Sargon II 044
| Obverse | ||
| o 1o 1 | (1) Pa[lace of Sa]rgon (II), appointee of the god Enlil, nešakku-priest of (the god) Aššur, [great k]in[g], strong [kin]g, king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quar[ters] (of the world), favorite of the great gods; | |
| o 22 | ⸢LUGAL⸣ [GAL-ú] ⸢LUGAL⸣ dan-nu LUGAL KIŠ LUGAL KUR aš-šur.KI1 | |
| o 33 | ||
| o 44 | (4) [jus]t shephe[rd], (one) to whom the gods Aššur and Marduk granted a [reign] without equal and whose re[putat]ion (these gods) exalted to the heights; | |
| o 55 | ||
| o 66 | ||
| o 77 | (7) [who (re)-established] the šubarrû-privileges of (the cities) Sippar, Nippur, (and) [Babyl]on, protects the weak among them (lit.: “their weak ones”), (and) [makes] restitution for the wrongful damage suffered by them; who (re)-established (10) [the privileged] status of (the city) Baltil (Aššur) that had lapsed, abolished corvée duty for (the city) Dēr, (and) gave relief to their weary people; (most) capable of all rulers, who extended his protection over the city Ḫarrān and recorded its exemption (from obligations) [as] if (its people were) people of the gods Anu and Dagān; | |
| o 88 | ||
| o 99 | ||
| o 1010 | ||
| o 1111 | ||
| o 1212 | ||
| o 1313 | ||
| o 1414 | ||
| o 1515 | (15b) the strong man who is clothed in awesome splendor (and) whose weapons are raised to strike down (his) enemies; [the king], who since the (first) day of his reign has had no equal or met with anybody who could overpower him in war or battle; (20) (who) smashed all (enemy) lands [as] if (they were) pots and put halters on (all) rebels in the four (quarters of the world); (who) regularly set eunuchs of his as governors over them and imposed upon them (the same) tribute (and) payment(s) [as] if (they were) Assyrians. | |
| o 1616 | ||
| o 1717 | ||
| o 1818 | ||
| o 1919 | ||
| o 2020 | ||
| o 2121 | ||
| o 2222 | ||
| o 2323 | ||
| o 2424 | ||
| o 2525 | ||
| o 2626 | (26) In accordance with my heart’s desire, I built a city at the foot of Mount Muṣri, a mountain on the outskirts of Nineveh, and named it Dūr-Šarrukīn. | |
| o 2727 | ||
| o 2828 | (28b) I erected firmly-founded daises for the gods Ea, Sîn, Šamaš, Adad, and Ninurta, the great gods, my lords, inside it. | |
| o 2929 | ||
| o 3030 | ||
| Reverse | ||
| r 31r 31 | [x x x x x] x [x] x ⸢ŠÁ LA⸣ x [x (x)] | (31) No translation possible. |
| r 3232 | (traces) | |
| r 3333 | (traces) [É].⸢GAL.MEŠ ZÚ⸣ [AM.SI] | (33) I bui[lt palatial] halls using (lit.: “of”) [elephant] ivory, [ebo]ny, [boxwood, musu]kkan[nu-wood, cedar, cypress], daprānu-juniper, juniper, [(and)] te[rebinth (...) to be] my royal [resi]dence. I then fashioned a bīt [ḫilāni, a repli]ca of a Hittite palace, in fr[ont of the]ir gates and [roo]fed them with beams of cedar (and) [cypr]ess. Limestone slabs (40) [...] ... I had surround ... [...] ... I made their foundation secure [...] ... [...] ... [...] ... [...] ... [...] ... [...] musukkannu-wood, lapis lazuli (45) [...] ... I bound and ... [...] ... [...]. I made [the length] of its wall [16,28]0 cubits, (corresponding to) the rendering of [m]y [na]me, and [I] made its foundation se[cu]re upon mountain stone. |
