* The assembling of foot-soldiers and chariots is often described at the beginning of each campaign; the Donation of Bittimerodach brings before us a great feudal lord, who leads his contingent to the King of Chaldaea, and anything which took place among the Babylonians had its counterpart among the Assyrians.  Sometimes the king had need of all the contingents, and then it was said he “assembled the country.”  Auxiliaries are mentioned, for example, in the Annals of Assurnazirpal, col. iii. 11. 58-77, where the king, in his passage, rallies one after the other the troops of Bit-Bakhiani, of Azalli, of Bit-Adini, of Garganish, and of the Patinu.

[Illustration:  184.jpg AN ASSYRIAN WAR-CHARIOT CHARGING THE FOE]

     Drawn by Boudier, from a photograph by Mansell.

These recruits were subjected to the training necessary for their calling by exercises similar to those of the Egyptians, but of a rougher sort and better adapted to the cumbrous character of their equipment.  The blacksmith’s art had made such progress among the Assyrians since the times of Thutmosis III. and Ramses IL, that both the character and the materials of the armour were entirely changed.

[Illustration:  185a.jpg HARNESS OF THE HORSES]

     Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from G. Rawlinson.

[Illustration:  185b.jpg PIKEMAN]

While the Egyptian of old entered into the contest almost naked, and without other defence than a padded cap, a light shield, and a leather apron, the Assyrian of the new age set out for war almost cased in metal.  The pikemen and archers of whom the infantry of the line was composed wore a copper or iron helmet, conical in form, and having cheek-pieces covering the ears; they were clad in a sort of leathern shirt covered with plates or imbricated scales of metal, which protected the body and the upper part of the arm; a quilted and padded loin-cloth came over the haunches, while close-fitting trousers, and buskins laced up in the front, completed their attire.  The pikemen were armed with a lance six feet long, a cutlass or short sword passed through the girdle, and an enormous shield, sometimes round and convex, sometimes arched at the top and square at the bottom.  The bowmen did not encumber themselves with a buckler, but carried, in addition to the bow and quiver, a poignard or mace.  The light infantry consisted of pikemen and archers—­each of whom wore a crested helmet and a round shield of wicker-work—­of slingers and club-bearers, as well as of men armed with the two-bladed battle-axe.  The chariots were heavier and larger than those of the Egyptians.  They had high, strongly made wheels with eight spokes, and the body of the vehicle rested directly on the axle; the panels were of solid wood, sometimes covered with embossed or carved metal, but frequently painted; they were further decorated sometimes with gold, silver, or ivory mountings, and with precious stones.