The Assyrians, led by King Ashurbanipal, conquered Thebes in 663 BC. Before this, Thebes seemed unbeatable with strong defenses and support from Egypt and its allies:
Ethiopia,
Put (possibly the legendary land of Punt, located near what is now coastal Somalia), and
Libya.
However, these allies did not protect Thebes effectively.
infants were dashed to pieces: In the ancient world, conquering armies sometimes killed the infants of their enemies. This cruel practice was meant to wipe out a people completely and prevent future resistance (2 Kings 8:12; Psalm 137:9; Isaiah 13:16, 18).
Soldiers cast lots to divide the goods taken in war. At the same time, the leaders of the defeated people were tied with chains and taken away as prisoners (see 2 Kings 25:7; Jeremiah 40:1, 4; Joel 3:3; Obadiah 1:11).