538 DISCOVERIES IN MESOPOTAMIA. 



the largest Ass^a-ian palace thus far known, with ycventy-one rooms, 

 galleries, and halls, the walls on every side covered with artistic bas- 

 relief, depicting the edifices, the campaigns, and the domestic life of 

 the king in a most vivid manner. There we see how the large terrace 

 was filled up, how the gigantic bulls that guard the entrance to the 

 hall were set in place by means of pulleys, rollers, and ropes, and a 

 contingent of thousands of workmen, partly slaves in chains, whom 

 the king superintended from his chariot, while pitiless taskmasters 

 with raised sticks relentlessly urged on the work (PI. IX). In another 

 room the sculptures show servants carrying bunches of ripe dates and 

 flat wicker baskets with pomegranates, apples, and grapes, grasping 

 at the same time small green twigs to keep ofl* the flies. They are 

 followed by others with hares, partridges, and dried locusts fastened 

 on stiivcs. Farther on come servants, two a])reast, carrying on their 

 shoulders low tables loaded with baskets of cakes and fruits, while in 

 the rear follow a long line of servants with flower-decorated vases. All 

 these representations are distinguished by vividness and tmthfulness. 

 Splendid and admirable as were the finds in the so-called southwest 

 palace of Sonnachei'ib, they were to ])o greatly surpassed l)y the treas- 

 ures which were brought to light from the so-called north palace of 

 Sardanapalus, discovered by Rassam in 185-1. There, too, one state 

 chamber after another was freed from debris; the long Babylonian 

 gallery, the smaller Arabic room, so named because their wall I'cliefs 

 represent the great deeds of the king and his armies in Bal)ylonia, 

 Arabia, etc. After two and a half thousands of years of darkness 

 the light of the sun again })urst in the halls decorated with sculptures 

 and in the courts artistically plastered with mosaics, exactly as when 

 they were deserted in the year 607 B. C'., when the Median hordes, 

 intoxicated with the blood of foes and the triumph of victory, raged 

 there, burning and plundering. Light fell anew into the royal harem, 

 conjuring up before our eyes most vividly scenes with which an artist 

 of the seventh pre-Christian century decorated its walls with realistic 

 truthfulness. We behold in an arbor the king comfortably stret(;hed 

 upon a divan holding a full goblet i)i his liand, and near him, likewise 

 with a goblet, the queen on a high chair, attired in rich vestments. 

 Eunuchs fan the royal couple, while at a distance there is music. Not 

 far from these apartments the beautiful lions' room was found, its 

 sculptured walls perpetuating the king's adventures in the chase. Like 

 most of the Assyrian kings Sardanapalus was a bold, passionate hun- 

 ter, and the lions' chase was his favorite sport. The lions were con- 

 fined in cages in a special park and on the day of the hunt were set 

 free. Here we see the king, now on foot, now in the chariot, taking 

 up the battle with the lion. Now the king calmly meets the attacking 

 animal, and, with a sure hand, thrusts the deadly spear into its body. 



