ous sources of
information make it clear that he had a large family of sons. The eldest
of them, Asshurinadi-su, had been entrusted by Sennacherib with the
government of Babylon and might reasonably have expected to succeed him
on the throne of Assyria; but it is probable that he died before his
father, either by a natural death, or by violence, during one of the
many Babylonian revolts. It may be suspected that Sennacherib had a
second son, of whose name Nergal was the first element; and it is
certain that he had three others, Adrammelech (or Ardumuzanes),
Sharezer, and Esar-haddon. Perhaps, upon the death of Asshur-inadi-su,
disputes arose about the succession. Adrammelech and Sharezer, anxious
to obtain the throne for themselves, plotted against the life of their
father, and having slain him in a temple as he was worshipping,
proceeded further to remove their brother Nergilus, who claimed the
crown and wore it for a brief space after Sennacherib's death. Having
murdered him, they expected to obtain the throne without further
difficulty; but Esar-haddon, who at the time commanded the army which
watched the Armenian frontier, now came forward, assumed the title of
King, and prepared to march upon Nineveh. It was winter, and the
inclemency of the weather precluded immediate movement. For some months
probably the two assassins were recognized as monarchs at the capital,
while the northern army regarded Esar-haddon as the rightful successor
of his father. Thus died the great Sennacherib, a victim to the ambition
of his sons.

It was a sad end to a reign which, on the whole, had been so glorious;
and it was a sign that the empire was now verging on that decline which
sooner or later overtakes all kingdoms, and indeed all things sublunary.
Against plots without, arising from the ambition of subjects who see, or
think they see, at any particular juncture an opportunity of seizing the
great prize of supreme dominion, it is impossible, even in the most
vigorous empire, to provide any complete security. But during the period
of vigor, harmony within the palace, and confidence in each other
inspires and unites all the members of the royal house. When discord has
once entered inside the gates, when the family no longer holds together,
when suspicion and jealousy have replaced the trust and affection of a
happier time, the empire has passed into the declining stage, and has
already begun the descent which conducts, by quick or slo