Tiglath-pileser I 10

(1) [Tiglath]-pileser (I), strong king, king of the world, [king of Assyria, king] of all four quarters (of the world), encircler of all of [criminals, the pious one], the one who provides for [Eku]r, select of the god Aššur, [the valiant] young man, [(the merciless mighty man) who] acts [with] the support of the gods [Aššur] and Ninurta, the great gods, his lords, [and] (thereby) has struck down his foes, attentive ruler who, by the command of the god Šamaš —the warrior — has conquered by means of conflict from Babylon of the land Akkad [to] the Upper Sea of the land Amurru and the Sea of the Naʾiri lands and has become lord of all;

(9) the strong gišginû who by the attack of his fierce weapons has caused the four corners (of the world) to quake so that the habitations convulsed — indeed on the battlefield he has put in their graves the dangerous enemies of the god Aššur and turned them into ghosts — the storm-trooper at the approach of whose ferocious onslaught the rulers of the (four) quarters (of the world) dreaded his fierce battle and took to hiding places like bats and scurried off to inaccessible regions like jerboa;

(16) son of Aššur-rēša-iši (I), king of the world, king of Assyria, son of Mutakkil-Nusku, (who was) also king of the world (and) king of Assyria.

(17) I marched to the Naʾiri lands three times (and) conquered the wide Naʾiri lands from the land Tumme [to] the land Daiaeni. I conquered the interior of the land Ḫabḫu, the lands Ḫimua (and) Paiteri. I received their payment of teams of horses in harness.

(21) I conquered [12,000 of the] troops of the insubmissive land Musku in battle. I laid out by means of the bow (lit. “at arrow point”) their fighting men right through the plain.

(24) I took (and) uprooted [4,000 people of the lands Uru]me (and) Abešlu, [(insubmissive) Hittite troops, (and) counted them as belonging to my] land.

(26) [I conquered the land Sa]lua, the land Lullumê in [its] en[tirely], [the lands ...] and Alzi.

(28) By the command of the gods Aššur, Anu, and [Adad], the great [gods], my lords, I marched to Mount Lebanon. I cut down (and) carried off beams of cedar for the temple of the gods Anu and Adad, the great gods, my lords. I continued to the land Amurru (and) conquered land Amurru in its entirety. I received the payment of Arwad, Byblos, (and) Sidon. On my return march, I became the lord of the land Ḫatti it its full extent (and) imposed upon Ini-Tešub, the king of the land Ḫatti, tax, tribute, and (payment consisting of) beams of cedar.

(36) I marched to Karduniaš (Babylonia). I conquered from the city Turšan on the other side of the Lower Zab, the city Arman of Ugār-Sallum, as far as the city Lubdu. I crossed over the Radānu River. I conquered the cities at the foot of Mount Kaštilla (and) at the foot of Mount Kamulla. I took out their booty (and) possessions (and) brought them to my city, Aššur.

(41) On that (same) campaign of mine, I marched to the land Sūḫu. I conquered from the city Sabirutu, an island in the Euphrates River, the cities on this bank and the far bank [as far as the city Ḫ]indānu. I uprooted their people, carried off their [gods], (and) brought (all of) them to my city, Aššur.

(45) [By the] command of the god Ninurta, who loves me, I marched to Karduniaš (Babylonia). I conquered the cities Dūr-Kurigalzu, Sippar of the god Šamaš, Sippar of the goddess Anunītu, Babylon, Opis, the large cult centers of [Kard]uniaš (Babylonia), together with their fortresses. I brought about the defeat of their multitudes (and) took prisoners without number from them. I b[urned] with fire the palaces of Babylon that belonged to [Marduk-nā]din-aḫḫē, [the king of Kard]uniaš (Babylonia). [... I plundered] th(ose) numerous palaces. [I drew up a battle line of chariots] against Marduk-nādin-aḫḫē, the king of Karduniaš (Babylonia), [(and) defeated him].

(54) At that time, the wall of Nineveh, which previously ... a ruler who came before me, had built, became dilapidated ... I delineated its area (and) reached its foundation pit. ... I laid the foundation(s) of that wall (and) made it the thickness of nine and one-half bricks. (As for) that wall in its entirety, from its foundations to its crenellations, I heaped up pile(s) of dirt like a ruin hill around its circumference. I covered the lower ... layers of brick with earth. I made it stronger (and) bigger than before. ... ... water. I covered (it) with a facing of limestone slabs.

(63) [(As for) the palace] that Aššur-rēša-iši (I), my father, vice-regent of the god Aššur, had built, (but) had [no]t completed, I built (and) completed that palace. I raised its walls and towers and made (them) fast with a façade of bricks glazed (the color of) obsidian, lapis lazuli, pappardilû-stone, (and) parūtu-alabaster. I installed obsidian replicas of date palms on its towers (and) surrounded (them) with knobbed nails of bronze. I made magnificent doors of fir, made (them) fast with bronze bands, (and) installed (them) in its gates.

(71) Beside this terrace, I planted a garden for the leisure of my lordly majesty. I dug a [canal] from the Ḫusur River (and) [directed it] into this garden. I brought up the remainder of that water to the city plain for irrigation. Within that garden, I built a palace, ... I portrayed the victory and might that the gods Aššur and Ninurta, the gods who love my priesthood, had granted to me therein. [...].

(78b) (As for) the palace that is upon the terrace, which is beside [the temple of] the goddess Ištar, my lady, which a ruler who came before me had built (and when) it became dilapidated Mutakkil-Nusku, my (grand)father, vice-regent of the god Aššur, [built (it) ...], it had become dilapidated. [I built] that palace, [which is beside the temple of the goddess Išt]ar, my lady, the ..., and the terrace in [their] entirety.

(82b) Opposite the temple that had become dilapidated, [I piled up this entire area with bricks], like an oven. I restored[...]. (As for) the building of the Step Gate, I built [...]. I built a palace, an abode for my royal majesty, [... I bui]lt (it) from its foundations to it[s] crenellations. I splendidly decorated (it) more than before. I wrote out my commemorative inscriptions (and) deposited (them) in those palace walls.

(89) In the future, in days to come, may a future ruler, when those palace walls become old and dilapidated, restore their [dilapi]dated section(s). May he see my commemorative inscriptions, identify (them), anoint (them) with oil, make offerings, (and) return (them) to their places. The god Aššur, the great lord, and the goddess Ištar, the lady of Nineveh, will (then) listen to his prayers.

(94) [Month ...], eighteenth day, eponymy [of ...] of the Suteans.