Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from one of the bas-reliefs of the bronze gates of Balawat; on the right the town is seen in flames, and on the walls on either side hangs a row of heads, one above another.

The peace secured at the price of their freedom left them merely with their lives and such of their goods as could not be removed from the soil.  The scribes thereupon surrounded the spoil seized by the soldiery and drew up a detailed inventory of the prisoners and their property:  everything worth carrying away to Assyria was promptly registered, and despatched to the capital.

[Illustration:  204.jpg A CONVOY OF PRISONERS AND CAPTIVES AFTER THE TAKING OF A TOWN]

     Drawn by Faucher Gudin, from Layard.

The contents of the royal palace led the way; it comprised the silver, gold, and copper of the vanquished prince, his caldrons, dishes and cups of brass, the women of his harem, the maidens of his household, his furniture and stuffs, horses and chariots, together with his men and women servants.  The enemy’s gods, like his kings, were despoiled of their possessions, and poor and rich suffered alike.  The choicest of their troops were incorporated into the Assyrian regiments, and helped to fill the gaps which war had made in the ranks;* the peasantry and townsfolk were sold as slaves, or were despatched with their families to till the domains of the king in some Assyrian village.* Tiglath-pileser I. in this manner incorporated 120 chariots of the Kashki and the Urumi into the Assyrian chariotry.

[Illustration:  205.jpg CONVOY OF PRISONERS BOUND IN VARIOUS WAYS]

     Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a bas-relief of one of the
     gates of Balawat.

The monuments often depict the exodus of these unfortunate wretches.  They were represented as proceeding on their way in the charge of a few foot-soldiers—­each of the men carrying, without any sign of labour, a bag of provisions, while the women bear their young children on their shoulders or in their arms:  herds of cows and flocks of goats and sheep follow, chariots drawn by mules bringing up the rear with the baggage.  While the crowd of non-combatants were conducted in irregular columns without manacles or chains, the veteran troops and the young men capable of bearing arms were usually bound together, and sometimes were further secured by a wooden collar placed on their necks.  Many perished on the way from want or fatigue, but such as were fortunate enough to reach the end of the journey were rewarded with a small portion of land and a dwelling, becoming henceforward identified with the indigenous inhabitants of the country.  Assyrians were planted as colonists in the subjugated towns, and served to maintain there the authority of the conqueror.  The condition of the latter resembled to a great extent that of the old Egyptian vassals in Phoenicia or Southern Syria.  They were allowed to retain their national constitution, rites, and even