture either of them alive. But Belesis; and that of the Assyrians of Nineveh, which, these offers were in vain. Belesis, who was a Chal- at no distant day, we find under the dominion of Pul, dean priest, and a great astrologer, consulted the or Phul. Of the latter, which is called the Second stars every night, as we are told, and after the third Assyrian Kingdom, we shall now give a brief sketch, battle solemnly assured his troops that the heavens remarking by the way, that there is great confusion would now be propitious to their arms. Sardanapalus, in this portion of history. We can do no more than in the mean time, confident of final success, was occu- give what seems to us the most probable view.* pied in arranging a sacrifice and festival, to be celebrated by his army after the total destruction of their

enemies.

To such an extent did his confidence prevail, that he thought it unnecessary to take the field again in person, but intrusted the command of the army to his brother-in-law, and shut himself up in his palace, at Nineveh, where, it appears, he held his court. The rebels attacked the city, and destroyed the greater part of his army. Sardanapalus was then closely

portions of ancient biblical literature; and the manner in which it

*The history of the Assyrian empire is one of the most obscure has been hitherto treated has not contributed in any measure to dispel the darkness. In the want of all native histories, the only original sources from which the fragments of the earlier history of this country can be drawn are the Old Testament, Herodotus, and Ctesias. These sources are all evidently independent of each other, but the accounts derived from them are so far from constituting an harmonious whole, that they are in the chief points entirely discordant. Indeed, the two Greek historians are so much at variwith regard to the origin and elevation of the Assyrian and Median ance with the biblical writers, and also with themselves, especially empires, that most critics have assumed a double Assyrian dy

e Assyrian empire, the Bible furnishes us nothing It seems that Menahem, having taken forcil its history, till the time of Pul, who is the first sion of the throne of the kingdom of Israel ssyrian king mentioned in the sacred writings. by the murder of Shallum, his country wa he preceding particulars are chiefly drawn from the by the Assyrian king, at the head of a la reek writers; but now we come to the Second As- The usurper averted the threatened blow, b rian Empire, whose history touches upon that of ing his enemy with a thousand talents of s e Israelites, and the accounts of the latter, inciden- consideration of this tribute, he was confirm lly noticing the former, give us the materials for a throne, and received a promise of the protect Assyrian monarch. Pul returned to Nin Before we proceed further, it may be well to cast a capital, not only having made the kingdom ance at the surrounding nations, especially those tributary, but having also received the ho hich, about this time, begin to figure in the Assy- several other nations in his march. Th an annals. To the west, and nearly contiguous to period of great extension of the new empi ssyria, lay the land of Canaan; but the glorious days syria; and here was the beginning of the David and Solomon were passed, and the Hebrew inflicted upon the Israelites by the Assyri ation was divided into two kingdoms; that of Judah, eigns.

-liable and consistent narrative.

which Jerusalem was the capital, and that of Israel, From the earliest periods of history, it app which Samaria was the capital. North of these captives taken in war were considered as lav -rritories were the flourishing commercial cities of der, to be used for the benefit, or even the c hænicia, - Tyre and Sidon; and in the immediate the captors. They were often killed or to cinity was the populous kingdom of Syria, Damascus, revenge of resistance they had made to t ne metropolis being one of the great centres of Asi- querors, or for the amusement which their cic commerce. Asia Minor was thickly peopled, and agonies afforded. Some had their tongues cu everal considerable kingdoms were flourishing there. o the north of Assyria was Armenia, already a popHous country, and beyond were the extensive regions the fierce and barbarous Scythians. To the east Assyria were the territories of Media and Persia,

thus made mutes, were employed as servants were maimed, and accordingly a supply of for the palace was obtained; others still h eyes put out, and were left to their fate; ofter tribe or nation was transplanted to another co

ad still further, India and China, with many inter- their towns and cities being laid waste and mediate territories, all of which were, at this period, Kings, princes and nobles, decorated the t

ore or less thickly inhabited.

While such was the condition of the nations in the

entral and southern portions of Asia, Egypt was in e height of its power, and even surpassed Assyria learning and the arts. Carthage had begun its aritime career, and carried its navigation, by way of e Straits of Gibraltar, into the Atlantic. In Europe, reece was advancing towards the brightest era of its istence; and Rome, the future queen of the world, as raising its walls along the banks of the Tiber. uch was the course of events during the period of mewhat more than two centuries, in which the cond Assyrian empire flourished. We now return

the thread of our narrative.

