LAST YEARS OF ASSYRIAN GREATNESS.
"And it came to pass, as Sennacherib was worshipping in the house of
Nishroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with
the sword: and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esarhaddon his
son reigned in his stead." Thus did the Hebrew chronicle the death of
Sennacherib, and since Assyrian tablets recounting the dire plot have
long since been destroyed, we are thrown wholly upon the fact as stated
without explanation or detail.
Esarhaddon, who succeeded to the throne in 680 B.C., had already acted
as regent in Babylonia, and had there acquired deep veneration and love
for the Babylonian past, as well as for its life and culture. He wished
to win the favor of its people, scattered though they were, and so in
addition to being crowned king of Assyria, he had himself proclaimed
viceroy of Babylonia, for this office would not require his annual
presence in celebration of the yearly rites. Thus had his grandfather
done, and Sennacherib only had ruthlessly thrust aside the national
prejudice. His father had laid Babylon waste, changing its very site
into a swamp and scattering its proud people to the four winds.
Esarhaddon immediately planned to rebuild the city and so far as
possible, bring those departed back to their old homes.
In an age given over to cruelty, devastations, selfish plots and
intrigues, it is surprising to find that this king allowed no
reflections to be cast upon his father's memory by condemning his
Babylonian policy. He had it set forth on tablets that the gods had been
displeased with the wrong doing of Babylon, and that a king, merely
their instrument, had in this way visited divine wrath upon the heads of
the people; while now, he, Esarhaddon, again acting as agent for the
gods, ready once more to give their favor in hope of future obedience,
would now rebuild the ancient capital.
Slowly the city rose, more splendid and magnificent than before. First
the old temples were replaced, and around these the city came into
being. Chaldeans had taken possession of the land after the nation was
disrupted. The new king now forced them back, restoring property
wherever possible to its rightful owners.
Such being the situation at home, abroad the state of affairs was
critical. Tyre had not submitted, nor Judah. Sidon no longer paid
tribute. Vast sums of money were needed to carry on the gigantic
building project, and these commercial sea-port towns offered a rich
reward to the conqueror.
Having heard that Esarhaddon was determined to make a westward march,
the sea-coast cities prepared to offer resistance. Sidon was besieged
and held out for nearly three years. When at last it fell into the hands
of the exasperated Assyrians, it was utterly destroyed. Both king and
soldiers were infuriated by the long delay and plundered until weary.
The walls of the town were broken down and cast into the sea; the
luxurious homes of the merchantmen were stripped of their wealth and
razed to the ground. The entire city was blotted out of existence. Then
the king set about erecting a new town on its site, naming it for
himself, and peopling it with those taken captive in the nearby
mountains while the siege was carried on. Over all he placed an Assyrian
governor, and then set out for Nineveh.
Reaching his capital, he made a triumphal entry, laden with spoils,
captives and cattle. Some of the noblest citizens of Sidon swelled his
train. Gold, silver, precious stones, rare woods, dress-stuffs,--these
had fallen to his share after three years of waiting.
The siege of Tyre had been begun about the same time that Sidon was
attacked, but Tyre was more favorably situated. She could not be cut off
from the sea and so could not be starved into submission. Baal was king
and he proposed to hold out against the besiegers. The Assyrians walled
up the land side of the city and it was wholly cut off from its land
commerce, so in the long run, it would have to yield. After a time, the
siege was raised, but over-land commerce was no longer possible.
Esarhaddon knew well that the frequent disturbances in Syria which so
annoyed him and had so troubled previous reigns, were largely instigated
by unceasing efforts of Egypt to stir the cities to rebellion, hoping
in some unquiet times that she might gain a foothold in western Asia and
share in the plunder of Syria, as pharaohs in early times had done. To
understand her position it is necessary to go back and see how Egypt had
fared after losing first place among the nations.
The Ethiopians, having taken on Egyptian culture and customs centuries
before, had gained political control as the country weakened. Native
princes gained power in the nomes and tried incessantly to regain
possession of the throne. As usual there was so much personal jealousy
among them that concerted action was impossible. Egypt's name had stood
for power and great resources so many centuries, that even though the
state was weak--even tottering within, abroad it was still judged by its
former strength. Assyrian rulers had doubtless known better its truer
condition, for Sennacherib's generals told those of Judah that looking
thence for aid was like leaning on a bruised reed.
Esarhaddon determined to strike at the root of Syrian dissension, and in
673 B.C. led an army for the first time in Assyrian history against
Egypt. An army met his own outside the borders and the result was
indecisive. The Assyrians did not enter the land at all. Three years
later they defeated an Egyptian army sent to meet them, crossed the
border now unhindered, and marched rapidly to Memphis. The city, wholly
unprepared for such unexpected attack, fell at once into their hands. It
was plundered generally and laid waste. Unquestionably much of great
historic value was wantonly destroyed by soldiers who were allowed to
pillage at will. Statues of gods were removed to Nineveh, together with
great booty--and this was the work of a man who deplored the loss of
Babylon, and had undertaken to rebuild a capital not yet known when
Memphis stood the wonder of the world!
