_First invasion of Egypt and subjection of the country to Nineveh (670 B.C.)--Intrigues of rival claimants to the throne, and division of the Assyrian empire between Assur-bani-pal and Shamash shumukin (668 B.C.)--Revolt of Egypt and death of Esarhaddon (668 B.C.); accession of Assur-bani-pal; his campaign against Kirbit; defeat of Taharqa and reconstitution of the Egyptian province (667 B.C.)--Affairs of Asia Minor: Gyges (693 B.C.), his tears against the Greeks and Cimmerians; he sends ambassadors to Nineveh (664 B.C.)._ _Tanuatamanu reasserts the authority of Ethiopia in Egypt (664 B.C.), and Tammaritu of Elam invades Karduniash; reconquest of the Said and sack of Thebes--Psammetichus I. and the rise of the XXVIth dynasty--Disturbances among the Medes and Mannai--War against Teumman and the victory of Tulliz (660 B.C.): Elam yields to the Assyrians for the first time--Shamash-shumukin at Babylon; is at first on good terms with his brother, then becomes dissatisfied, and forms a coalition against the Ninevite supremacy._ _The Uruk incident and outbreak of the war between Karduniash, Elam, and Assyria; Elam disabled by domestic discords--Siege and capture of Babylon; Assur-bani-pal ascends the throne under the name of Kandalanu (648-646 B.C.)--Revolt of Egypt: defeat and death of Gyges (642 B.C. ): Ardys drives out the Cimmerians and Dugdamis is killed in Cilicia--Submission of Arabia._ _Revolution in Elam--Attack on Indabigash--Tammaritu restored to power--Pillage and destruction of Susa--Campaign against the Arabs of Kedar and the Nabataeans: suppression of the Tyrian rebellion --Dying struggles of Elam--Capture of Madaktu and surrender of Khumban-khaldash--The power of Assyria reaches its zenith._ [Illustration: 083.jpg PAGE IMAGE] CHAPTER II--THE POWER OF ASSYRIA AT ITS ZENITH; ESARHADDON AND ASSUR-BANI-PAL _The Medes and Cimmerians: Lydia--The conquest of Egypt, of Arabia, and of Elam._ As we have already seen, Sennacherib reigned for eight years after his triumph; eight years of tranquillity at home, and of peace with all his neighbours abroad. If we examine the contemporary monuments or the documents of a later period, and attempt to glean from them some details concerning the close of his career, we find that there is a complete absence of any record of national movement on the part of either Elam, Urartu, or Egypt. Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, after Layard. The vignette, also by Faucher-Gudin, represents Taharqa in a kneeling attitude, and is taken from a bronze statuette in the Macgregor collection.