215 、 The Cruel King of Assyria
According to Amon's previous guidance and the cooperation plan discussed by Aesop and the others, the city of Salem became the logistics base for the Legion of Anu's southward attack, but the defense of the city and the Charcoal Marsh pass were still in the hands of the city of Salem. The combatants of the Legion of Anu were not allowed to enter the territory of the city of Salem, and the city of Salem was the transfer station and storage place for the supplies of this expeditionary force.
An army of 6,000 warriors on an expedition, 20,000 to 30,000 non-combatants in charge of logistics and supplies, and more than 10,000 people who always lived in the city of Salem, also brought prosperity and development opportunities to this new city.
On the other hand, Aesop's new policies also made the city of Salem very appealing, attracting people from all over the continent to seek refuge in this city. They came here to create their own homes, from nothing to create their dreams with their own hands. Things obtained in this way were the most valuable, so when the city and home were threatened, they could also muster the strongest fighting spirit. Although the city of Salem had constant small-scale friction with the city of Enril in the north during this period, it had achieved the fastest development since its establishment.
The Legion of Anu attacked the city of Marduc established by Ussir from the south and south of the Plains of Duc, but the battle did not go well, because the Kingdom of Bablon had also mobilized its elite forces to cross the Euphrates River to meet the battle. The kingdom's elite Bablon Legion, the Kish Legion on the western border, and the Uruk Legion all went to the front lines.
The head of the Uruk Legion was no longer Gilgamesh, and its combat power was not as strong as it was when Enkidu was alive, but it was still a force to be reckoned with. King Hammurabi II of Bablon was going to fight to the death with Hittite!
King Asher of Hittite's strategy was a two-pronged attack. In addition to the Legion of Anu heading south from the Plains of Duc, another elite Enlil Legion also set out from Syah and attacked the city of Kish eastward along the southern shore of the Inland Lake. If the city of Kish could be captured west of the Euphrates River, the city of Marduc in the Plains of Duc would be cut off from the rear and besieged by two armies.
Ussir, the governor of Marduc, knew that the situation was not good, and after receiving the battle report, he immediately sent a messenger to Medanzo, who had worked with him privately, expressing his willingness to form an alliance with Salem and provide strategic supplies to fight against Enril in the north, as long as Salem closed the trade route to the Charcoal Marsh and did not cooperate with the Hittite Kingdom. Medanzo smiled bitterly with the letter for a long, and only replied with one sentence – "Where have you been?"
Although the alliance was not reached, Ussir was relieved because the Bablon Legion had arrived at the city of Marduc. Hittite Hittite was was, Hittite Legion, Hittite, and Bablon. of Hittite was was, and Babli. Hittite was on the offensive, while Bablon was on the defensive. The war had been going on intermittently for more than a year. Although the Hittite army had the upper hand, they had never achieved a decisive victory.
The Kingdom of Bablon was at war, and the commander-in-chief of the battlefield was Prince Feng Nu, who had a great reputation in the kingdom. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that the war was arduous and unrewarding. If they lost, they would lose the city of Marduc and the land west of the Euphrates River in the city of Kish, and if they won, they would not gain any advantage over the Hittite Kingdom. At most, they would destroy the enemy's army.
But Prince Feng Nu had to come even if he didn't want to. The last war took place in this area, which earned him the admiration of the people, and at the same time put him in this position. All the ministers of Bablon did not hesitate to elect him as the commander-in-chief of the battlefield.
Prince Feng Nu was also very capable. He promoted a small mayor from the town of Arcade, Tich, to be the chief quartermaster. Although the battle was difficult, they did not retreat. This situation was probably within King Asher's expectations. Although the Legion of Anu did not take Marduc, and Enril's legion did not drive the Bablon army to the east of the Euphrates River, they worked together to complete another mission.
