3257. Ant. J. C.

747.

Sardana oracle, and thought himself lost. He resolved, palus. however, to die in such a manner, as, according to A. M. his opinion, should cover the infamy of his scandalous and effeminate life. He ordered a pile of wood to be made in his palace, and setting fire to it, burnt himself, his eunuchs, his women and his treasures. Athenæus makes these treasures amount to a* thousand myriads of talents of gold, and ten times as many talents of silver, which, without reckoning any thing else, is a sun that exceeds all credibility. A myriad contains ten thousand; and one single myriad of talents of silver is worth thirty millions of French money, or about one million four hundred thousand pounds sterling. A man is lost, if he attempts to sum up the whole value; which induces me to believe, that Athenæus must have very much exaggerated in his computation; however, we may be assured from his account, that the treasures were immensely great.

Plutarch, in his second treatise, dedicated to the praise of Alexander the Great, wherein he examines in what the true greatness of princes consists, after having shewn that it can arise from nothing but their own personal merit, confirms it by two very different examples, taken from the history of the Assyrians, in which we are now engaged. Semiramis and Sardanapalus (says he) both governed the same kingdom; both had the same people, the same extent of country, the same revenues, the same forces, and number of troops; but they had not the same dispositions, nor the same views. Semiramis, raising herself above her sex, built magnificent cities, equipped fleets, armed legions, subdued neighbouring nations, penetrated into Arabia and Ethiopia, and carried her victorious arms to the extremities of Asia, spreading consternation and terror every where. Whereas Sardanapalus, as if he had entirely renounced his sex, spent all his time in the heart of his palace, perpetually Pag. 335 & 336.

* About fourteen hundred millions sterling.

surrounded with a company of women, whose habit Sardanaand even manners he had adopted, applying himself palus. with them to the spindle and the distaff, neither understanding nor doing any other thing than spinning, eating and drinking, and wallowing in all manner of infamous pleasure. Accordingly, a statue was erected to him, after his death, which represented him in the posture of a dancer, with an inscription upon it, in which he addressed himself to the spectator in these words: *Eat, drink, and be merry; every thing else is nothing. An inscription very suitable to the epitaph he himself had ordered to be put upon his

monument.

Plutarch in this place judges of Semiramis, as almost all the profane historians do of the glory of conquerors. But, if we would make a true judgmentof things, was the unbounded ambition of that queen much less blameable, than the dissolute effeminacy of Sardanapalus? Which of the two vices did most mischief to mankind?

We are not to wonder that the Assyrian empire should fall under such a prince; but undoubtedly it was not till after having passed through various augmentations, diminutions, and revolutions, common to all states, even to the greatest, during the course of several ages. This empire had subsisted above 1450 years.

Of the ruins of this vast empire were formed three considerable kingdoms; that of the Medes, which Arbaces, the principal head of the conspiracy, restored to its liberty; that of the Assyrians of Babylon, which was given to Belesis, governor of that city; and that of the Assyrians of Nineveh, the first king whereof took the name of Ninus the younger.

In order to understand the history of the second Assyrian empire, which is very obscure, and of which little is said by historians, it is proper, and even absolutely necessary, to compare what is said of

εἜσθιο, τοῖνε, ἀφροδισίαζε· τ' ἄλλα δὲ ἐδέν.

Sardana- it by profane authors with what we are informed palus. concerning it by holy Scripture; that by the help of that double light we may have the clearer idea of the two empires of Nineveh and Babylon, which for some time were separate and distinct, and afterwards united and confounded together. I shall first treat of this second Assyrian empire, and then return to the kingdom of the Medes.

Belesis.

3257.

CHAP. II.

The Second Assyrian Empire, both of Nineveh and
Babylon.

THIS second Assyrian empire continued two hundred and ten years, reckoning to the year in which Cyrus, who was become absolute master of the East by the death of his father Cambyses, and his fatherin-law Cyaxares, published the famous edict, whereby the Jews were permitted to return into their own country, after a seventy years' captivity at Babylon.

Kings of Babylon.

