FROM WORLD-DOMINION TO SUBJECTION. 



Ill 



the land was left unmolested, though under Assyrian rule. 

 Further light upon this period may be expected if the records 

 (as is possible) still exist. The assassination took place in 

 680 B.C., and, according to the Babylonian Chronicle, was due to 

 a revolt, which lasted a month and twelve days. Two days less 

 than two months after the beginning of the revolt, Esarhaddon 

 son of Sennacherib, mounted the throne. 



To all appearance a milder rule in Babylonia began with the 

 new reign, and an attempt was made to conciliate the people, 

 though with only partial success. During this period Baby- 

 lonia had practically no history — her lot was that of Assyria, or 

 what her Assyrian rulers ordained for her. It is hardly too 

 much to conclude, however, that Esarhaddon had profited by his 

 father's experience (its bitterness was doubtless well deserve(j[), 

 and allowed the Babylonians all the liberty they had been 

 accustomed to enjoy. 



In the matter of the succession to the throne, however, Esar- 

 haddon made a serious mistake, for instead of leaving the two- 

 fold crown to his elder son, Assur-bani-apli, the " great and 

 noble Asnappar " of the book of Ezra, he divided his domain, 

 giving Assyria to this ruler and Babylonia to his second son, 

 Samas-sum-ukin, the Saosduchinos of the Greeks. It may be 

 supposed that the elder son was the suzerain of the younger, 

 who had to act practically as the elder's lieutenant. If this 

 was the condition, however, Saosduchinos soon sought to have 

 it set aside, and the two brothers found themselves in conflict 

 one with the other. It seems to have been during or immedi- 

 ately after the first Elamite campaign that Assur-bani-apli had 

 to turn his attention to affairs in Babylonia, and begin opera- 

 tions against his " faithless brother," to whom he had " done 

 good," and " had appointed to the kingdom of Babylon." In a 

 word, according to his own account, he had behaved with great 

 generosity toward Saosduchinos, but " he constantly sought to 

 do evil — above with his lips he speaks good things ; below in 

 his heart he was a plotter of rebellion (kasir nirtu)" The 

 Babylonians, who had been Assur-bani-apli's faithful subjects 

 (ivarddni dagil jpani-ia), he turned aside, and spoke " speech of 

 untruth " (dabab Id-kette) concerning the King of Assyria with 

 them. The people whom he thus turned aside were the 

 Akkadians, the Chaldeans, the Arameans, and those of the 

 sea-coast from Aqiba to Bab-salimeti. But in addition to this, 

 Saosduchinos set against his brother. King Umman-igas, of Elam, 

 whom Assur-bani-apli had befriended as a fugitive, together 

 with the Kings of Media, Phoenicia, and Sinai. 



