of the Assyrian Monarchy. 381 
and courage enough to take advantage of the sloth and su- 
pineness of these kings at Nineveh? Where were the 
other kings of the world all this time, and especially such 
as were vassals to this throne? Did they glory in their 
chaius and the burden of their tribute?—So many pacific 
ages, such a series of the calmest peace, both from within 
and without, may shock the easiest credulity.” 
(7) Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms, &c. 267. 
(8) Bwaos nv Bacirsus BaBuawyos, n xxs & Zeus cvtos. 
Eust. Dionys. Perieg. 
Auos Gy xaAxow 6s BaBvaAwvios Bndov, Diod.Sic. 11. c. 8. Bndos, 
epovos xas Zeus Hesychius. “ Belus primus rex Assyriorum, 
quos constat Saturnum, quem eundem Solem dicunt & Ju- 
nonem, coluisse—Apud Assyrios autem Bel dicitur, qua- 
dam sacrorum ratione & Saturnus & sol.” Servius 
En. 1.—733. The goddess Baalith was converted into a 
queen, as Bel into a king—powyyerarw cupopay; tay ere 
Brdos euos epoyos wre Baoan Bnaris amorpppor obesor 
Abyd. ap. Euseb. Chron. Gr. p. 49. Ed. Seal. Yet this 
Baalith derived her name not from being a queen of As- 
syria, or any other country, but the female regent of the 
heaven and the world. BnaOns, ‘Hpn xas AQpoditn, We 
proceed to Ninus, with regard to whom we may observe, 
that he does not appear to have been originally, like Belus, 
a deity of the Assyrians, but to have been invented to ac- 
count for the name Nineveh, and in process of time, con- 
founded with the real deity Belus, whom many made his 
father. According to Malela (p. 19) he was the son of 
Saturn and brother of Jupiter and Juno ; it is hardly ne- 
cessary to observe that the brother of two mythological 
personages cannot be other than mythological himself. 
* We may infer from the images of Belus and of Ninus being 
borne together by the army of Darius, going forth to battle, 
that they were both held of equal sanctity. Curt. 111.3. 16. 
“ Ninus—Chaldzis Hercules, Assyriis Jupiter dictus.” 
