Lacuna

[... who did not] keep the oath of the god Aššur, king of the gods, who did not fear my lordship, [...] ..., robbers, thieves, or those who had sinned, those who had shed blood, [... offi]cials, governors, overseers, leaders, (and) soldiers who fled to the land Šubria [...] thus I wrote to him, (saying): “Have a herald summon these people in your land and (ii 5) [...] gather them and do not release a single man; [...] have them brought before the goddess Piriggal, the great lady, in the temple; [...] ... a message concerning the preservation of their lives [...] ... let them take the road to Assyria with my messenger.”

[...] he forgot the good [...] that saved his life [...]s of Assyria, my servants, before him ... [...] ... together with a standard in the hands of the messenger o[f ...]. He repeated to [me] whatever they answered him. [... my mood] became angry [...] ... [...] ... [...]

Lacuna

Rev.?

Completely missing

He heard my royal message, which burns my enemy like a flame, and he doubled over at the hips; his heart stopped and his knees trembled. He tore off his royal garment and clothed his body with sackcloth, the garment of a sinner. His appearance became miserable and he became like a slave and counted himself among his servants. With entreaty, prayer, expressions of humility, kneeling against the wall of his city, he was bitterly crying ‘woe,’ beseeching my lordship with open hands, (and) saying ‘Aḫulap!’ again and again to the heroic Aššur, my lord, and the praise of my heroism.

Thus he wrote to me, (saying): “O, king, to whom abomination, untruth, plundering, (and) murdering are taboo; trustworthy shepherd, who keeps safe his camp, the strength of his army, whose attack can not be with[stood], knowledgeable in battle, war, (and) combat, capable in [all] deeds, for whom the god Aššur made mighty his weapons and whom he made greater than the kings, his ancestors — let the land Šubria, the land that sinned against you, serve you in its entirety. Place your official over them and let them pull your yoke! Lay tribute (and) payment upon them, yearly, without ceasing! I am a thief (and) for the sin I have committed I will restore the losses fifty-fold.

“For each runaway Assyrian fugitive, let me replace him one hundred-fold. Let me live so that I may proclaim the fame of the god Aššur (and) praise your heroism. May the one who is neglectful of the god Aššur, king of the gods, the one who does not listen to the word of Esarhaddon, king of the world, his lord, (and) the one who does not return runaway Assyrian fugitives to his owner, learn from my example. (i 20) (I said) thus: ‘The nobles, my advisors, spoke unwholesome lies to me. (Consequently) I committed a great sin against the god Aššur and (thus) I did not listen to the word of the king, my lord, did not return to you the citizens of Assyria, your servants, nor did I do myself (any) good. (Now) the oath of the great gods, which I transgressed, (and) the word of your kingship, which I despised, have caught up with me. May the anger of your heart be appeased. Have mercy on me and remove my punishment!’”

I, Esarhaddon, mighty king, whose word is immutable, whose princely command cannot be annulled, [who] does not turn back from unsheathed weapons and the onslaught of fierce battle, whose battle none of the kings among all of (his) enemies ever sought a second time (and) before whom no ruler, his opponent, (ever) stood in the place of battle,

thus I said to him, (saying): “Did you ever hear a mighty king (give his) order twice? But I am an almighty king (and) I have written to you three times (and) you have not listened to the words of my lips! You had no fear of deceiving me and you paid no attention to my message(s). You began war and battle against me and (by so doing) you called up the fierce weapons of the god Aššur from their sheaths.”

I did not listen to his prayer, did not accept his plea, did not admit his entreaty, (and) did not turn back my anger from him. My fury did not relent towards him; my angry heart was not appeased. I had no pity for him and did not say ‘Aḫulap!’ to him.

ruling

Moreover, against the city Uppume, his royal city, [which] is situated like a cloud atop a mighty mountain, [I had soldiers construct], laboriously (and) with great difficulty, a ramp by piling up dirt, wood, and stones. I made (it) taboo for him (to stand) atop the wall of his city. [...]

Lacuna of about 40 lines

While I was marching about victoriously in the midst of that district, in Ululu (VI), the twenty-first day, an evil day, a bad day, the birth(day) of the asakku-demon, in the dead of night, they sprinkled with naphtha the ramp that I constructed against Uppume, his royal city, and set fire (to it). (ii 5) By the command of the god Marduk, king of the gods, the north wind, the sweet breeze of the lord of the gods, blew and turned the tongue(s) of roaring flame back on the city Uppume. (The fire) did not se[ize] the ramp [...] it burned its wall and turned (it) into ashes. [...] (my troops) crossed over the siege wall to do battle and combat; [...] they attacked them like a [...] and established their defeat. (ii 10) [...] ... them and they built towers of their skulls; they hung [th]eir [... on stakes] and completely surrounded their city (with them). [After] I achieved my [vi]ctory and did everything I pleased, I took [...] and set up my camp by the city Uppume.

