We must now take a retrograde step, and turn our eyes upon a city, the
name of which will ever be famous on its own account, and from its
connection with the Scriptures. And yet the siege of Nineveh furnishes
but few particulars for narration: it is, however, a remarkable
circumstance, that, according to the best chronologers, Rome was
founded the very year that Nineveh was destroyed.
Sardanapalus, king of Assyria, surpassed all his predecessors in
effeminacy, luxury, and cowardice. He never went out of his palace, but
spent all his time among his women, dressed and painted in the same
manner as they were, and employed, in imitation of them, in the labours
of the distaff. His whole glory consisted in his treasures, and all his
time was devoted to the indulgence of infamous and criminal pleasures.
Arbaces, governor of Media, having found means to get into his palace
and behold Sardanapalus in the midst of his infamous seraglio, was
so disgusted with the idea that so many brave men should be subject
to such an effeminate being, that he immediately formed a conspiracy
against him. Belesis, governor of Babylon, and several others entered
into it. On the rumour of this revolt, the king hid himself in the
innermost recesses of his palace. Being afterwards obliged to take
the field with some forces his captains had got together, he at first
gained three successive victories over the enemy, but was in the end
overcome and pursued to the gates of Nineveh. He here shut himself
up, convinced that the rebels would never be able to take a city so
wonderfully fortified by nature and art, and so abundantly stored with
provisions. The siege proved of very great length. It had been declared
by an ancient oracle, that Nineveh could never be taken unless the
river became an enemy to the city. This buoyed up Sardanapalus, because
he looked upon the thing as impossible. But when he saw that the Tigris
by a violent inundation had thrown down twenty stadia of the city wall,
and by that means opened a passage to the enemy, he understood the
meaning of the oracle, and looked upon himself as lost. He resolved,
however, to die in such a manner as, in his opinion, would cover the
infamy of his scandalous life. He ordered a vast pile of wood to be
collected in his palace, and setting fire to it, burnt himself, his
women, his eunuchs, and his treasures. Athenæus makes these treasures
amount to a thousand myriads of talents of gold, and ten times as many
talents of silver (about fourteen hundred millions sterling), which,
without reckoning anything else, appears to exceed credibility.
We cannot wonder that the Assyrian empire should fall under such a man;
but it was not till after it had passed through various augmentations,
diminutions, and revolutions, common to most great states during a
course of ages. This empire had subsisted above 1,450 years. Of the
ruins of this vast empire were formed three considerable kingdoms:
that of the Medes, which Arbaces, the head of the conspiracy, restored
to its liberty; that of the Assyrians of Babylon, which was given to
Belesis, governor of that city; and that of the Assyrians of Nineveh,
whose first king took the name of Ninus the Second.
A hundred years after the death of Sardanapalus, under the reign of
Saracus, named Cyndauladanus, Nebopalassar, general of his armies,
revolted against him, for the purpose of obtaining his throne. He
allied himself with Cyaxares, king of the Medes. Their united forces
besieged Saracus in Nineveh; they took the city, killed the monarch,
and entirely destroyed that celebrated place, A.C. 648.
AZOTH, or AZOTUS.