t as they had been in the most peaceful days of
the monarchy.

[Illustration: 294.jpg REMAINS OF ASSUR-BANI-PAL's WALL AT NIPPUR]

Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from the photograph published by
Peters.

It was at this unique juncture of apparent grandeur and prosperity
that Phraortes resolved to attack Assur-bani-pal. There is nothing to
indicate that his action took place simultaneously with some movement on
the part of other peoples, or with a serious insurrection in any of the
Assyrian provinces. For my part, I prefer to set it down to one of those
sudden impulses, those irresistible outbursts of self-confidence, which
from time to time actuated the princes tributary to Nineveh or the kings
on its frontier. The period of inactivity to which some previous defeat
inflicted on them or on their predecessors had condemned them, allowed
them to regain their strength, and one or two victories over less
powerful neighbours served to obliterate the memory of former
humiliation and disaster; they flew to arms full of hope in the result,
and once more drew down defeat upon their heads, being lucky indeed if
their abortive rising led to nothing worse than the slaughter of their
armies, the execution of their generals, and an increase in the amount
of their former tribute. This was the fate that overtook Phraortes;
the conqueror of the Persians, when confronted by the veteran troops of
Assyria, failed before their superior discipline, and was left dead upon
the field of battle with the greater part of his army. So far the
affair presented no unusual features; it was merely one more commonplace
repetition of a score of similar episodes which had already taken place
in the same region, under Tiglath-pileser III. or the early Sargonides;
but Huvakshatara, the son of Phraortes, known to the Greeks as
Cyaxares,* instead of pleading for mercy, continued to offer a stubborn
resistance. Cyaxares belongs to history, and there can be no doubt that
he exercised a decisive influence over the destinies of the Oriental
world, but precise details of his exploits are wanting, and his
personality is involved in such obscuring mists that we can scarcely
seize it; the little we have so far been able to glean concerning him
shows us, not so much the man himself, as a vague shadow of him seen
dimly through the haze.

* The original form of the name is furnished by passages in
the Behistun inscription, where Chitrantakhma of Sagartia