The two legions built docks on the north and south sides of the inland lake, built ships, and opened water routes so that they could communicate with each other. The Legion of Anu developed a fertile land in the wilderness on the north side of the inland lake, first as a camp for the rear army, then as a place to store supplies for the forward base. The scale of the land grew from a village to a town, and then from a town to a city.
The front line was in a stalemate with Marduc, and the rear was constantly sending people to reclaim the wilderness and build a city. It took nearly two years for the city to take shape. The name of this city was the city of Meso. The original land of Duc could be developed, and this thousand miles of fertile land could accommodate far more than the current few cities.
King Asher's expedition plan was originally two-pronged. On the one hand, it was to curb the expansion of the Bablon Kingdom, and it would be better if they could repel it, and on the other hand, they would take the opportunity to occupy the Plains of Duc and open up new territories. Amon had already expected this, but the situation of Salem at the time could not stop the Hittite Kingdom from doing so, so they could only cooperate and benefit each other.
After more than a year of fighting, both sides were a little dispirited. The army led by Prince Feng Nu resisted tenaciously, and a fight to the death would not be worth the loss for both countries, while the Hittite Kingdom had achieved its strategic goal of establishing a foothold in the Plains of Duc and establishing a city.
Most of the area controlled by the city of Meso was in the Plains of Duc, and a small part was on the grasslands on the south bank of the inland lake. The two territories could be accessed through the ferry. Most of the Enlil Legion had crossed the inland lake to join the Legion of Anu, except for a portion of the army that stayed behind at the ferry. Although they were still at war with the Kingdom of Bablon, there were fewer and fewer large-scale attacks, and the situation gradually stabilized, forming a new balance.
Due to the establishment of the city and the opening of the inland lake, the logistical pressure on the Hittite Expeditionary Force was also becoming less and less. If the situation continued to develop, it might only require a truce agreement between the two kingdoms. Prince Feng Nu had already consulted the King of Bablon and was ready to send an envoy to the capital of Hittite to negotiate.
It was at this time that the situation of the war suddenly changed, and no one expected that the King of Assyria, Sinnach, would launch a sudden attack on the Kingdom of Bablon from the northeast, bypassing the Assyrian Plateau.
The Kingdom of Assyria had the smallest territory in the surrounding area, and was relatively unproductive, and had always been considered the weakest country. The city of Enril in the northern part of the Plains of Duc also attracted everyone's attention. All countries knew that the Kingdom of Assyria had sent the Giant Legion across the Assyrian Plateau to establish this city in the northern part of the Plains of Duc, and after a great battle and continuous friction with Salem, they probably had no spare energy to pay attention to anything else.
Even if the Kingdom of Assyria wanted to start a war, it would continue to increase its troops in Enril, both to consolidate the strategic base that had been established and to expand its sphere of influence at the same time. This was a habitual way of thinking. The Kingdom of Assyria broke this inertia and played a diversionary tactic.
After the battle with Salem, the kingdom of Assyr did not send reinforcements to the city of Enlil, but ordered the Giant Legion to continue to assemble and not to fight the city of Salem. There were only small-scale military conflicts, and a low-intensity state of war was maintained. It was naturally difficult for the Giant Legion to attack Salem, but it was not a problem for them to defend Enril.
The Giant Legion had always been the most elite vanguard force of the Kingdom of Assyria, and wherever it appeared, it meant the main direction of the Kingdom of Assyria's strategic attack, but this time it was just a feint. The Kingdom of Assyria had been inconspicuous for too long, and no one expected that King Sinnach had spent ten years quietly training four integrated legions, each of which was comparable to the main forces of other kingdoms.
How could the Kingdom of Assyria support such a large elite army? It could be said that Sinnach was ambitious, but it could also be said that he had been plotting for many years, taking the path of a military state. Most of Assyria's territory was steep plateau mountains, and the arable land was relatively small and barren. But the Assyrian Plateau was rich in minerals that could be used to forge weapons, and Sinnach had been quietly training troops with the power of the whole country over the years.