| r 3434 | [GIŠ].⸢ESI?⸣ [GIŠ.TÚG GIŠ.MES].⸢MÁ.KAN⸣.[NA GIŠ.ere-IGI GIŠ.ŠUR.MÌN]13 | |
| r 3535 | ||
| r 3636 | [a-na mu]-⸢šab LUGAL?-ti-ia ab⸣-[ni]-⸢ma? É?⸣ [ḫi]-⸢la?⸣-[(an)-ni?] | |
| r 3737 | ||
| r 3838 | ||
| r 3939 | ||
| r 4040 | [x x (x)] x x ⸢ú⸣-šal-⸢me?⸣ x x ⸢KU?⸣ ŠI* SIK18 | |
| r 4141 | [x x] x x ⸢TI?⸣ ú-⸢šar-ši⸣-da uš-še-⸢šin?⸣19 | |
| r 4242 | [x x x x] x x x x x [x x x] x x20 | |
| r 4343 | [x x x x] x x (x) ⸢MA⸣ (x) ⸢ŠAR? RI?⸣ [x x] x x21 | |
| r 4444 | [x x] x x [x x] ⸢GIŠ⸣.MES.MÁ.KAN.⸢NA NA₄?.ZA?.GÌN?⸣22 | |
| r 4545 | [x x (x)] x x ú-rak-⸢kis⸣-ma KI ⸢MA?⸣ [(x)] x [(x)]23 | |
| r 4646 | [x x x x x] (x) ḪI IL LA A [x x x]24 | |
| r 4747 | [ŠÁR ŠÁR ŠÁR ŠÁR GÉŠ.U GÉŠ.U] ⸢GÉŠ⸣.[U 1 UŠ] ⸢3⸣ qa-ni 2 KÙŠ ni-⸢bit MU-ia⸣25 | |
| r 4848 | ||
| r 4949 | (49b) People from the four (quarters of the world), those who [had dw]elt in (both) [mount]ain(s) and (low)land(s), as many as the “Light of the Gods” (Šamaš), [the lord of al]l, shepherded, ... and I (re)settled (them) [inside] it (Dūr-Šarrukīn). I commissioned native Assyrians, masters of [eve]ry craft, as overseers (and) commanders to instruct (the settlers) in correct behavior (and how) [to revere god and ki]ng. | |
| r 5050 | [a-ši]-⸢bu-te? KUR⸣-i u KUR mal ir-te-ʾu-u ZÁLAG DINGIR.MEŠ26 | |
| r 5151 | [EN? gim?]-⸢ri?⸣ PA x (x) x-ma ú-šar-ma-a27 | |
| r 5252 | ||
| r 5353 | ||
| r 5454 | [pa-laḫ DINGIR u] ⸢LUGAL⸣ LÚ.ak-li LÚ.šá-pi-ri ú-ma-ʾe-⸢er-šú-nu⸣-te | |
| r 5555 | (55) [The gods who dwe]ll in heaven (and) netherworld, and in this city, [we]re [ame]nable to [my prayer and granted] me the eternal [(privilege of) bu]ilding (this) city and growing old in it. | |
| r 5656 | [qí-bi-ti] ⸢im?-gur?-ú⸣-[ma e]-⸢peš URU u šul?⸣-bur ⸢qer⸣-bi-šú29 | |
| r 5757 | [iš-ru-ku-in]-⸢ni a-na da-riš šá ep⸣-[šet] ⸢ŠU.II-ia ú⸣-na-kar-⸢ú⸣-ma | (57b) (As for) the one who alters the wo[rk of] my [hands], mutilates my [features] (on a relief), (or) obliterates [the rel]iefs that I have e[ngrave]d, [may the god Aššur], the goddess Ningal, the god [Adad, and th]e gre[at gods who dw]ell there [rem]ove his name (and) his descendant(s) [from the land] and make him live in bondage under his enemy. |
| r 5858 | [bu-un-na-ni]-⸢ia ú-saḫ⸣-[ḫu-u ú?-ṣu]-⸢rat e⸣-[ṣe]-⸢ru⸣ ú-šam-sa-ku-ma30 | |
| r 5959 | [da-šur] ⸢d?nin?-gal? d?⸣[IŠKUR u DINGIR.MEŠ] ⸢GAL?⸣.[MEŠ a]-⸢ši-bu?-te i?-na? ŠÀ-šú MU-šú⸣ NUMUN-šú31 | |
| r 6060 | [ina KUR lil]-⸢qu?-tú?-ma? i?-na KI⸣.TA LÚ.⸢KÚR⸣-šú ⸢li?-še-ši⸣-bu-šú ka-meš32 |
1D.G. Lyon’s copy has ⸢LUGAL⸣ at the beginning of the line.
2D.G. Lyon’s copy has ⸢LUGAL kib-rat⸣.
3D.G. Lyons’s copy has ⸢RE.E⸣.[UM].
4D.G. Lyon’s copy has [šar-ru]-ut.
5D.G. Lyon’s copy has ⸢mu-šal⸣-li-mu.
6D.G. Lyon’s copy has [ki]-⸢din⸣-nu-ut.
7D.G. Lyon’s copy has ⸢mu⸣- at the beginning of the line. ši*: The form of the sign here and elsewhere in the text (including when it is part of Ù) is similar to PI, but can be distinguished from it.
8D.G. Lyon’s copy has ⸢LUGAL⸣.
9e*: Sign form slightly abnormal (see copy by D.G. Lyon).
10D.G. Lyon’s copy has ⸢ki⸣-i.
11Likely <ina> before GÌR.II.
12D.G. Lyon’s copy has all the signs in the line perfectly preserved.
13A. Fuchs (Khorsabad p. 47) reads [GIŠ].⸢ESI⸣ [GIŠ.TÚG] GIŠ.⸢MES?.MÁ⸣.[KAN.NA GIŠ].⸢ere⸣-[IGI] ⸢GIŠ⸣.[ŠUR.MÌN].