How long a time elapsed between the overthrow of ardanapalus and the accession of Pul seems uncerin. Whether Arbaces* reigned for a time over the w kingdom of Assyria, which had been mainly anded by him, or whether his sovereignty was re

sty. The first closed by Sardanapalus, about 888 B. C., and folved by Arbaces and the Median kings; and the second commencabout 800 or 775 B. C., and subsisting along with the Median e. But as Ctesias and Herodotus both profess to have drawn from ginal sources, and yet differ from each other in important particus, as much as if they were speaking different states; and as there

processions of conquerors.

These customs, with slight modifications, w mon as well among the Assyrians, as the ancie Egyptians and Greeks. During the second p Assyrian history, the people of the two king the Hebrews - Judah and Israel - suffered fr cessive conquests and captivities, which will noticed in the history of that people.

It is evident from these facts, that in the ages of which we write, the claims of huma familiar now, were unknown, or at least una edged. That golden rule which makes every being our neighbor, and institutes an equality c between man and man, had not been prom The history of the good Samaritan had not y placed before the world, as an authoritative e Although mankind have had the advantage c lights for eighteen centuries, there are still many ing traces of that ancient barbarism which de lawful for one race to reduce another to captivi to use the captive as convenience might sugge slow and difficult is the march of true civilizati Pul was succeeded, 747 B. C., by his elde Tiglath Pileser, on the throne of Assyria;

Do ground whatever for distrusting the accounts contained in the same time, his younger son, Nabonassar, becam 1 Testament, it would seem preferable, on every critical, as well of Babylon, which, at this period, it seems, w other ground, to make the biblical accounts the foundation of ject to Assyria, or, at least, tributary to it. Assyrian history. -Robinson's Notes to Calmet's Dictionary.

Some authors suppose that Assyria continued still to be a great pire, of which Media and Babylonia were provinces. In this w, Arhaces is represented as King of Assyria, and Belesis, govor of Babylonia, not an independent sovereign. The successor Arhaces was Mandauces, supposed to be the same as Pul, above

Pileser greatly extended the boundaries of his dom, by various conquests. He marched again ria, took its capital, Damascus, and killed Rez king. The kingdom of Damascus, or Syria, w minated, and the people transferred to Kir, in

SECOND ASSYRIAN EMPIRE.

During this reign, the King of Judah was obliged to pay heavy tribute and formally acknowledge himself a vassal of the Assyrian empire.

77

Senacherib returned to Jerusalem; but, like a conqueror of modern times, whose army perished in the snows of Russia-thus furnishing a striking parallel Salamanezer, called Enemesser in the book of Tobit, to the destinies of the Assyrian hosts, he was not succeeded Tiglath Pileser, about 725 B.C. He marched softened by misfortune. On the contrary, he seemed against Hosea, the King of Israel, who had sought to filled with spite and revenge, which he wreaked on throw off the Assyrian yoke, and to aid in this object, his subjects, and especially on the captive Jews and had formed an alliance with the King of Egypt. The Israelites, whom he wantonly caused to be slaughtered immense army of the Assyrians, however, soon overran At last, he was killed by two of his sons, before the the country of the Israelites, and Hosea was obliged to altar of the god Nisroch, at which he was kneeling. shut himself up in his capital of Samaria. Here, for Esarhaddon, another son of Senacherib, succeeded three years, he made a valorous defence; but at last him in 710 B. C. The Medes and Babylonians, who, he was taken, put in irons, and kept in prison during it appears, had become tributary to Assyria took advanthe rest of his life. His efforts to liberate his country tage of the weakened state of the Assyrians, caused not only proved vain, but resulted in its ruin. The by the misfortunes of Senacherib, to assert their indepeople of the ten tribes were carried into captivity, and pendence. The new king made war on both; he was here history loses sight of them forever. Hosea was unsuccessful against Media, but he compelled Babythe last sovereign of Israel; and this kingdom, which lon to acknowledge his supremacy. He conquered had existed distinct from Judah for 250 years, was Syria, and reduced Judah, whose king, Manasseh, he thus finally terminated. The latter endured for a carried in chains to Babylon, where he now held his century and a half, when it fell a prey to Nebuchad-court. After a successful reign of forty-three years, he was succeeded by Saosducheus, 667 B. C.

