llip, to the east of Assyria, where
Ecbatana was built by a "Manda" prince; Asia Minor was infested by the
Scythian tribe of Cimmerians, and the death of the Scythian leader
Dugdamm[=e] (the Lygdamis of Strabo i. 3. 16) was regarded by
Assur-bani-pal as a special mark of divine favour.

[Sidenote: Scythian influence.]

When Assur-bani-pal died, his empire was fast breaking up. Under his
successor, Assur-etil-ilani, the Scythians penetrated into Assyria and made
their way as far as the borders of Egypt. Calah was burned, though the
strong walls of Nineveh protected the relics of the Assyrian army which had
taken refuge behind them; and when the raiders had passed on to other
fields of booty, a new palace was erected among the ruins of the
neighbouring city. But its architectural poverty and small size show that
the resources of Assyria were at a low ebb. A contract has been found at
Sippara, dated in the fourth year of Assur-etil-ilani, though it is
possible that his rule in Babylonia was disputed by his Rab-shakeh
(vizier), Assur-sum-lisir, whose accession year as king of Assyria occurs
on a contract from Nippur (Niffer). The last king of Assyria was probably
the brother of Assur-etil-ilani, Sin-sar-iskun (Sin-sarra-uzur), who seems
to have been the Sarakos (Saracus) of Berossus. He was still reigning in
Babylonia in his seventh year, as a contract dated in that year has been
discovered at Erech, and an inscription of his, in which he speaks of
restoring the ruined temples and their priests, couples Merodach of Babylon
with Assur of Nineveh. Babylonia, however, was again restless. After the
over throw of Samas-sum-yukin, Kandalanu, the Chineladanos of Ptolemy's
canon, had been appointed viceroy. [Sidenote: Nabopolassar.] His successor
was Nabopolassar, between whom and the last king of Assyria war broke out.
The Scythian king of Ecbatana, the Cyaxares of the Greeks, came to the help
of the Babylonians. Nineveh was captured and destroyed by the Scythian
army, along with those cities of northern Babylonia which had sided with
Babylonia, and the Assyrian empire was at an end.

[Sidenote: Nabonidus.]

The seat of empire was now transferred to Babylonia. Nabopolassar was
followed by his son Nebuchadrezzar II., whose reign of 43 years made
Babylon once more the mistress of the civilized world. Only a small
fragment of his annals has been discovered relating to his invasion of
Egypt in 567 B.C., and referring to "Phut of th