But it was otherwise in the far south-west. Here the Empire bordered
upon Egypt, a rich and populous country, which at all times covets
Syria, and is often strong enough to seize and hold it in possession.
The natural frontier is moreover weak, no other barrier separating
between Africa and Asia than a narrow desert, which has never yet proved
a serious obstacle to an army. From the side of Egypt, if from no other
quarter, Babylonia might expect to have trouble. Here she inherited from
her predecessor, Assyria, an old hereditary feud, which might at any
time break out into active hostility. Here was an ancient, powerful, and
well-organized kingdom upon her borders, with claims upon that
portion of her territory which it was most difficult for her to defend
effectively. By seas and by land equally the strip of Syrian coast lay
open to the arms of Egypt, who was free to choose her time, and pour
her hosts into the country when the attention of Babylon was directed
to some other quarter. The physical and political circumstances alike
pointed to hostile transactions between Babylon and her south-western
neighbor. Whether destruction would come from this quarter, or from some
other, it would have been impossible to predict. Perhaps, on the
whole, it may be said that Babylon might have been expected to contend
successfully with Egypt--that she had little to fear from Arabia--that
against Persia Proper it might have been anticipated that she would
be able to defend herself--but that she lay at the mercy of Media. The
Babylonian Empire was in truth an empire upon sufferance. From the time
of its establishment with the consent of the Medes, the Modes might
at any time have destroyed it. The dynastic tie alone prevented this
result. When that tie was snapped, and when moreover, by the victories
of Cyrus, Persian enterprise succeeded to the direction of Median
power, the fate of Babylon was sealed. It was impossible for the
long straggling Empire of the south, lying chiefly in low, flat, open