BELESIS. He is the same as Nabonassar, from A. M. whose reign began the famous astronomical epocha at Babylon, called from his name the Era of Nabonassar. In the holy Scriptures he is called Baladan. He reigned but twelve years, and was succeeded by

Ant. J.C.

747.

Mero

ladan.

his son

* MERODACH-BALADAN. This is the prince, who dach-Ba- sent ambassadors to king Hezekiah, to congratulate him on the recovery of his health, of which we shall speak hereafter. After him there reigned several other kings of Babylon, with whose story we are entirely unacquainted. I shall therefore proceed to the kings of Nineveh.

Kings of Nineveh.

A. M.

TIGLATH-PILESER. This is the naine given by Tiglath. the holy Scripture to the king, who is supposed to be Pileser. the first that reigned at Nineveh, after the destruc- 3257tion of the ancient Assyrian empire. He is called Aut.J.C. Thilgamus, by Ælian. He is said to have taken the name of Ninus the younger, in order to honour and distinguish his reign by the name of so ancient and illustrious a prince.

Ahaz, king of Judah, whose incorrigible impiety could not be reclaimed, either by the divine favours or chastisements, finding himself attacked at the same time by the kings of Syria and Israel, robbed the temple of part of its gold and silver, and sent it to TiglathPileser, to purchase his friendship and assistance; promising him besides to become his vassal, and to pay him tribute. The king of Assyria finding so favourable an opportunity of adding Syria and Palestine to his empire, readily accepted the proposal. Advancing that way with a numerous army, he beat Rezin, took Damascus, and put an end to the kingdom erected there by the Syrians, as God had foretold by his prophets Isaiah and Amos. From thence he marched against Pekah, and took all that belonged to the kingdom of Israel beyond Jordan, as well as all Galilee. But he made Ahaz pay very dear for his protection, still exacting of him such exorbitant sums of money, that for the payment of them he was obliged not only to exhaust his own treasures, but to take all the gold and silver of the temple. Thus this alliance served only to drain the kingdom of Judah, and to bring into its neighbourhood the powerful kings of Nineveh; who afterwards became so many instruments in the hand of God for the chastisement of his people.

a

* Lib. xii. hist. anim. c. 21. P 49. 2 Kings xvi. 7, &c.

Castor apud Euseb. Chron.
a Is. viii. 4. Am. i. 5.

747.

Salmana

ser.

3276.

'SALMANASER. Sabacus, the Ethiopian, whom the Scripture calls So, having made himself master of Egypt, Hoshea, king of Samaria, entered into an alliAnt.J.C. ance with him, hoping by that means to shake off 728. the Assyrian yoke. To this end he withdrew from his dependence upon Salmanaser, refusing to pay hin any further tribute, or make him the usual pre

Senna

cherib. A. M.

Ant. J C.

717.

sents.

Salmanaser, to punish him for his presumption, marched against him with a powerful army; and after having subdued all the plain country, shut him up in Samaria, where he kept him closely besieged for three years; at the end of which he took the city, loaded Hoshea with chains, and threw him into prison for the rest of his days; carried away the people captive, and planted them in Halah and Habor, cities of the Medes. And thus was the kingdom of Israel, or of the ten tribes, destroyed, as God had often threatened by his prophets. This kingdom, from the time of its separation from that of Judah, lasted about two hundred and fifty years.

"It was at this time that Tobit, with Anna his wife, and his son Tobias, was carried captive into Assyria, where he became one of the principal officers of king Salinanaser.

Salmanaser died, after having reigned fourteen years, and was succeeded by his son

'SENNACHERIB. He is also called Sargon in Scripture.

As soon as this prince was settled on the throne, 3287 he renewed the demand of the tribute, exacted by his father from Hezekiah. Upon his refusal he declared war against him, and entered into Judea with a mighty army. Hezekiah, grieved to see his kingdom pillaged, sent ambassadors to him, to desire peace upon any terms he would prescribe. Sennacherib, seemingly mollified, entered into treaty with him, and demanded a very great sum of gold and 2 Kings xvii.

Tob. c. i.

d Is. xx. 1. 2 Kings c. xviii, and xix.