sphere of influence the kingdom of Urartu, which surrounded the latter
lake and controlled the tribes as far as the western shore of the
former, it is not proved that his armies ever went round the east and
north of the Urmia Lake, and it is fairly clear that they left the
northwestern region of mountains between Bitlis and the middle Euphrates
to its own tribesmen.

Westwards and southwards, however, Sargon's arm swept a wider circuit.
He held as his own all Mesopotamia up to Diarbekr, and beyond Syria not
only eastern and central Cilicia, but also some districts north of
Taurus, namely, the low plain of Milid or Malatia, and the southern part
of Tabal; but probably his hand reached no farther over the plateau than
to a line prolonged from the head of the Tokhma Su to the neighbourhood
of Tyana, and returning thence to the Cilician Gates. Beyond that line
began a sphere of influence which we cannot hope to define, but may
guess to have extended over Cappadocia, Lycaonia and the southern part
of Phrygia. Southward, all Syria was Sargon's, most of it by direct
occupation, and the rest in virtue of acknowledged overlordship and
payment of tribute. Even the seven princes of Cyprus made such
submission. One or two strong Syrian towns, Tyre and Jerusalem, for
example, withheld payment if no Assyrian army was at hand; but their
show of independence was maintained only on sufferance. The Philistine
cities, after Sargon's victory over their forces and Egyptian allies at
Raphia, in 720, no longer defended their walls, and the Great King's
sphere of influence stretched eastward right across the Hamad and
southward over north Arabia. Finally, Babylonia was all his own even to
the Persian Gulf, the rich merchants supporting him firmly in the
interests of their caravan trade, however the priests and the peasantry
might murmur. But Elam, whose king and people had carried serious
trouble into Assyria itself early in the reign, is hardly to be reckoned