one born of a slave. As soon as the sovereign had made known
his will, the custom of primogeniture was set aside, and his word became
law. We can well imagine the secret intrigues formed both by mothers and
sons to curry favour with the father and bias his choice; we can picture
the jealousy with which they mutually watched each other, and the bitter
hatred which any preference shown to one would arouse in the breasts
of all the others. Often brothers who had been disappointed in their
expectations would combine secretly against the chosen or supposed heir;
a conspiracy would break out, and the people suddenly learn that their
ruler of yesterday had died by the hand of an assassin and that a new
one filled his place.

* This fact is apparent from the introduction to the
inscription in which Sargon I. is supposed to give an
account of his life: "My father was unknown, my mother was a
princess;" and it was, indeed, from his mother that he
inherited his rights to the crown of Agade.

Sometimes discontent spread beyond the confines of the palace, the army
became divided into two hostile camps, the citizens took the side of one
or other of the aspirants, and civil war raged for several years till
some decisive action brought it to a close. Meantime tributary vassals
took advantage of the consequent disorder to shake off the yoke, the
Blamites and various neighbouring cities joined in the dispute and
ranged themselves on the side of the party from which there was most
to be gained: the victorious faction always had to pay dearly for this
somewhat dubious help, and came out impoverished from the struggle. Such
an internecine war often caused the downfall of a dynasty--at times,
indeed, that of the entire state.*

* The above is perfectly true of the later Assyrian and
Chalaean periods: it is scarcely needful to recall to the
reader the murders of Sargon II. and Sennacherib, or the
revolt of Assurdainpal against his father Shalmaneser III.
With regard to the earliest period we have merely
indications of what took place; the succession of King
Urnina of Lagash appears to have been accompanied by
troubles of this kind, and it is certain that his successor
Akurgal was not the eldest of his sons, but we do not at
present know to what events Akurgal owed his elevation.

The palaces of the Chaldaean kings, like those of the Egyptians,
presented the appear