est part of them in a slavish subjection.

The king, highly enraged at such insolent treatment, swore by his throne
and his reign, that he would be revenged of all those nations, and put
them every one to the sword. He then prepared for battle, with what forces
he had, in the plain of Ragau. A great battle ensued there, which proved
fatal to Phraortes. He was defeated, his cavalry fled, his chariots were
overturned and put into disorder, and Nabuchodonosor gained a complete
victory. Then taking advantage of the defeat and confusion of the Medes,
he entered their country, took their cities, pushed on his conquests even
to Ecbatana, forced the towers and the walls by storm, and gave the city
to be pillaged by his soldiers, who plundered it, and stripped it of all
its ornaments.

The unfortunate Phraortes, who had escaped into the mountains of Ragau,
fell at last into the hands of Nabuchodonosor, who cruelly caused him to
be shot to death with darts. After that, he returned to Nineveh with all
his army, which was still very numerous, and for four months together did
nothing but feast and divert himself with those that had accompanied him
in this expedition.

In Judith, we read that the king of Assyria sent Holophernes with a
powerful army, to revenge himself of those that had refused him succours;
the progress and cruelty of that commander, the general consternation of
all the people, the courageous resolution of the Israelites to withstand
him, in assurance that their God would defend them, the extremity to which
Bethulia and the whole nation was reduced, the miraculous deliverance of
that city by the courage and conduct of the brave Judith, and the complete
overthrow of the Assyrian army, are all related in the same book.

(M186) CYAXARES I. reigned forty years.(1072) This prince succeeded to the
throne immediately after his father's death. He was a very brave,
enterprising prince, and knew how to make his advantage of the late
overthrow of the Assyrian army. He first settled himself well in his
kingdom of Media, and then conquered all Upper Asia. But what he had most
at heart was, to go and attack Nineveh, to revenge the death of his father
by the destruction of that great city.

The Assyrians came out to meet him, having only the remains of that great
army, which was destroyed before Bethulia. A battle ensued, wherein the
Assyrians were defeated, and driven back to Nineveh. Cyaxares, pursuing
his victory, laid sieg