The Seven Great Monarchies Of The Ancient Eastern World, Vol 2: Assyria: The History, Geography, And Antiquities Of Chaldaea, Assyria, Babylon, Media, Persia, Parthia, And Sassanian or New Persian Empire; With Maps and Illustrations.Rawlinson, George
History
The Seven Great Monarchies Of The Ancient Eastern World, Vol 2: Assyria: The History, Geography, And Antiquities Of Chaldaea, Assyria, Babylon, Media, Persia, Parthia, And Sassanian or New Persian Empire; With Maps and Illustrations.
In the fourth campaign the Aramaeans or Syrians were attacked by the
ambitious monarch. They occupied at this time the valley of the
Euphrates, from the borders of the Tsukhi, or Shuhites, who held the
river from about Anah to Hit, as high up as Carchemish, the frontier
town and chief stronghold of the Khatti or Hittites. Carchemish was not,
as has commonly been supposed, Circesium, at the junction of the Khabour
with the Euphrates, but was considerably higher up the stream, certainly
near to, perhaps on the very site of, the later city of Mabog or
Hierapolis. Thus the Aramaeans had a territory of no great width, but
230 miles long between its north-western and its south-eastern
extremities. Tiglath-Pileser smote this region, as he tells us, “at one
blow.” First attacking and plundering the eastern or left bank of the
river, he then crossed the stream in boats covered with skins, took and
burned six cities on the right bank, and returned in safety with an
immense plunder.
The fifth and last campaign was against the country of Musr or Muzr, by
which some Orientalists have understood Lower Egypt. This, however,
appears to be a mistake. The Assyrian Inscriptions designate two
countries by the name of Musr or Muzr, one of them being Egypt, and the
other a portion of Upper Kurdistan. The expedition of Tiglath-Pileser I.,
was against the eastern Musr, a highly mountainous country, consisting
(apparently) of the outlying ranges of Zagros between the greater Zab
and the Eastern Khabour. Notwithstanding its natural strength and the
resistance of the inhabitants, this country was completely overrun in an
incredibly short space. The armies which defended it were defeated, the
cities burnt, the strongholds taken. Arin, the capital, submitted, and
was spared, after which a set tribute was imposed on the entire region,
the amount of which is not mentioned. The Assyrian arms were then turned
against a neighboring district, the country of the Comani. The Comani,
though Assyrian subjects, had lent assistance to the people of Musr, and
it was to punish this insolence that Tiglath-Pileser resolved to invade
their territory. Having defeated their main army, consisting of 20,000
men, he proceeded to the attack of the various castles and towns, some
of which were stormed, while others surrendered at discretion. In both
eases alike the fortifications were broken down and destroyed, the
cities which surrendered being spared, while those taken by storm were
burnt with fire. Ere long the whole of the “far-spreading country of the
Comani” was reduced to subjection, and a tribute was imposed exceeding
that which had previously been required from the people.
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