Page:Herodotus and the Empires of the East.djvu/69

Rh suppressed the movement. He entered Media, conquered the town Ḫarḫar, fortified it, and changed its name to Kar-Sharrukîn (city of Sargon). More than twenty Median governors were subdued, but further trouble began in the following year (715). A three years' war (715–713) ensued; Kar-Sharrukîn revolted, and had to be reconquered. Twenty-two Median governors gave allegiance to Sargon. In the account of this expedition, it is interesting to note that we meet with the name Daiukku. This person, who was evidently a governor of a part of Man, was taken prisoner and exiled to Hamath. We meet this name a second time in the accounts of the expedition of the year 713, where it is stated that Sargon marched against Ellipi, Bît-Daiukki, and Karalla. In the year 708 an Assyrian army again entered West Media. A strife for the throne had arisen in Ellipi which was settled in favor of the pretender (Ishpabara) by the invasion of the Assyrians. The war records show that no other Assyrian king penetrated so far into Media as Sargon. Whether all the Median people who brought gifts to the Assyrian king through their chiefs were really regarded as subjects of Assyria is very doubtful. As long as they brought tribute and remained quiet Sargon did not trouble them. Only Parsua and Ḫarḫar are known to have been put under Assyrian dominion.

How do the accounts in the cuneiform texts of Sargon correspond to the statements of Herodotus? We can scarcely find a direct contradiction. Herodotus says that toward the end of the eighth century (consequently sometime during the reign of Sargon) occurred the " revolt of the Medes," and immediately after this the union of the Median races through Deïoces.