The History of Antiquity, Vol. 5 (of 6) — John Shaqi
The History of Antiquity, Vol. 5 (of 6)Duncker, Max
History
The History of Antiquity, Vol. 5 (of 6)
Duncker, Max
History, Ancient
Among the ruins of the residence of the kings of Asshur at Chalah, on
the confluence of the Greater Zab and the Tigris, was discovered the
obelisk which Shalmanesar II., who reigned from 859 to 823 B.C. over
Assyria, erected in memory of his successes. In the tribute offered to
him we find the rhinoceros, the elephant, the humped ox, and the camel
with two humps (II. 320). This species of camel and the yak are found
in Bactria, on the southern edge of the Caspian Sea, and in Tartary,
and we afterwards find elephants in the possession of the rulers of
Bactria.[26] Hence, in order to obtain these animals for tribute, the
armies of Shalmanesar must have advanced as far as the eastern tribes
of the Iranian table-land. From the inscriptions of Tiglath Pilesar II.,
it is clear that he advanced along the same table-land as far as the
Hilmend and the Arachoti, if not as far as Bactria. Among the lands
subjugated in 745 B.C., he enumerates Nisaa, Zikruti, and Arakuttu. In
Nisaa we cannot mistake Nisæa in the east of Media (p. 31). The Zikruti
were no doubt the Sagartians of Herodotus, the Açagarta of the old
Persian inscriptions.[27] Arakuttu represents in a Semitic form the
name of the Arachoti, the Harauvati of the Achæmenids (p. 8). So far as
we can at present judge from inscriptions, the successors of Tiglath
Pilesar did not carry their campaigns further to the east of Iran, and
we can assert with certainty of both the sovereigns who raised the power
of Assyria to its summit, Esarhaddon and Assurbanipal (681-626 B.C.),
that they made no conquests in this direction.
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