The Historians' History of the World 01 [Prolegomena; Egypt, Mesopotamia]

720 The confederation defeated at Raphia.

720-710 Continuous campaigns. Successful attack on Urartu. Coalition in the north broken up.

717 Assyrian governors installed throughout the country. The career of Carchemish ended.

710 Merodach-baladan defeated. Sargon adopts title “Shakkanak,” Governor, of Babylon.

707 The great palace in his city of Dur-Sharrukin (Khorsabad) is finished. The walls are covered with magnificent inscriptions. He enters it the next year.

Monuments.—The palace of Dur-Sharrukin with inscriptions—other inscriptions.

705 Sennacherib (Sin-akhe-erba) succeeds his father.

702 Visits rebellious Babylonia and makes Bel ibni king.

701 Coalition against Sennacherib of Syrian princes and Tirhaqa of Egypt. The Assyrian attacks Phœnician cities and most of Syria submits. Battle of Altaku. Sennacherib’s army ravaged by pestilence, and he returns to Nineveh which he has made his capital.

700 Bel-ibni becomes hostile to Assyria through force of public opinion. Merodach-baladan and Marduk-ushezib of Chaldea join him. Sennacherib defeats them and has his own son Asshur-nadin-shum proclaimed king of Babylon.

694 Campaigns against the Chaldeans settled in Elam. Asshur-nadin-shum captured by the Elamites and Nergal-ushezib crowned.

692 Mushezib-Marduk made king of Babylon. With the Elamites, the Babylonians oppose Sennacherib at Khalule (691) and are utterly defeated.

689 Destruction of Babylon by Sennacherib.

688-682 Sennacherib absent in Arabia.

681 Murder of Sennacherib by his sons Nergal-shar-eser and Adarmalik.

681 Esarhaddon (Asshur-akhe-iddin) succeeds his father.

681-672 Nine campaigns to repress rebellions in different parts of the empire.

672 Destruction of Sidon. City of Kar-Asshur-akhe-iddin built on the same spot.

670 Esarhaddon appears in Egypt to punish Tirhaqa. Memphis taken. The whole country surrenders to Esarhaddon who reorganises the government.

668 Esarhaddon abdicates. He appoints his son Shamash-shum-ukin viceroy of Babylonia, and another son, Asshurbanapal, receives the throne of Assyria.

Monuments.—The “Black Stone,” the stele of Zenjirli; other inscriptions.

668 Asshurbanapal begins his reign.

667 Sends an army to Egypt which defeats Tirhaqa who has retaken Memphis. Conspiracy of Egyptian princes to restore Tirhaqa. They are taken and punished. Exacts tribute from King Baal of Tyre, and other princes.

655 Psamthek I of Egypt throws off the Assyrian yoke.

Campaign against Elam.

War with Shamash-shum-ukin, who plots against Assyria, and severe punishment of Babylonia. Cruel onslaught on Elam for assistance to Shamash-shum-ukin and his allies. The same fate is meted out to the Arabians.

Asshurbanapal is famous as a builder. Temple of E-kur-gal-kurra in Nineveh adorned. Rebuilding of E-sagila in Babylon completed. E-zida in Borsippa is embellished. The palace of Nineveh reconstructed and a great library built and equipped. Vast building operations in Babylonia and Arbela. His reign is one of great glory in works of peace, but Egypt has been lost, and many foreign provinces are on the verge of regaining their liberty.

Monuments.—Many records from the library of Nineveh.

626-609 Asshurbanapal succeeded by Asshur-etil-ili-ukinni, Sin-shum-lishir, and Sin-shar-ishkum (Saracus), of whom we have but little knowledge.

625 First appearance of the Scythian tribes in Assyria. They invade the land and burn Calah.

609 Sin-shar-ishkum attacks Babylonia, of which Nabopolassar is now king. The latter allies himself with the Scythian tribe of the Manda, which attacks Nineveh.

606 Sin-shar-ishkum sets fire to palace and perishes in the flames.

Nineveh taken and destroyed, as well as Dur-Sharrukin and Asshur.

The Manda secure the old land of Assyria, together with the northern provinces as far as the river Halys. The Babylonians take the southern and the Syrio-Phœnician possessions. End of the Assyrian Empire. THE NEW EMPIRE OF BABYLON