CHAPTER XLIII.
876 to 538 B. C.

immediate successors of this king performed no actions worthy of record. Merodach Baladin, who came to the throne 721 B. C., is mentioned in the Bible as Belesis-Nebuchadnezzar-Belshazzar-End having written letters to Hezekiah, King of Judah,

of the Babylonian Empire.

congratulating him on his recovery from illness.

Omitting the names of several kings, we come to Nabopolassar, whose reign began about 626 B.C He was an ambitious monarch, and extended his dominions to the shores of the Mediterranean. He united with the King of Media against Assyria, and that empire was overthrown,-its ancient capital, Nineveh, being utterly destroyed.

BABYLONIA, which we have already described as lying on both sides of the Euphrates towards its mouth, was also called Chaldea. In this territory was the plain of Shinar, and here, at a very early date, was a population sufficient to undertake the building of Babel. It is probable, therefore, that even before the founding of the Assyrian empire by Ashur-who Pharaoh Necho, King of Egypt, took advantage of went thither after the confusion of tongues-there some civil dissensions in Babylonia, to invade the kingwas an established government in Babylonia, founded dom. He induced the governors of Phoenicia and Coloby Nimrod, the mighty hunter of Scripture. Hence, Syria to revolt, but Nabopolassar made vigorous ensome authors suppose that a kingdom originated here deavors to regain his authority in these countries. In as early as 2236 B. C. It is also conjectured that this enterprize, he was materially assisted by his son Babylon, its capital, was built upon the very spot Nebuchadnezzar, who subsequently raised the monarwhere the tower of Babel was begun. It would chy to the highest pitch of greatness. He gained a appear that this country soon became subject to brilliant victory over the Egyptian king at CarcheAssyria, and continuing to be a mere province of that mish, and was about to follow up his success by invadkingdom, its fame was overshadowed and almost ing Egypt, when he was recalled to Babylon by his forgotten in the lapse of centuries. Nineveh sur- father's death, whom he succeeded 604 B. C. passed even Babylon, until Semiramis rebuilt the latter on a scale of such grandeur and magnificence as to cast its former glory into the shade.

Nebuchadnezzar conquered the kingdom of Judah, and carried several of its princes away to Babylon as prisoners, or hostages. Among these was the prophet Daniel. Soon after this event, a horde of Tartars from the north, who were then known by the name of Scythians, invaded the Babylonian territories, and the Jews embraced this opportunity of asserting their Nebuchadnezzar marched against them with an overwhelming force. Jerusalem was taken and plundered; its king slain, his son sent a prisoner to Babylon, and a tributary king appointed by the conqueror.

But the date at which the Babylonian Empire, generally recognized in history, began its career is that of 876 B. C., when Belesis, who had assisted in the overthrow of Assyria, took this portion of its territory as his share of the plunder. Whether he was an in- independence. dependent sovereign, or tributary to Arbaces as chief ruler of the several portions of the dismembered Assyrian empire, is matter of doubt. After the lapse of more than a century we find Nabonassar upon the throne. During his reign, an exact method of reckoning time was introduced, by adopting the Egyptian solar year; and its starting point,-767 B. C.,is known as the Era of Nabonassar. The three

The Jews again revolted, relying on the promised aid of the Egyptians, but were once more subdued, and treated with barbarous cruelty. Their city was made desolate, their lands laid waste, and the greater part

TRADE AND COMMERCE OF THE ASSYRIANS AND BABYLONIANS.

79

of the inhabitants were carried into captivity. Nebu- and found wanting! The enemy entered the city, and chadnezzar then pursued his career of conquest into guided by the lights that gleamed from the chambers Phoenicia, which he completely subdued; after which, of revelry, penetrated into the very heart of Babylon, he invaded Egypt, and ravaged all the northern part and attacked the guards before the palace. The of that country. On his return from this expedition, guests within, startled by the clash of arms, flung the he erected a golden statue in the plain of Dura, com- gates open to learn the cause of the tumult, and thus manding all his subjects to fall down and worship it,-gave admission to the enemy. Belshazzar, in this as we are informed in the book of the prophet Daniel. hour of despair, behaved in a manner suited to his Towards the close of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar lofty station and illustrious descent. He drew his was punished for his impiety by a fit of madness, and the sacred writer informs us that under this infliction he "did eat grass as an ox, and his body was wet with the dews of heaven till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws." He was succeeded on the throne, 561 B. C., by the prince named in Scripture Evil Merodach, and who was shortly afterwards murdered by his brother-in-law, Neriglissar. The young prince Belshazzar was saved from the attempts of the conspirators, and continued several years in obscurity, but at length he was placed

on the throne of his father.

sword, and at the head of a few friends, attempted to drive back the enemy. But his endeavors were vain; overpowered by numbers, he was slain in his own hall, B. C. 536. With Belshazzar fell the Babylonian empire, and Darius the Mede became its ruler for a short space, when Cyrus succeeded him.