14D.G. Lyon’s copy has [x x (x)]-⸢ni GIŠ?.ŠIM?.LI?⸣ [...] x [...] and A. Fuchs (Khorsabad p. 47) would suggest [dáp-ra]-ni ⸢GIŠ.ŠIM.LI GIŠ.bu-uṭ⸣-[ni].
15D.G. Lyon’s copy has [tam-šil] ⸢É⸣.GAL KUR.ḫat-ti mé-[eḫ-ret KÁ.MEŠ-šú]-⸢un?⸣. A. Fuchs’ transliteration (Khorsabad p. 47) has -[ši]-⸢in?⸣ at the end of the line.
16D.G. Lyon’s copy has ⸢ap-tiq⸣-ma.
17D.G. Lyon’s copy has ⸢ú-kin⸣. H. Winckler’s copy erroneous has NA₄.<I>.UDU.MEŠ for NA₄.KUN₄.MEŠ.
18H. Winckler’s copy has [...] ú-šal-di-da [...] ŠI SIK, but the author cannot confirm the -di-da.
19D.G. Lyon’s copy has [x x] x [(x)] GIŠ x U before ú-⸢šar-ši⸣-da.
20D.G. Lyon’s copy would suggest [...] ⸢ŠÚ⸣ x ⸢A?⸣ x [x x x (x)] ⸢i?-na⸣ and A. Fuchs (Khorsabad p. 47) read [x x x x] ŠÚ? AŠ ZU? x x [x x x] i-na.
21D.G. Lyon’s copy has [x x x] x x ⸢BE-ma ŠAR? RI?⸣ [...] and A. Fuchs (Khorsabad p. 47) read [x x x x] x MA? ŠÚ? SAR? ⸢ḪU?⸣ [x] x x.
22For the beginning of the line, D.G. Lyon’s copy might suggest [x] ⸢DINGIR?⸣ [(x)] ⸢MEŠ⸣ [x x] and A. Fuchs (Khorsabad p. 47) has [x x x] NU? [x x].
23D.G. Lyon’s copy has [x (x)] ⸢ŠE?⸣ [x (x)] for the beginning of the line; A. Fuchs (Khorsabad p. 47 line 45 nn. 1 and 2) suggests that this might possibly be [x] ⸢LI DA⸣.
24D.G. Lyon’s copy has ⸢NI?⸣ after A.
25With regard to the number, see the on-page note to text no. 9 lines 79–80.
26D.G. Lyon’s copy of the beginning of the lines has [a-ši]-⸢bu-te KUR⸣-i.
27Based upon text no. 9 line 95 and text no. 43 lines 72–73, one expects pa-a 1-en ú-šá-áš-kin-ma, “I made act in concert and,” at the beginning of the line. The -⸢ri?⸣ could conceivably be read ⸢1-en⸣, but the traces following this do not seem to fit ú-šá-áš-kin and there would not sufficient room for this reading before MA.
28D.G. Lyon’s copy and A. Fuchs’ reading (Khorsabad p. 48) have [qé-reb-šú] at the beginning of the line.
29D.G. Lyon’s copy has [qí-bi-ti]-⸢im? GUR?⸣-ú-⸢ma e-peš⸣ for the beginning of the line and H. Winckler’s copy erroneously has [...]-ul-bur towards the end of the line.
30D.G. Lyon’s copy has [bu-un-na-ni]-⸢ia ú-saḫ-ḫu-u e-ṣu-rat e⸣-[ṣe]-⸢ru⸣ for the beginning of the line. Note that Lyon thought he saw traces of e-ṣu-rat. Although the author could see no clear traces of the first two signs, we would expect uṣurāt not eṣurāt.
31D.G. Lyon’s copy has [da-šur] ⸢dnin-gal dIŠKUR u DINGIR.MEŠ GAL.MEŠ a-ši-bu-te ina⸣ ŠÀ-šú MU-šú NUMUN-šú but much of this is now illegible or uncertain and the tablet clearly had i-na not ina even though the traces are indistinct today.
32D.G. Lyon’s copy has [ina KUR lil]-⸢qu-te-ma i-na⸣ at the beginning of the line and H. Winckler’s copy has [ina KUR lil]-qu-te-ma i-na. Against A. Fuchs’ statement that the LÚ is not present (Khorsabad p. 48 line 60 n. 3), the sign is found on the tablet.
Created by Grant Frame and the Royal Inscriptions of the Neo-Assyrian Period (RINAP) Project, 2019. Adapted for RINAP Online by Joshua Jeffers and Jamie Novotny and lemmatized by Giulia Lentini, Nathan Morello, and Jamie Novotny, 2019, for the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation-funded OIMEA Project at the Historisches Seminar - Abteilung Alte Geschichte of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. The annotated edition is released under the Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike license 3.0.