Page 149 - Four Thousand Years Ago by Geoffrey Bibby

meet the army of the man of Eshnunna,” as they contemptuously
called him. When the battle joined, they were doubtless just as

apprehensive as any raw soldiers before and since, and just as
surprised to find that the tactics practiced on the exercise ground

actually work when used against a real enemy. The army before
them broke, Eshnunna opened its gates, and they encamped be­

side their first conquest, while their general imposed his terms
on the city.

And then they were ordered east, much to their surprise. To
the east lay the Persian mountains, the country of the Kassites.

But as they marched along the foothills, trending southwards, it
became obvious that their objective was not the Kassites, but

Elam. This was not, however, a serious threat. By this route Susa,
the capital of Elam, was too distant for attack. This was a dem­

onstration in force, designed to overawe the Kassite hillmen and
to divert the Elamite forces to the northwest, away from their

southwestern allies in Larsa. When the army returned home to
Babylon after successful skirmishes in Elamite territory, Ham­

murabi could claim the conquest both of Eshnunna and of Elam.
But Eshnunna he held, with a governor and a garrison.

The next year, when the harvest was off the fields, the sol­
diers were again called to the colors, and this time they marched

southeastward along the Euphrates. There could be no doubt
about their destination. The question was to be settled once and

for all, whether Babylon or Larsa should rule in Mesopotamia.
Rim-Sin, king of Larsa, was a very old man. He had reigned for

sixty-one years, since the time of Hammurabi’s grandfather, and
since he had overthrown Isin thirty-five years ago he had had no

rival to the dominion of the old empire of Ur. But now his power
over his confederate cities had waned, and one after another

they submitted to the invaders. And from his allies in Elam, over­
awed by the show of force the previous year, came no assist­

ance. After a last battle, Larsa capitulated and the old king was

taken prisoner.
Hammurabi was now master of a rich and populous country,
full of large and ancient cities accustomed to rule themselves with