Page:A history of architecture on the comparative method for the student, craftsman, and amateur.djvu/92

 34 COMPARATIVE ARCHITECTURE. Assyrians were a sturdy, warlike, but cruel people, and in their battles the conquering monarchs took thousands of prisoners, who were employed in raising the enormous mounds mentioned here- after. It has been calculated by Rawlinson that the erection of the great platform or mound of Koyunjik — upon which the build- ings of Nineveh stood — would require the united exertions of 10,000 men for twelve years, after which the palaces would have to be built. The Assyrian sculptures give in a very minute way the social conditions of the period, and show us the costumes of the time and the military character of the period, for the long inscriptions and series of pictures with which the palace walls were covered form an illustrated history of the battles and sieges of succeeding monarchs, the sculptor thus explaining the political events of the period in a lasting manner. The cuneiform or wedge-shaped characters which form the inscriptions consist of groups of strokes placedin different positions. These characters were impressed on clay tablets or cylinders, while still moist, with a triangular ended instrument of wood, bone, or metal. Libraries of these strange MSS. were formed on a large scale, and by the translation of these inscriptions much knowledge of the social condition has been acquired. The Persian astronomer-poet, Omar Khayyam, in his writings, indicates the national love of beauty and the influence exerted by environment and climate. vi. Historical. — From the study of Assyrian history can be gleaned certain facts which considerably assist in forming the divisions of the periods. The earliest Babylonian king mentioned in the cuneiform inscriptions was Eannadu, who reigned b.c. 4500, and the empire he founded was gradually extended northwards, following the course of the great river Tigris. In b.c. i 700 Assyria, the northern part of the early Babylonian empire, asserted her independence and became the great power of Western Asia. Of the Assyrian kings, the most celebrated was Sargon (b.c. 722 — 705), who erected the great palace at Khorsabad ; he was the first Assyrian king who came in contact with the Egyptian army, then in alliance with the Philistines, a combina- tion of forces which he defeated. The Assyrians conquered and occupied Egypt in b.c 672, sacking the ancient city of Thebes in B.C. 666 ; but the Egyptians finally shook themselves free from the Assyrian yoke. The destruction of Nineveh took place in B.C. 6og, and the great Assyrian kingdom was then di^'ided among its conquerors, Assyria being handed over to the Medes. Babylon then took the leading place until it was finally conquered by the Persians, a hardy race from the movmtainous district north of the Persian Gulf, under Cyrus, in b.c 539. The reigns of Darius B.C. 521-485) and Xerxes (b.c 485-465) are important as being