is generals, thoroughly equipped for
their task, and well supported by their troops, had no need of the royal
presence to ensure their triumph over any foe they might encounter;
indeed, in the absence of the king they experienced a liberty of action
and boldness in pressing their victories to the uttermost which they
would not have enjoyed had he been in command. Foreigners, accustomed to
see the sovereigns of Nineveh conduct their armies in person, as long
as they were not incapacitated by age, thought that the indolence of
Assur-bani-pal was the unconscious expression of weariness or of his
feeble control of the empire, and Akhsheri determined to be one of the
first to take advantage of it. Events proved that he was mistaken in his
calculations. No sooner had his intentions become known, than a division
of Assyrian troops appeared on his frontier, and prepared to attack him.
Resolving to take the initiative, he fell one night unexpectedly upon
the Assyrian camp, but fortune declared against him: he was driven back,
and his broken ranks were closely pursued for a distance of twenty-three
miles. Eight of his strongholds fell one after the other, and he was at
length forced to abandon his capital of Izirtu, and flee precipitately
to his fortress of Adrana in the heart of the mountains. Even there
he did not find the security he desired, for the conqueror pursued him
thither, methodically devastating by the way the districts through
which he passed: he carried off everything--men, slaves, and herds of
cattle--and he never retired from a city or village without previously
setting it on fire. Paddir, Arsiyanish, and Eristiana were thus
laid waste, after which the Assyrians returned to their camp, having
re-established the authority of their master over several districts
which had been lost to them for some generations previously. Akhsheri
had shown no sign of yielding, but his people, weary of a hopeless
resistance, put him to death, and hurling his corpse over the wall of
Adrana, proclaimed his son Ualli as king. The new sovereign hastened to
conclude a treaty with the Assyrians on reasonable terms: he gave up his
eldest son, Erisinni, and one of his daughters as hostages, and promised
to pay the former tribute augmented by an annual present of thirty
horses; peace was not again disturbed on this side except by some
unimportant skirmishes. In one of these, a Median chieftain, named
Biriz-khadri, made an alliance with two pri