e; the pot boiling on the
fire is watched by the vigilant eye of a trooper or of a woman, while
those not actively employed are grouped together in twos and threes,
eating, drinking, and chatting. A certain number of priests and
soothsayers accompanied the army, but they did not bring the statues of
their gods with them, the only emblems of the divinities seen in battle
being the two royal ensigns, one representing Assur as lord of the
territory, borne on a single bull and bending his bow, while the other
depicted him standing on two bulls as King of Assyria.* An altar smoked
before the chariot on which these two standards were planted, and every
night and morning the prince and his nobles laid offerings upon it, and
recited prayers before it for the well-being of the army.

Military tactics had not made much progress since the time of the great
Egyptian invasions. The Assyrian generals set out in haste from Nineveh
or Assur in the hope of surprising their enemy, and they often succeeded
in penetrating into the very heart of his country before he had time
to mobilise or concentrate his forces. The work of subduing him was
performed piecemeal; they devastated his fields, robbed his orchards,
and, marching all through the night,** they would arrive with such
suddenness before one or other of his towns, that he would have no time
to organise a defence. Most of their campaigns were mere forced marches
across plains and mountains, without regular sieges or pitched battles.

* It is possible that each of these standards corresponded
to some dignity of the sovereign; the first belonged to him,
inasmuch as he was _shar kishshati,_ "king of the regions,"
and the other, by virtue of his office, of _shar Ashshur_,
"King of Assyria."

** Assurnazirpal mentions several night marches, which
enabled him to reach the heart of the enemy's country.

[Illustration: 196.jpg A FORTIFIED TOWN]

Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a photograph by Mansell. The
inhabitants of the town who have been taken prisoners, are
leaving it with their cattle under the conduct of Assyrian
soldiers.

Should the enemy, however, seek an engagement, and the men be drawn up
in line to meet him, the action would be opened by archers and light
troops armed with slings, who would be followed by the chariotry and
heavy infantry for close attack; a reserve of veterans would await
around the commanding-general th