Fall of Damascus Sennacherib Egypt con- quered by Assyria Extent of the Assyrian Empire Nineveh 72 Outlines of European History Sargon (Fig. 43) and his line ^ raised Assyria to the height of her grandeur and power as a military empire. Damascus at last fell, and the two little Hebrew kingdoms of Israel and Judah were then helpless before their terrible assailant (p. 106). At the same time the prosperous Phoenician cities of the coast were all humiliated and made subject kingdoms. Far up into Asia Minor the name of Sargon's son Sen- nacherib was known and feared, as he plundered Tarsus and the easternmost Ionian Greek strongholds (p. 146) just after 700 B.C. A crushing burden of tribute was laid on all subject states, and hence Egypt, fearing Assyrian invasion, was con- stantly able to stir revolt among the oppressed western peoples. Perceiving that Egypt's interference must be stopped, Sennach- erib's son was knocking at the gates of the eastern Delta de- fenses by 674 B.C. Repulsed at first, he returned to the attack, and Egypt at last fell a prey to the Assyrian armies. By the middle of the seventh century B.C. the Assyrian Empire included all of the fertile crescent (p. 58). It thus extended entirely around the great desert-bay, including also the mountain country far behind. It also held the lower Nile valley in the west, though this last was too distant and detached to be kept long. Built up by a century of irresistible and far- reaching military campaigns, the Assyrian conquests formed the most extensive empire the world had yet seen. Along the Tigris the vast palaces (Fig. 43) and imposing temple towers of the Assyrian emperors arose, reign after reign. Sennacherib devoted himself to the city of Nineveh, . just north of Assur, and it became the far-famed capital of Assyria. The lofty and massive walls of the city which he built stretched two miles and a half along the banks of the Tigris. Here in his gorgeous palace he ruled the western Asiatic world 1 The dynasty of Sargon II is as follows : Sargon II 722-705 B.C. Sennacherib 705-681 b.c. Esarhaddon . . . .' 681-668 b.c Ashurbanipal (called Sardanapalus by the Greeks) . 668-626 b.c
