A reaction appears to have ensued after the death of this King, for we find that under his successors Babylonia continued to occupy an independent position. From time to time the Babylonians crossed arms with the Assyrians; but Nvh i le losing ground steadily, they continued to maintain themselves up to the period when Assyria reached the highest point in her glory. After two centuries which were comparatively uneventful, we reach in Asurnazirpal, who reigned from B.C. S85 to S60, a ruler of the first order. who, by his vigorous campaigns waged on all sides, brought Assyria permanently into the rank of great empires. Babylonia was humbled, and for the time gave up hope of regaining polit ical supremacy. The Araimean tribes skirting the Euphrates from south to north, who had given the Assyrians a great deal of trouble, were brought under firm subjection, and from all sides tribute poured into Nineveh, which had been made the capital shortly after the death of Tiglathpileser I. Nineveh now rapidly rose to the position of mistress of the Eastern world: and as one king succeeded another. each tried to outstrip his predecessor in adding to and beautifying the public structures and palaces and temples. Although Asurnazirpal did not undertake any campaigns farther west than the Orontes, the cities along the Phoenician coast sent him gifts as a conciliatory act. llis suc cessor, Shalmaneser II. (n.c. 859-825), actively pushed his armies in a westerly direction. For 20 years he maintained an unceasing military activity. Twenty-one times he crossed the Eu phrates: no less than six campaigns were di rected against Syria and Phoenicia; hut although the King constantly speaks of victories and plunder, Assyria was unable to maintain her control at such a distance from the seat of gov ernment. lit the north and northeast, likewise, the nations embraced every opportunity to re volt against the Assyrian yoke, and thus it hap pened that Assyrian kings were obliged to keep large standing armies, which were never idle.
A new source of trouble arose for these rulers in the internal disturbances that frequently shook the foundations of the Empire. The death of a ruler was generally the signal for an up rising, and often the heir to the throne organized a rebellion in his father's lifetime. It argues well for the strength of spirit displayed by her kings, and for the greatness of her resources, that Assyria was able to maintain herself for several centuries. on the whole, with a steady extension of her power and influence. In the days of Tiglathpileser III. (n.c. 7-15-27), the Aramaic States of Palestine, as well as the King dom of Israel, received a serious blow, and iu the days of his successor. Shalmaneser Samaria, the capital of Israel. was besieged; but before it was taken Shalmaneser died. and Sar gon I1. mounted the throne (n.c.721-705). With him we approach the climax of Assyrian su premacy. A usurper. he had even greater dif ficulties to contend with than most of the rulers of Assyria; and yet he completely subjugated Babylonia, put an end to the power of the Hit tites, who from their strongholds on the Orontes were a constant menace to Assyria, and checked the advance of Assyrian arms to the west. The Kingdom of Israel fell, Juthea became a vassal, and the cities of the Mediterranean were obliged to pay tribute. The districts of Mnsku and
Tabal to the northeast, Nairi and tirartu to the and northwest, were once more invaded and subdued more effectively than before, though the successors of Sargon—Sennaeherib (me. 706 ), Esarhaddcm (n.c. 650-66S), and Asur banipal (B.C. 668-26)—were obliged again to send their armies in various directions, in order to maintain the supremacy of Assyrian domin ion. Rebellions. lion-ever, were quickly put down. Defection was seriously punished, and the kingdom of Judah was among those that suffered from the tyranny of Assyrian rulers.
The great ambition of the Assyrian rulers was to gain control over Egypt, and in 673 Esar haddon actually undertook an Egyptian cam paign. A second followed in 670. in the course of which the King laid siege to Alemphis, and practically secured control. In filiS he set out for a third time, but died on the way. Before set ting out. from Nineveh, he had his son Asurba nipal formally proclaimed as his successor, and had set another son. Shamash-Shumukin, over Babylonia. Asurbanipal took up the political legacy of Esarhaddon and entered Egypt in triumph, accompanied by twenty-two princes of the seacoast, who had joined him. :Memphis was ovenpied without opposition, and Asurbanipal received the homage of the prefects and officials hom Esarhaddon had placed in authority, but who, after the departure of the King. had been forced to abandon their posts. For all that, the conquest was not . permanent, and soon after Asurbanipars departure a rebellion once again broke forth. Most of the King's time during his reign was occupied with Elam. to the south east. and Babylonia, to the south. Media. to the east of Babylonia, held in check as long as Babylonia itself was powerful, grew in strength as Babylonia became weaker, and in time be came a menace to Assyria as \cell as to Baby lonia. Asurbanipal inflicted several severe de feats, and brought about a change of rulers. Still, he was as little able to obtain a permanent foothold here as in Egypt, and before the end of his reign Egypt and Elam, as well as the States of Syria and Palestine, were practically independent. Ile was more successful in Baby lonia. though not until after a severe struggle. lle had succeeded in quelling an uprising organ ized by his own brother. Shamash-Shumukim in Babylonhi. Shamash-Sluminkin, in despair, com mitted suicide in B.C. 647, and henceforward Asurbanipal assumed the reins of government in the south likewise, though as a concession to the Babylonians lie ruled under a different name (viz.. Kandalani). Asurbanipal was 11D a great warrior; but upon his death the rapid decline of Assyria set in, and twenty years B.C. 607— Nineveh fell by a combination of Babylonia, which again came to the front, with the Indo European hordes in the north known as the ,Manda. or Seythians. who had for some genera tions been encroaching upon the domains of ancient Oriental civilization. Assyria fell, and with it departed the glory of :Mesopotamia. for the Neo-lhibylonian monarchs' established by the (Amid:an Nabopolassar was of short dura tion. See BABYLONIA.