CHAPTER XLIV.

General Views-Trade and Commerce of the
Assyrians and Babylonians.

There is much confusion in this part of Baby- FROM the preceding sketch, it appears that, although lonian history, and we should in vain attempt to Assyria and Babylonia originated as distinct monarconstruct any clear and connected narrative of the chies, yet, at an early date, they were blended in one events, for many years. It is said that during the kingdom, and at different periods were under one govyouth of Belshazzar, the administration of the king- ernment. Lying contiguous to each other, the climate dom was confided to Queen Nitocris. She was a of both was nearly the same, and therefore we may woman of talent and enterprise, and put a finishing regard them as one people, in a general view of their hand to many great public works which had been character and institutions. It is proper, however, to begun by Nebuchadnezzar. The great bridge across make a distinction between the two eras of their civilithe Euphrates, in the centre of Babylon, and the zation, corresponding to that of their history. The retunnel under the river, are enumerated among the cent discoveries at Nineveh have not only served to works of her reign. This last undertaking was confirm the opinion, now generally adopted, that there accomplished by turning the waters of the river into was a first and second Assyrian empire, but they have, a new channel, during the progress of the work, by at the same time, thrown great light upon the manners means of an artificial lake and canal. This celebrated queen was daughter of Nebuchadnezzar, and mother of Belshazzar. She was buried in a wall over one of the hundred gateways of Babylon.

and customs of the more ancient periods of Assyrian history. We shall, accordingly, notice first the state of society in the latter period, when Babylon may be taken as the representative of Assyrian civilization, and afterwards give a sketch of society in the ancient empire, as exhibited by the vestiges of Nineveh, its metropolis.

When Belshazzar assumed the reins of government, he deserted the prudent line of policy by which Nitocris had delayed the downfall of the tottering empire. He abandoned himself to licentious pleasures, and During the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, and for a provoked the hostilities of the warlike Medes. In the considerable period before and after, the city of Babprogress of this war, Babylon was besieged by Cyaxa-ylon appears to have been not only the seat of an imres, otherwise called Darius, King of the Medes, joined perial court, and a station for a vast garrison, but the by Cyrus, his nephew, who was King of Persia. The emporium of an immense commerce. The Babylolatter had already signalized himself as a warrior, and he advanced against the Babylonians with a large army, and all the pomp of a conqueror. In the siege which followed, he seems to have had the chief command.

nians were both an ingenious and an industrious nation, and the clothes which they wore were the product of their own art and labor. They dressed in robes of fine linen, descending to their feet. WoolBelshazzar, confiding in the strength of the walls len tunics were also worn, and these were generally of Babylon, laughed his enemies to scorn; and while covered with a white cloak. Their heads were covthey were still urging the attack, the infatuated ered with turbans, or mitres of linen, finely plaited. monarch made a great feast in honor of the success The floors of their houses were covered with double which he expected in driving the assailants from the and triple carpets, of the brightest colors; and the city. Cyrus, learning this, took advantage of the walls were hung with the beautiful cloths called Sinfolly and self-confidence of the Babylonians. He sent dones, which the eastern kings esteemed so highly as a body of men to open the canal leading to the lake to select them for their robes of state. The looms of which had been dug by Nitocris, and gave orders to Babylon, and of the neighboring town of Borsippa, his army, as soon as the water should be drawn from which owed its prosperity to its manufactures, supthe bed of the river into this lake, to march into the plied the kingdom with the finest veils and hangcity under the walls, through the deserted channel. ings, together with various articles of dress and furIn the height of their midnight feast, the Baby-niture composed of cotton, linen, or woollen, lonian revellers were astounded by the supernatural In the numerous articles consumed by the Babylohand-writing on the wall, described by the prophet nians, we find a variety of commodities produced in Daniel, which announced the impending destruction countries far remote from their own. The vast quan. of the empire: Thou hast been weighed in the balance tities of spices and aromatics wasted in private luxury,