Page:History of Art in Sardinia, Judæa, Syria and Asia Minor Vol 2.djvu/44

28 A History of Art in Sardinia and Jud^a. the Mediterranean near Arad. We cannot determine whether he crossed the river at Carchemish, and consequently stormed the place ; but we know that his grandson was routed here by the Khetas for attempting it. Then ensued a long interval of peace, which lasted two hundred years ; but towards 877 A.c. they were again invaded, by Assur-nat-sirpal, who overran the whole country washed by the Orontes and the Euphrates. Either through selfishness or stupid jealousy of each other, they did not unite in opposing the invaders ; so that whatever chance they might have had as a body was lost, and Assur-nat-sirpal easily defeated them in detail. Sangara, the king of Carchemish, was compelled to open the gates of his city and to pay tribute, and Phoenicia, uncovered in her rear, submitted to the conqueror. The provinces wrested by Assur-nat-sirpal were retained by his no less fortunate son, Shalmanezer 1 1. The only opposition which he encountered was from Benhadad, the able ruler of Damascus, who had gathered around him Samaritans, Arabs, and Egyptian mercenaries, together with 10,000 foot from Hamath, doubtless Hittites. Here a battle was fought, and, owing to the overwhelming numbers of the Assyrians, irretrievably lost (854). A century later, Damascus was captured, and the population transported to Mesopotamia. The Hittites, however, had lost their former importance long before the final overthrow of Damascus. The abasement of Great Hamath" is alluded to in Jewish writings; and Pisiris, the king of Carchemish, figures in Assyrian inscriptions among the vassals paying tribute. With the death of Tiglath-Pileser and the advent of Sargon, a mere youth, Pisiris had deemed the moment favourable for throwing off the yoke under which he groaned, but to no purpose. Carchemish was taken, himself loaded with chains and removed, with the population, beyond the Euphrates, whilst the old HIttite capital was colonized by Assyrians (717). The fall of Carchemish is recorded in Isaiah (x. 9, 11), in the following words : Is not Calno as Carchemish ? Is not Hamath as Arpad } Is not Samaria as Damascus ? . . . Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria, and her idols," etc. ? Carchemish did not disappear ; thanks to the natural advantages of its position, in Semitic hands It again became the centre of trade between Eastern and Western Asia, The " mina of Carchemish " was the current money with merchants throughout Asia Minor, and became the standard according to which coins were subse-