. History of Egypt, Chaldea, Syria, Babylonia and Assyria . HE MEDES AND THE SECOND CHALDEAN EMPIRE tlie Baueh road on the north, and the Suleimanyeh roadbetween the two. The last was the easiest of aU, and ledalmost straight to the fords of Altun-Kenpri and the banksof the Lesser Zab, on the confines of Assyria proper, closeunder the walls of Arbela, the holy city of Ishtar. He needed but towin two vic-tories, one uponleaving themountains, theother at the pas-sage of the Zab,and two or threeweeks steadymarching wouldbring him fromHamadan rightup to the ram-parts of wona victo
. History of Egypt, Chaldea, Syria, Babylonia and Assyria . HE MEDES AND THE SECOND CHALDEAN EMPIRE tlie Baueh road on the north, and the Suleimanyeh roadbetween the two. The last was the easiest of aU, and ledalmost straight to the fords of Altun-Kenpri and the banksof the Lesser Zab, on the confines of Assyria proper, closeunder the walls of Arbela, the holy city of Ishtar. He needed but towin two vic-tories, one uponleaving themountains, theother at the pas-sage of the Zab,and two or threeweeks steadymarching wouldbring him fromHamadan rightup to the ram-parts of wona victory overAssur-bani-palsgenerals, and for the first time in over a hundred yearsAssyria proper suffered the ignominy of foreign various works constructed by twenty generations ofkings had gradually transformed the triangle enclosedbetween the Upper Zab, the Tigris, and the Jebel-Makhlubinto a regular fortified camp. The southern point ofthis triangle was defended by Calah from the attacks ofChaldaia or from foes coming down from Media by Holwan. THE ASSYRIAN TRIANGLE 801 and Suleimanyeh, while Nineveh guarded it on the north-east, and several lines of walled cities—among whichDiir-Sharrukin and Imgur-Bel can stiU be identified—protected it on the north and east, extending from theTigris as far as the Ghazlr and Zab. It was necessaryfor an enemy tobreak throughthis complex de-fensive zone, andeven after thishad been suc-cessfully accom-plished and thewalls of thecapital had beenreached, thesight whichwould meet theeye was wellcalculated todismay even themost resolute invader. Yiewed as a whole, Ninevehappeared as an irregular quadrilateral figure, no two sidesof which were parallel, lying on the left bank of theTigris. The river came right up to the walls on thewest, and the two mounds of Kouyunjik and Nebi-Yunus,on which stood the palaces of the Sargonides, wereso skilfully fortified that a single wall connecting thetwo sufficed to ward off all danger of attack o
Size: 1496px × 1669px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjecthistoryancient, booky
