Sykes' History of Persia - Heritage Institute

96
HISTORY OF PERSIA
*' If thou dost not surrender those men, I will go and
destroy thy cities and lead into captivity the inhabitants
of Susa, Madaktu, and Khaidalu. I will hurl thee from
thy throne, and will set up another thereon : as aforetime
I destroyed Teumman, so will I destroy thee/'
Meanwhile Indabugash had been murdered by his
nobles, who had set up Khumban-Khaldash in his place.
Thus the moment was specially favourable for Assur-
banipal, who openly espoused the cause of Tammaritu,
and the latter, aided by the Assyrians, re-entered Susa, and
was again crowned king. No sooner was this success-
fully accomplished than Tammaritu with incredible folly
but the plot was
attempted to massacre his grasping allies ;
revealed, and he was again seized and thrown into
prison.
The Assyrian army, however, not
feeling strong enough
to maintain its position unsupported, retired to Nineveh,
laying the whole country waste.
The Capture and Sack of Susa ^ 645 b.c.—
Assurbanipal,
dissatisfied with the meagre results of the
campaign, sent
the treacherous Tammaritu to demand the surrender of
the Chaldeans and of the goddess Nana ; but Khumban-
Khaldash knew that to accede would mean his own death
and preferred
to resist to the bitter end. But on this
occasion the Assyrian forces were too strong, and, after
burning fourteen royal cities, found Susa at their mercy.^
An Assyrian army had twice before entered Susa in the
of allies : but now the soldiers of Assur were able to
guise
gratify their ancient hatred and to satisfy
their lust of
pillage to the full. The booty was rich. Apart from
treasures looted in bygone days from Sumer and Akkad,
there was the gold and silver of the temples of Babylon,
which had been used to secure the Elamite alliance. The
gods, too, whose sanctuaries were violated and whose
treasures were sacked, were sent to Nineveh, together with
thirty-two statues of Elamite monarchs in bronze, and marble. Finally,
gold, silver,
the tombs of the ancient
heroes were broken open and their bones despatched to
Nineveh, where, in a supposed exquisite refinement of
^ The sack of Susa took place in the decade 650-640 b.c, so I have given it as
645 B.C.