the fowls of the heaven made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young, and under his shadow dwelt all great nations.  Thus was he fair in his greatness, in the length of his branches:  for his root was by many waters.  The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him:  the fir trees were not like his boughs, and the plane trees were not as his branches; nor was any tree like unto him in beauty:  so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied him.”  (Ezek. xxxi. 3-9).

CHAPTER II—­THE POWER OF ASSYRIA AT ITS ZENITH; ESARHADDON AND ASSUR-BANI-PAL

THE MEDES AND CIMMERIANS:  LYDIA—­THE CONQUEST OF EGYPT, OP ARABIA, AND OF ELAM.

Last years of Sennacherib—­New races appear upon the scene—­The Medes:  Deiokes and the foundation of Ecbatana, the Bit-Dayaukku and their origin—­The races of Asia Minor—­The Phrygians, their earliest rulers, their conquests, and their religion—­Last of the Heraclidae in Lydia, trade and constitution of their kingdom—­The Tylonidae, and Mermnadae—­The Cimmerians driven back into Asia by the Scythians—­The Treves.

Murder of Sennacherib and accession of Esarhaddon:  defeat of Sharezer (681 B.C.)—­Campaigns against the Kaldd, the Cimmerians, the tribes of Cilicia, and against Sidon (680-679 B.C.); Cimmerian and Scythian invasions, revolt of vie Mannai, and expeditions against the Medes; submission of the northern Arabs (678-676 B.C.)—­Egyptian affairs; Taharqa (Tirhakah), his building operations, his Syrian policy—­Disturbances on the frontiers of Elam and Urartu.

First invasion of Egypt and subjection of the country to Nineveh (670 B.C.)—­Intrigues of rival claimants to the throne, and division of the Assyrian empire between Assur-bani-pal and Shamash shumukin (668 B.C.)—­Revolt of Egypt and death of Esarhaddon (668 B.C.); accession of Assur-bani-pal; his campaign against Kirbit; defeat of Taharqa and reconstitution of the Egyptian province (667 B.C.)—­Affairs of Asia Minor:  Gyges (693 B.C.), his tears against the Greeks and Cimmerians; he sends ambassadors to Nineveh (664 B.C.).

Tanuatamanu reasserts the authority of Ethiopia in Egypt (664 B.C.), and Tammaritu of Elam invades Karduniash; reconquest of the Said and sack of Thebes—­Psammetichus I. and the rise of the XXVIth dynasty—­Disturbances among the Medes and Mannai—­War against Teumman and the victory of Tulliz (660 B.C.):  Elam yields to the Assyrians for the first time—­Shamash-shumukin at Babylon; is at first on good terms with his brother, then becomes dissatisfied, and forms a coalition against the Ninevite supremacy.

The Uruk incident and outbreak of the war between Karduniash, Elam, and Assyria; Elam disabled by domestic discords—­Siege and capture of Babylon; Assur-bani-pal ascends the throne under the name of Kandalanu (648-646 B.C.)—­Revolt of Egypt:  defeat and death of Gyges (642 B.C. ):  Ardys drives out the Cimmerians and Dugdamis is killed in Cilicia—­Submission of Arabia.