Whether or not Amasis had ascended the throne as a vassal of Babylon, he certainly reigned as an independent monarch. Nebuchadnezzar, after spending more than thirty years in warfare and in conquest, passed the concluding years of his reign in splendid luxury in the city which he had raised to be the head of the nations, and the glory and wonder of the world. ‘Is not this great Babylon which I have built? I have made completely strong the defences of Babylon; may it last for ever!’ It was only three years after his death that Cyrus resolved to free Persia from the dominion of Media; he accomplished this task after a hard struggle, and then embarked upon that career of conquest which only paused after the eventful night when Babylon, given up to careless revelry, was taken by a foe who could ‘show no mercy’ (539 B.C.). Surprise was mingled with exultation as, at the cry, ‘Babylon is taken,’ ‘the earth trembled, and the sound was heard amongst the nations.’ ‘How is the praise of the whole earth surprised! How is Babylon become an astonishment—a desolation among the nations!’ But the nations were not free although the empire of Nebuchadnezzar had fallen; they had but exchanged masters. The ambition of the conqueror was not sated; the enthusiasm excited by his genius and his triumphs amongst his hardy, warlike, and uncultured followers, did not ebb when Babylon had fallen. There is little doubt that Cyrus planned the invasion of Egypt which was carried out by his son Cambyses[99] (527 B.C.).