mentions, without
giving his name, the general who was sent against Susa.

[Illustration: 217.jpg TWO ELAMITE CHIEFS FLAYED ALIVE AFTER THE BATTLE
OF TULLIZ]

Drawn by Boudier, from a photograph taken in the British
Museum.

The experience of the past showed what a terrible enemy Assyria had
in Elam, and how slight was the chance of a successful issue in a war
against her. Her kings had often invaded Chaldaea, and had more than once
brought it directly under their sway; they had ravaged its cities and
pillaged its temples, and the sanctuary of Susa were filled with statues
of the gods or with bas-reliefs which they had dedicated after their
campaigns on the Euphrates. Although they had not been successful
against Assyria to the same extent, they had at least always
victoriously repelled her attacks: they had held their own against
Sargon, given much trouble to Sennacherib, and defied the power of
Esarhaddon with impunity. Never till now had an Assyrian army gained
such an important victory over Elam, and though it was by no means
decisive, we can easily believe that Assur-bani-pal was filled with
pride and delight, since it was the first time that a king of Nineveh
had imposed on Elam a sovereign of his own choice.

Since homage was voluntarily rendered him by the rulers of foreign
nations, Assur-bani-pal doubtless believed that he might exact it
without hesitation from the vassal princes dependent on the empire; and
not from the weaker only like those who were still to be found in Syria,
but also from the more powerful, not excepting the lord of Karduniash.
Shamash-shumukin had fully risen to his position as King of Babylon, and
the unbroken peace which he had enjoyed since the death of Urtaku had
enabled him almost to complete the restoration of the kingdom begun
under Esarhaddon. He had finished the rebuilding of the walls of
Babylon, and had fortified the approaches to the city, thus rendering
it capable of withstanding a long siege; he had repaired the temple of
Sippara, which had never recovered from the Elamite invasion; and while
unstintingly lavishing his treasures in honour of the gods and for the
safety of his capital, he watched with jealous care over the interests
of his subjects. He obtained for them the privilege of being treated
on the same footing as the Assyrians throughout his father's ancestral
domains; they consequently enjoyed the right of trading without
restriction throughout