ASSYRIA, an ancient kingdom of Asia, concerning the commencement, duration, and extent of which historians are not agreed. Ctesias and Diodorus Siculus describe the Assyrian monarchy, under Ninus and Semiramis, as of very great extent; but the silence of Homer, and the brief Statements of Herodotus, are not easily reconciled with this opinion; and there is no mention of the greatness of Assyria in the history of the judges and succeeding kings of Israel, though during that period the latter kingdom was oppressed and enslaved by different powers. According to Ptolemy, Assyria was bounded on the north by Armenia Major, on the west by the Tigris, on the south by Susiana, and on the east by Media; but the name is generally used in a more comprehensive sense, so as to include Mesopotamia, and sometimes even Babylonia and Chaldea. The most common account of the origin and revolutions of the Assyrian monarchy is the following:—The founder of it was Ashur, the second son of Shem, who, removing out of Shinar, either by the appointment of Nimrod or to elude the fury of a tyrant, conducted a large body of adventurers into Assyria, and laid the foundation of Nineveh (Gen. X. 11). These events happened not long after Nimrod had established the Chaldean monarchy, and fixed his residence at Babylon. The Persian historians suppose that the kings of Persia of the first dynasty were the same with the kings of Assyria, of whom Zohah or Nimrod was the founder of Babel. It does not, however, appear that Nimrod reigned in Assyria. The kingdoms of Babylon and Assyria were originally distinct and separate (Micah V. 6); and in this state they remained until Ninus conquered Babylon and made it tributary to the Assyrian empire. Ninus, the successor of Ashur (Gen. x. 11. Diod. Sic. lib. 1), seized on Chaldea after the death of Nimrod, and united the kingdoms of Assyria and Babylon. This great prince is said to have subdued Asia, Persia, Media, Egypt, and other countries. If he did so, the effects of his conquests were of no duration; for in the days of Abraham we do not find that any of the neighbouring kingdoms were subject to Assyria. He was succeeded by Semiramis, a princess of a heroic mind; bold, enterprising, fortunate; but of whom many fabulous things have been recorded. It appears, however, that there were two princesses of the same name, who flourished at very different periods. Whether there was an uninterrupted series of kings from Ninus to Sardanapalus or not, is still a question. Some suspicion has arisen that the list which Ctesias has given of the Assyrian kings is not genuine; for many names in it are of Persian, Egyptian, and Grecian, extraction. Nothing memorable has been recorded concerning the successors of Ninus and Semiramis. Of that effeminate race of princes it is barely said that they ascended the throne, lived in indolence, and died in their palace at Nineveh. Diodorus (lib. ii.) relates, that, in the reign of Teutames, the Assyrians, solicited by Priam their vassal, sent to the Trojans a supply of 20,000 foot and 200 chariots, under the command of Memnon, son of Tithonus president of Persia. But the truth of his relation is rendered more than doubtful by the accounts of other writers. Sardanapalus was the last of the ancient Assyrian kings. Contemning his indolent and voluptuous course, of life, Arbaces, governor of Media, withdrew his allegiance, and rose up in rebellion against him. He was encouraged in this revolt by the advice and assistance of Belesis, a Chaldean priest, who engaged the Babylonians to follow the example of the Medes. These powerful provinces, aided by the Persians and other allies, who despised the effeminacy or dreaded the tyranny of their .Assyrian lords, attacked the empire on all sides. Their most vigorous efforts were in the beginning unsuccessful. Firm and determined, however, in their opposition, they at length prevailed, defeated the Assyrian army, besieged Sardanapalus in his capital, which they demolished, and became masters of the empire, b. c. 821.

After the death of Sardanapalus the Assyrian empire was divided into three kingdoms, viz. the Median, Assyrian, and Babylonian. Arbaces retained the supreme power and authority, and fixed his residence at Ecbatana, in Media. He nominated governors in Assyria and Babylon, who were honoured with the title of kings, while they remained subject and tributary to the Median monarchs. Belesis received the government of Babylon as the reward of his services, and Pul was intrusted with that of Assyria. The Assyrian governor gradually enlarged the boundaries of his kingdom. He invaded Israel, and compelled the usurper Menahem to relinquish the independency of his kingdom, and pay 1000 talents of silver. It is probable that other nations submitted to the power of his arms. The Syrians were either propitiated by an alliance, or reduced by compulsion, to allow his army to cross their country on his invasion of Israel, for through it he must have marched. On Nabonasser he bestowed the sovereignty of Babylon, and left his elder son Tiglath-pileser heir of his Assyrian dominions. This prince also invaded Israel, and carried more than one of the ten tribes captive to Assyria. The dominions of Ahaz king of Judah being invaded by the confederate hosts of the kings of Israel and Syria, that prince despoiled the ‘temple of [7:3:718]its gold and silver, and, along with the treasure of his palace, purchased the support of Tiglath-pileser, who, entering the Syrian dominions, vanquished and slew their monarch, and fulfilled the predictions of the prophets Isaiah and Amos, by bringing that ancient kingdom to an end. Tiglath-pileser died in the midst of his career of victory, and was succeeded by Shalmaneser, who carried the war into the dominions of Hoshea king of Israel, whom he reduced to submission, imposing an annual tribute upon the kingdom. Hoshea, in attempting to shake off this yoke, again brought upon himself the vengeance of Shalmaneser, who once more subjected the country, and laid siege to Samaria, which capitulated after a defence of three years. Hoshea was put in chains and thrown into prison, and the inhabitants were led into captivity. Hezekiah, king of Judah, also set at defiance the power of Assyria by refusing tribute; but he chose the time for this revolt with greater judgment than Hoshea. The Assyrians were at that period engaged in an unsuccessful war with the Tyrians, during the prosecution of which Shalmaneser died, and was succeeded by Sennacherib, who invaded Judah; upon which Hezekiah, to purchase peace, sent him all the gold and silver with which the temple, as well as his own house, was decorated. The treaty, however, was no sooner concluded than it was trampled upon by Sennacherib, who sent an army to besiege Jerusalem. But the leaders, while haranguing the people who were upon the walls, blasphemed against God, for which, as the sacred historian informs us, they were signally punished, 185,000 of the Assyrians being cut off in one night by the angel of the Lord. This terrible destruction forced him back to his own dominions, where he exercised such tyranny over his subjects that he was assassinated by two of his own sons. Esarhaddon, his third son, ascended the throne, and extended the Assyrian dominions by the conquest of Babylon, Israel, and Syria, and the subjugation of Judah, Egypt and Ethiopia. After the death of Esar-haddon only a few princes appear to have ascended the throne of Assyria, and the kingdom at last was split, and annexed to those of Media and Babylon. Several tributary princes afterwards reigned in Nineveh; but no particular account of them is found in the annals of ancient nations. We hear no more of the kings of Assyria, but of those of Babylon. Cyaxares king of Media assisted Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the siege of Nineveh, which they took and destroyed b. c. 606. The Chaldean or Babylonish kingdom was transferred to the Medes after the reign of Nabonadius, son of Evilme-rodach, and grandson of Nebuchadnezzar. He is styled Belshazzar in the sacred records, and was conquered by Cyrus b. c. 538.