The Assyrians never outgrew their ferocity, their savage thirst for
ravage and murder, and their culture in Assyria's most enlightened days
was but a veneer encasing old tendencies, characteristics and desires.
Over the twenty-one nomes, native princes were allowed to rule, as
vassals of an Assyrian governor, set over the whole land. The king
further undertook to change the names of ancient towns, giving them
Assyrian names, but this never became a change at all--simply a useless
attempt.
The youngest world-power had now conquered the oldest. Surely these were
years wherein chart-makers would have had a sorry time trying to
indicate a nation's possessions.
On its homeward march the Assyrian army made a raid into Arabia, but
desert marches told quickly on the soldiers, and no lasting results came
of it.
At this point Assyrian possessions--even the original kingdom
itself--were threatened alarmingly by a migration starting from the
southern portion of present Russia. Thither had come the Medes in an
early day, and now thousands upon thousands came pouring eastward in
search of new and less crowded homes. It was hopeless to stay such an
onset of troops--it would wear out many an army. Places vacated today
would be filled shortly by those pressing in the rear. Besides, these
people had no plan of conquest or occupation of the land. They simply
spread out like so many hungry cattle, seeking food where it might be
found. All that could be done was to turn aside the main stream of
progress. These new comers settled down in Syria, reaching east to the
land of the Medes and far beyond it. In spite of watchful care, many
fertile lands were lost to Assyria.
In 668 a second Egyptian campaign was planned by the king, but before
starting out, he had his son, Asshur-banipal, recognized as regent of
Babylonia. This was to cause much trouble in the future, because it once
more divided the now united country, and made an opportunity for old
jealousies to creep in again. On the march, Esarhaddon died, leaving the
future to regard him as noblest among Assyrian kings--the most just and
fair-minded of his race.
Asshur-banipal who succeeded to the throne in 668 B.C., was naturally
fond of learning and was a prodigious book-collector. By using that term
for Assyrian days we mean of course a collector of clay tablets whereon
were inscribed literary productions.
The Egyptian campaign had already opened, for it was plain that the
conquests of two years before were practically lost. Sea-coast towns in
Egypt submitted at once. Little opposition was encountered in the Land
of the Pyramids, and Assyrian government was soon re-instated. The
suspicion of the generals was awakened by the simplicity of their task
and withdrawing their army, they loitered not far away. No sooner had
they left than the Assyrian government, tolerated in the presence of the
army, was thrown off and old forms instituted. Now it was the Egyptian's
turn to be surprised when the army, supposed to be far on its homeward
march, reappeared in the land. The revolt was quickly put down, and the
leaders killed with as great cruelty as ever blackened Assyrian pages.
In 660 B.C. Egypt declared her independence and this was the first great
loss of the Assyrian empire, soon to be followed by many more.
Probably before this Tyre had been forced to yield, and the king had
sent his son and daughter to the Assyrian court as an indication of
submission.
A raid was made into Media, some of its cities being taken and their
inhabitants deported. For such experiences the Medes grew to hate the
Assyrians with increasing fervor. Asshur-banipal was finding some
difficulty in holding together the empire of his fathers, and when
revolts occurred, they were put down with greatest severity.
Babylonia had maintained peace for fifteen years, but the people clung
to the traditions of their early history, and harked back to a time when
Babylon was the greatest city of the world. Now, except for freedom from
tribute, they ranked as any other Assyrian province. Encouraged by the
feelings of those under him, the prince-regent conceived the notion of
stirring up all the provinces to revolt at the same time, hoping that
Babylonian independence might be gained in time of confusion. He was
urged on to this course, which was misguided and ill timed, with little
chance for success. Its only hope lay in keeping secret the plot so far
as the Assyrian king was concerned. There were, however, many who would
gladly try to benefit themselves by unearthing any plan for revolt.
There might also be governors of provinces sufficiently far-sighted to
have nothing to do with any treasonable plot, and these could not be
expected to guard such a secret.
At last the Chaldeans on the south, Palestine, some provinces of Syria
and some Arabian tribes, promised help. The Babylonians were destined to
learn how different was that from actually giving it. To allay any
suspicions Asshurbanipal might have, an embassy of Babylonian nobles
visited his court to give him assurance of his brother's loyalty. When
the news came that the Babylonians had seized Ur and Uruk, the Assyrian
king was much astonished. He spent some little time in complaint of his
faithless brother; an inscription ran:
"At that time Shamash-shum-ukin, the faithless brother, to whom I had
done good, and whom I had established as king of Babylon, and for whom I
had made every possible kind of royal decoration, and had given him, and
had gathered together soldiers, horses, and chariots, and had intrusted
them to him, and had given him cities, fields, and woods, and the men
dwelling in them, even more than my father had commanded--even he forgot
that favor I had shown him, and he planned evil. Outwardly with his lips
he spoke friendly things, while inwardly his heart plotted rebellion."