He sent the eye-catching Giant Legion to the Plains of Duc, and when the war between the Hittite Kingdom and the Kingdom of Bablon reached a stalemate, the opportunity finally came. As the commander-in-chief, Sinnach led the three legions around the Assyrian Plateau and stormed the hinterland of the Kingdom of Bablon from the northeast, catching the Kingdom of Bablon by surprise.
The main forces of the Kingdom of Bablon were fighting the Hittite Army west of the Euphrates River, and all important strategic supplies had been transported to the city of Kish in the west to be stockpiled. The cities in the northeast were the weakest, and the garrisons were no match for the ferocious Assyrian army. In just half a year, six cities had fallen to the Assyrian army.
The Kingdom of Bablon was taken advantage of and suffered such heavy losses, on the one hand, because the main forces were on the western front, and on the other hand, because the two consecutive wars had also seriously depleted its national strength. Seeing that the whole kingdom was in danger of being destroyed, the old Hammurabi II hurriedly ordered Prince Benut to lead the army back to help.
With such a godsend opportunity, how could the King of the Hittite Kingdom not order his army to attack? As a result, Prince Benut's efforts for a year and a half were in vain, and he had no choice but to beg for peace with the Hittite Kingdom, ceding the land west of the Euphrates River. At the same time, the city of Marduc also fell. The Hittite Army established a city, attacked another city, and obtained a small part of the Kingdom of Bablon on the west bank of the Euphrates River, completely achieving its strategic goal!
The young King Asher laughed heartily in the palace. He had finally achieved what the previous King and Goliath had failed to achieve!
The Hittite Kingdom needed time to digest the large amount of land annexed, and King Asher's strategy was mainly to appease them. He renamed the city of Marduc to the city of Budamia, toppled the statue of Marduc, and established the Temple of Enril. He still allowed the natives to live and cultivate, but they had to swear allegiance to the Hittite Kingdom and Enril, and become the people of the Hittite Kingdom.
The second phase of this chaotic war was mainly between Assyria and Bablon, and it lasted for more than half a year.
Although Prince Benut managed to defend the capital after returning, the kingdom's vitality was greatly weakened. Faced with the menacing Assyrian army, he had no choice but to beg for peace again, and formally sign a document to cede the six cities that had fallen. The land of the six cities had already been occupied by the Assyrian Kingdom, and with the current strength of the Kingdom of Bablon, it was impossible for them to take it back.
But the signing of the document was tantamount to admitting that the six cities were part of the Assyrian Kingdom. Prince Benut signed the document on behalf of the Kingdom of Bablon. At that time, he almost broke his teeth, but he could only hold back his tears. The six cities that had fallen were beyond recognition, and many places had been scorched. King Sinnach of Assyria was too cruel!
Before starting this war, although Sinnach had committed many atrocities in the kingdom, he was generally regarded as a wise and capable monarch. He was a military ruler, and although the lives of the people were poor, the Assyrian Kingdom had maintained a stable social order and accumulated a strong military force. Sinnach might be a genius in military affairs, but he also knew how to look for the most suitable opportunity to fight.
Ten years ago, shortly after he ascended to the throne, he carried out a military reform. Not only did he stipulate that every adult male in the kingdom must receive warrior training and serve in the military, but he also implemented a recruitment system to recruit giants, bandits, and wandering explorers from far away to join the army, promising them generous rewards in the war.
The Assyrian Kingdom's legions not only consisted of chariots and cavalry, but also heavy and light armoured infantry. At the same time, the Kingdom of Assyria had specially trained siege troops and supply troops, as well as engineers. The army was equipped with iron armor, weapons, and horses, as well as colliders and catapults for sieging cities.
When the Assyrian army advanced into Bablon, Sinnach's cruel nature finally revealed itself, as if he had been repressed for many years. As the king of a weak kingdom, he had endured for too long, to the point where even he couldn't stand it anymore. Only in a frenzy of killing could he vent his anger.
