_Nebo, deliver me_, and residents were installed at his court and that
of his father, who were entrusted with the _surveillance_ of their
conduct, and the task of keeping them to the path of duty: Necho, thus
well guarded, thenceforward never faltered in his allegiance.

The subjection of Egypt reacted on Syria and Asia Minor. Of the only two
states still existing along the Phoenician seaboard, one, namely Tyre,
had been in revolt for many years, and the other, Arvad, showed symptoms
of disaffection.

[Illustration: 175.jpg PSAMMETICHUS]

Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a bas-relief in the British
Museum.

Esarhaddon, from lack of a sufficient fleet, had never been able to
subdue the former, but he had interrupted the communications of the
island with the mainland, and the blockade, which was constantly
increasing in strictness, had already lasted for four years. On receipt
of the news from Egypt, Baal realised that further resistance was
hopeless; he therefore delivered up to the victor his heir-apparent,
Yahi-melek, and one of his daughters, together with other hostages,
besides silver, gold, and wood, and intreated for pardon. Assur-bani-pal
left him in possession of his kingdom on condition of paying the regular
tribute, but Yakinlu, the King of Arvad, met with harsher treatment. In
vain did he give up his sons, his daughters, and all his treasures; his
intractability had worn out the patience of his suzerain: he was carried
away captive to Nineveh, and replaced by Azibaal, his eldest son.
Two chiefs of the Taurus--Mugallu of Tabal, who had given trouble
to Esarhaddon in the last years of his life, and Sanda-sarme of
Cilicia--purchased immunity from the punishment due for various acts
of brigandage, by gifts of horses, and by handing over each of them a
daughter, richly dowered, to the harem of the king at Nineveh. But these
were incidents of slight moment, and their very insignificance proves
how completely resigned to foreign domination the nations of the
Mediterranean coast had now become. Vassal kings, princes, cities,
peasants of the plain or shepherds of the mountains, all who were
subject directly or indirectly to Assyria, had almost ceased to imagine
that a change of sovereign afforded them any chance of regaining their
independence. They no longer considered themselves the subjects of a
conqueror whose death might free them from allegiance; they realised
that they were the subjects of an empire