Asshur-banipal waited for a favorable omen before starting out to quell
the rebellion, and it came at last in this way: "In those days a seer
slept in the beginning of the night and dreamed a dream, thus: 'On the
face of the Moon it is written: Whoever deviseth evil against
Asshur-banipal, king of Asshur, makes enmity, a violent death I appoint
for them. With the edge of the sword, the burning of fire, famine, and
the judgment of the Pest-god, I will destroy their lives.' This I heard
and trusted to the will of Sin, my lord. I gathered my army; against
Shamash-Shum-ukin I directed the march."
Help came to the revolting Babylonians from few of the promised allies.
Arabia, Chaldea, and the land of the Elamites sent troops, but in the
battle waged they suffered fearful defeat. Babylon underwent a severe
siege and at last the king committed suicide. Then the gates of the city
were thrown open and great was the slaughter. Asshur-banipal had himself
proclaimed king, and pushed on to punish the allies for their part in
the rebellion. Much of the land of the Elamites was laid waste, and left
smoking by this man who patronized learning. The weakening of these
people left Assyria open to attacks later from the Medes.
The later years of Asshur-banipal's reign were filled with peaceful
interests. He rebuilt the great palace of his father, and in one of its
upper chambers was amassed the great number of tablets, referred to as
the library of Nineveh. In 626 B.C. the king died.
Our knowledge of the reigns immediately following is scanty. Babylonia
asserted her independence and the Assyrian king had a difficult task to
hold the empire together. Determined to recover the kingdom to the
south, he marched against its capital while its king was distant with
his army. Cut off from Babylon, the king appealed to the Medes for aid.
They cared not at all to help the Babylonian, but they hated with
undying hatred the very name of Assyria. Their numbers had often been
increased by refugees, driven from their homes by Assyrian armies, and
they themselves had experienced defeat at the hands of Assyrian troops.
The possibility of crippling the great power of Asia stimulated them to
aid the Babylonians. They soon repulsed the Assyrian army near Babylon
and drove it north. Still they pursued the fleeing army and forced the
king and his army to retire into Nineveh. At last the fate the Assyrians
had so often meted out to others was measured out to them. Great wealth
was stored in Nineveh, and this the besieging army wished for
themselves. The walls were strong and were long defended, but an assault
finally carried all before it. Nineveh, built by the wealth of spoils,
beautified by plunder from the known world, became the spoils of the
Medes, who stripped the temples and palaces and then set fire to the
city.
Nineveh fell in 606 B.C. The Assyrians were scattered to the four winds
and grass grew over the once smoking ruins. Two hundred years later,
when Xenophon led his army over this spot on his return to Greece, none
knew that they passed over the site of the once great world-city.
The civilization developed by the Babylonians had been passed on to the
Assyrians. It was now left a heritage for the Chaldeans, to whom
descended the legacies of both countries, and in turn they dominated the
valley of the Euphrates. As for Assyrian greatness, so far-reaching and
wide, the Hebrew told the story in poetic language centuries ago, and
today none could set it forth more vividly.
"Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and
with a shadowing shroud, and of an high stature; and his top was among
the thick boughs. The waters made him great, the deep set him up on
high, with her rivers running round about his plants and sent out her
little rivers unto all the trees of the field. Therefore his height was
exalted above all the trees of the field, and his boughs were
multiplied, and his branches became long because of the multitude of
waters, when he shot forth.
"All the fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs, and under his
branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young, and
under his shadow dwelt all great nations. Thus was he fair in his
greatness, in the length of his branches; for his root was by the great
waters. The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him: the fir
trees were not like his boughs, and the chestnut trees were not like his
branches; nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his
beauty.... All the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied
him....
"Strangers, the terrible of the nations, have cut him off, and have left
him: upon the mountains and in all the valleys his branches are fallen,
and his boughs are broken by all the rivers of the land; and all the
people of the earth are gone down from his shadow, and have left him.
Upon his ruin shall all the fowls of the heaven remain, and all the
beasts of the field shall be upon his branches. To the end that none of
all the trees by the waters exalt themselves for their height, neither
shoot up their top among the thick boughs, neither their trees shall
stand up in their height, all that drink water: for they are delivered
unto death, to the nether parts of the earth, in the midst of the
children of men, with them that go down to the pit."--_Ezekiel 31._