Wherever the army passed, cities were destroyed, people were killed, and people were looted. The Assyrian Kingdom had always been a valiant people, and these soldiers had almost become beasts in the endless slaughter. They hung the corpses of their enemies on sharpened wooden poles as a warning to the public. When they encountered resistance, even the women and children of the entire town were not spared. Large amounts of gold and silver became the spoils of war.
Even Faust, the "Sage of the Nation" who drew up the military strategy for the kingdom, could not bear to watch such a scene. Walking through the corpses of the city of Bablon, the supreme mage could not help but feel his legs turn to jelly.
Faust was a sage loved by the people of the Assyrian Kingdom, and he was the one who drew up the strategic plan for Sinnach. First, he coldly watched the war between Eygut, Hittite, and Bablon, then chose the right time to stir up trouble. He secretly sent the Giant Legion across the Assyrian Highlands to establish a strategic stronghold, placing a nail between the Hittite Kingdom and Bablon Kingdom, both to attract attention and to muddy the waters. When the war was at its most favorable, he attacked Bablon Kingdom in an unexpected way.
Faust's strategic plan was a complete success, but he did not expect King Sinnach to be so cruel. He could not help but remonstrate with Sinnach.
"Invincible great king, you started the war for the sake of glory and for the long-term interests of Assyria. There is no need for unnecessary killing. You allowed your soldiers to plunder so much gold and silver, but that does not fully achieve your goal. After the war, you still need a long period of peace to build a strong and prosperous empire."
At this time, Queen Samir, who followed Sinnach to the war, also came to see the King. She said that she did not want to see the Assyrian soldiers rape and pillage again, or she would no longer serve the kingdom on the battlefield. At first, Sinnach flew into a rage and scolded the Sage Imperial Advisor and the Queen, whom he had never scolded before. But when the war reports came from the frontlines, the resistance of the occupied areas became more and more intense and the consumption of the war increased, he finally accepted Faust's suggestion and issued a new order.
The Assyrian army stopped burning and killing in the conquered areas, and the inhabitants of the conquered areas were incorporated into the Assyrian Register and forcibly relocated to other places. No one was allowed to continue living in their original homes, nor were they allowed to live in their original villages or towns. These displaced Babylonians were given new plots of land to work for the Assyrian slave masters and to pay taxes to the kingdom.
The Assyrian Kingdom occupied the land of the six city-states and gained a large number of slaves. The soldiers of the Assyrian Kingdom who participated in the war formed a new group of privileged nobles. With land and slaves, they ruled the region and restored some of the production. The killing finally stopped, and the situation gradually stabilized.
Sinnach's policies were made under the advice of Faust. It was indeed beneficial to the rule of the occupied areas, but Faust's main goal was not to see the corpses strewn all over the land. At the same time, under the insistence of Queen Samir, Sinnach finally agreed.
The implementation of the new policies required time to digest the conquered areas. At the same time, the Assyrian army was almost stretched to the limit, and the frontlines were still fighting. At this time, the King of Bablon sent Prince Vonut to fend off Sinnach's latest round of attacks, and he proposed a truce.
Sinnach enjoyed the pleasure of ruling the world, and he was happy to see the once powerful Bablon Kingdom submit to him. Moreover, he was temporarily unable to expand further, so he agreed to the Bablon Kingdom's request. After the truce, the last batch of thousands of prisoners was brought back from the frontlines. Some of them were soldiers of the Bablon Kingdom, but most of them were residents who had once resisted the Assyrian army.
The Assyrian army did not win the last battle, and Sinnach was very angry. He ordered them to be beheaded and skinned, regardless of their age, to deter those who dared to oppose his authority. Faust and Samir couldn't stand it anymore, and they insisted that the King stop killing those who had surrendered. Many of them were ordinary citizens who had never fought against the Assyrian army.
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