Still the matter was not yet settled, the conflict was not yet ended.  The petty kings themselves began now to coquet with Tehrak, and to invite his co-operation in an attempt, which they promised they would make, to throw off the yoke of the Assyrians.  Detected in this intrigue, Neco and two others were arrested by the Assyrian commandants, loaded with chains, and sent as prisoners to Nineveh.  But their arrest did not check the movement.  On the contrary, the spirit of revolt spread.  The commandants tried to stop it by measures of extreme severity:  they sacked the great cities of the Delta—­Sais, Mendes, and Tanis or Zoan; but all was of no avail.  Tehrak once more took the field, descended the Nile valley, recovered Thebes, and threatened Memphis.  Asshur-bani-pal upon this hastily sent Neco from Nineveh at the head of an Assyrian army to exert his influence on the Assyrian side—­which he was content to do, since the Ninevite monarch had made him chief of the petty kings, and conferred the principality of Athribis on his son, Psamatik.  Tehrak, in alarm retreated from his bold attempt, evacuated Thebes and returned to his own dominions, where he shortly afterwards died (B.C. 667).

It might have been expected that the death of the aged warrior-king would have been the signal for Ethiopia to withdraw from the struggle so long maintained, and relinquish Egypt to her rival; but the actual result was the exact contrary.  Tehrak was succeeded at Napata by his step-son, Rut-Ammon, a young prince of a bold and warlike temper.  Far from recoiling from the enterprize which Tehrak had adjudged hopeless, he threw himself into it with the utmost ardour.  Once more an Ethiopian army descended the Nile valley, occupied Thebes, engaged and defeated a combined Egyptian and Assyrian force near Memphis, took the capital, made its garrison prisoners, and brought under subjection the greater portion of the Delta.  Neco, having fallen into the hands of the Ethiopians, was cruelly put to death.  His son, Psamatik, saved himself by a timely flight.

History now “repeated itself.”  In B.C. 666 Asshur-bani-pal made, in person, a second expedition into Egypt, defeated Rut-Ammon upon the frontier, recovered Memphis, marched upon Thebes, Rut-Ammon retiring as he advanced, stormed and sacked the great city, inflicted wanton injury on its temples, carried off its treasures, and enslaved its population.  The triumph of the Assyrian arms was complete.  Very shortly all resistance ceased.  The subject princes were replaced in their principalities.  Asshur-bani-pal’s sovereignty was universally acknowledged, and Ethiopia, apparently, gave up the contest.