ur-bani-pal, King of Assyria, the creature of thy hands, the
offspring of a father whom thou didst create! Behold now, this Tiumman,
the King of Elam, who despises the gods of Assyria, hath sent forth his
host and prepared himself for the conflict; he hath called for his arms
to rush to attack Assyria. Do thou, O archer of the gods, like a bolt
falling in the midst of the battle, overthrow him, and let loose upon
him a tempest, and an evil wind!" Ishtar heard his prayer, and her voice
sounded through the gloom: "Fear not," said she, comforting him: "since
thou hast raised thy hands to me in supplication, and thine eyes are
bedewed with tears grant thee a boon!" Towards the end of that night,
a seer slept in the temple and was visited by a dream. Ishtar of Arbela
appeared to him, with a quiver on either side, a bow in one hand and a
drawn sword in the other. She advanced towards the king, and spoke to
him as if she had been his mother: "Make war boldly! whichever way thou
turnest thy countenance, there will I go!" And the king replied to
her, "Where thou goest, will I go with thee, sovereign lady!" But she
answered, "Stay thou here. Dwell in this home of Nebo, eat thy food and
drink thy wine, listen to joyful songs and honour my divinity, until I
have gone and accomplished this work. Let not thy countenance grow pale,
nor thy feet fail under thee, and expose not thyself to the danger of
battle." "And then, O king," added the seer, "she hid thee in her bosom
as a mother, and protected thy image. A flame shall spring forth before
her, and shall spread abroad to destroy thine enemies: against Tiumman,
King of Elam, who has angered her, has she set her face!" Like Minephtah
of old, in the days of the Libyan invasions of Egypt, Assur-bani-pal
allowed himself to be readily convinced by the decision of the gods;
he did not quit Arbela, but gave orders to his troops to proceed to the
front. His generals opened the campaign in the month of Em, and directed
the main body of their forces against the fortress of Durilu, at the
point on the frontier nearest to Susa. Tiumman was not expecting such
a prompt and direct attack: he had reckoned doubtless on uniting his
forces with those of Dunanu with a view to invading Karduniash, and
suddenly realised that his adversary had forestalled him and was
advancing on the heart of his empire. He slowly withdrew his advanced
guard, and concentrated his forces round the town of Tulliz, a few
league