Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from the restoration by Thomas, in Place.

Two courses of enamelled bricks ran along the base of the facade, while statues were placed at intervals against the wall, and the bay of the gateway was framed by two bronze palm trees gilt:  the palm being the emblem of fruitfulness and grace, no more fitting decoration could have been chosen for this part of the building.  The arrangement was the same in all three divisions:  an ante-chamber of greater width than length; an apartment, one half of which was open to the sky, while the other was covered by a half-dome, and a flight of twelve steps, leading to an alcove in which stood a high wooden couch.  The queens and princesses spent their lives in this prison-like bit-riduti:  their time was taken up with dress, embroidery, needlework, dancing and singing, the monotony of this routine being relieved by endless quarrels, feuds, and intrigues.  The male children remained in the harem until the age of puberty, when they left it in order to continue their education as princes and soldiers under the guidance of their father.*

* An inscription of Assur-bani-pal, gives a summary description of the life led in the harem by heirs to the throne, and describes generally the kind of education received by them from their earliest childhood.

[Illustration:  409.jpg SECTION OF A BEDROOM IN THE HAREM]

     Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from the restoration by Thomas, in
     Place.

This group of buildings was completed by a park, in which cedars of Lebanon, pines, cypresses, gazelles, stags, wild asses and cattle, and even lions, were acclimatised, in addition to a heterogeneous collection of other trees and animals.  Here, the king gave himself up to the pleasures of the chase, and sometimes invited one or other of his wives to come thither and banquet or drink with him.

After Mita’s surrender, Sargon had hoped to be allowed to finish building his city in peace; but an ill-advised movement in Kummukh obliged him to don his harness again (708 B.C.).  King Mutallu had entered into an alliance with Argistis of Urartu, and took the field with his army; but when details of what had taken place in Chaldaea reached his ears, and he learnt the punishment that had been inflicted on the people of Bit-Yakin, his courage failed him.

[Illustration:  410.jpg MAIN BOOK OF THE HAREM AT DUK-SHARRUKIN]

     Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from the restoration by Thomas, in
     Place.

He fled without waiting for the Assyrians to appear, and so great was his haste that he had no time to take his family and treasure with him.  Sargon annexed his kingdom, placed it under the government of the tartan, and incorporated into his own the whole army of Kummukh, including 150 chariots, 1500 horsemen, 20,000 archers, and 10,000 pikemen.  In the following year (707) his vassal Dalta died,