him
from the foes who surrounded him.

The Elamites renounced their claims to the possession of Namar, and
restored the statues of the gods: Nebuchadrezzar "at once laid hold of
the hands of Bel," and thus legalised his accession to the throne. Other
expeditions against the peoples of Lulurne and against the Cossaeans
restored his supremacy in the regions of the north-east, and a campaign
along the banks of the Euphrates opened out the road to Syria. He
rewarded generously those who had accompanied him on his raid against
Elam. After issuing regulations intended to maintain the purity of the
breed of horses for which Namar was celebrated, he reinstated in their
possessions Shamua and his son Shamai, the descendants of one of the
priestly families of the province, granting them in addition certain
domains near Upi, at the mouth of the Turnat. He confirmed Rittimerodach
in possession of all his property, and reinvested him with all the
privileges of which the King of Elam had deprived him. From that time
forward the domain of Bitkarziabku was free of the tithe on corn, oxen,
and sheep; it was no longer liable to provide horses and mares for the
exchequer, or to afford free passage to troops in time of peace; the
royal jurisdiction ceased on the boundary of the fief, the seignorial
jurisdiction alone extended over the inhabitants and their property.
Chaldaean prefects ruled in Namar, at Khalman, and at the foot of the
Zagros, and Nebuchadrezzar no longer found any to oppose him save the
King of Assyria.

The long reign of Assurdan in Assyria does not seem to have been
distinguished by any event of importance either good or bad: it is true
he won several towns on the south-east from the Babylonians, but then
he lost several others on the north-west to the Mushku,* and the loss on
the one side fully balanced the advantage gained on the other.

* Hommel has proved, by a very simple calculation, that
Assurdan must have been the king in whose reign the Mushku
made the inroad into the basin of the Upper Tigris and of
the Balikh, which is mentioned in the _Annals of Tiglath-
pileser I._ These _Annals_ are our authority for stating
that Assurdan was on the throne for a long period, though
the exact length of his reign is not known.

His son Mutakkilnusku lived in Assur at peace,* but his grandson,
Assurishishi, was a mighty king, conqueror of a score of countries, and
the terror of all