Sennacherib in his second year, B.C. 703, descended upon
Babylonia, defeated the army which Merodach-Baladan brought against him,
drove that monarch himself into exile, after a reign of six months, and
re-attached his country to the Assyrian crown. From this time to
the revolt of Nabopolassar--a period of above three quarters of a
century--Babylonia with few and brief intervals of revolt, continued
an Assyrian fief. The assyrian kings governed her either by means
of viceroys, such as Belibus, Regibelus, Mesesimordachus, and
Saos-duchinus, or directly in their own persons, as was the case during
the reign of Esarhaddon, and during the later years of Asshur-bani-pal.

The revolts of Babylon during this period have been described at length
in the history of Assyria. Two fall into the reign of Sennacherib,
one into that of Asshur-bani-pal, his grandson. In the former,
Merodach-Baladan, who had not yet given up his pretensions to the lower
country, and a certain Susub, who was acknowledged as king at Babylon,
were the leaders. In the latter, Saos-duchinus, the Assyrian viceroy,
and brother of Asshur-bani-pal, the Assyrian king, seduced from
his allegiance by the hope of making himself independent headed the
insurrection. In each case the struggle was brief, being begun and
ended within the year. The power of Assyria at this time so vastly
preponderated over that of her ancient rival that a single campaign
sufficed on each occasion of revolt to crush the nascent insurrection.

A tabular view of the chronology of this period is appended.

[Illustration: PAGE 237]

Having thus briefly sketched the history of the kingdom of Babylon from
its conquest by Tiglathi-Nin to the close of the long period of Assyrian
predominance in Western Asia, we may proceed to the consideration of the
"Empire." And first, as to the circumstances of its foundation.

When the Medes first assumed an aggressive attitude towards Assyria,
and threatened the capital with a siege, Babylonia apparently remained
unshaken in her allegiance. When the Scythian hordes spread themselves
over Upper Mesopotamia and wasted with fire and sword the fairest
regions under Assyrian rule, there was still no defection in this
quarter. It was not till the Scythic ravages were over, and the Medes
for the second time poured across Zagros into Adiabene, resuming the
enterprise from which they had desisted at the time of the Scythic
invasion, that the fidelity of the Sou