... [...] he saw the ramp that I had constructed against him and (he), the one who had given (himself) the [unfortunate] advice, who had endangered his (own) life, who had turned to his ... [...], who caused the destruction of his inhabited settlements, and [...] and who had dissipated (his) well-organized army, [he] made a statue of [...] and clothed (it) with sackcloth. He placed it in [...] fet[ters], as befitted slavery, (ii 20) made it hold a grindstone for milling [in] its [...]. (Like) a replica of skin, he applied a skin of red gold [...] and placed (the statue) in the hands of Šēr-[... (and) ...]gi-Teššup, his sons, and sent (it) out before [me] to (make me) have pi[ty (on him and) to save] his life.

Thus they said to me: “Pu[t the ...] ... crimes (and) disobedience on the asakku-demon. Let me come [to sing your] praises. Let me a[lone ...] ... all of the arro[gant] enemies. Let the unsubmissive ... [...] (and) let the disrespectful honor your lordship.”

Thus I wrote him (the king of Šubria), (saying): “These [...] ... before an offering. Like an idi[ot ...] ... you bathe after your offerings! Like ... [...] ... you put in drain pipes after the rain! Thus [...] the highest divine orders have been spoken twice. [Your] days [have elapsed]! Your [...] has arrived! Your appointed time is here! Let [...] be [...]. At the command of the gods of heaven (and) netherworld [...] ... came forth for the destruction of your land. (ii 35) [...] ... the carrying off of your people was decreed. [...] ... is firmly fixed and its place cannot be changed. [...] who appeases the heart of the god [..., ...] ... did not turn back [...] ... their utterances.” [...] I did not say ‘Aḫulap!’ to him [...] my [an]gry mood

Lacuna

Lacuna

[...] ... [...] ... [... he plun]dered it [...] they brought [...] before me.

ruling

I carried off to Assyria [...], which was more numerous than locusts, [...] from the midst of the land Šubria. I gave [...] ... as a gift to the gods Aššur, Mullissu, Šerua, [...], Ninurta, Gula, Nergal, Ištar of Nineveh, Ištar of Arbela, (and) Nusku, [...] who march at my [side] and kill my enemies, ... [...] of my [...], who allow me attain everything I want.

[I examin]ed (and) selected ... [...] ..., soldiers, skilled in battle and combat, (iii 15′) from [...] and I attached (them) to my royal guard. With regard to ... [...], a group of charioteers, a group of cavalry, commanders of ..., officials, [engin]eers, troops, light troops, shield bearers, scouts, farmers, shepherds, (and) orchard keepers — [I add]ed (them) in great numbers to the massive fo[rc]es of the god Aššur and to the guard of the former kings, my ancestors, and I filled Assyria in its entirety like a quiver. I distributed the re[st of them] like sheep and goats among my palaces, my nobles, the entourage of my palace, and [the citizens of Ninev]eh, Calah, Kalzu, (and) Arbela.

(As for) all of the [runaway] fugitives who had abandoned their owners and fled to the land Šubria, ... [...] I cut off [th]eir [hands] (and) removed their noses, eyes, (and) ears. (iii 25′) [(As for) ...] who had not run away to another country, I punished (them). I returned every [...] ... to their (text: “his”) land and to their owners. [...] and they celebrated, rejoiced (and) blessed my kingship.

[...] ... concerning the Urarṭians who had fled from Urarṭu to the land Šubria [and about whom Ur]sa, king of Urarṭu, wrote, he (the king of Šubria) did not listen to his command, (iii 30′) did not agree to give (them back), wrote to him (Ursa) in anger, and replied with hostility. After I captured the land Šubria with the help of the god Aššur, my lord, and counted his people as booty, [in] order to keep the treaty and because of the truth and justice the great gods gave to me, I inquired, questioned, investigated, (and) denounced those people. I did not hold back a single Urarṭian fugitive (and) not one escaped. I returned them to their land.

I put out to fine pasture [sheep and] goats, oxen, (and) cattle destined for offerings to my lords and for the royal table in Assyria.

ruling

Lacuna

very good (and) beau[tiful ...]. Those cities which [I ....], demolished, destroyed, burn[ed] with fire, [...] through the strength of the god Aš[šur, my lord], I returned by the command of the god Aššur, my lord, and ... [... I built (and) completed] those cities from their foundations to [their] parapets.

I changed the former names of the cities Kulimmeri, Markuḫa, Kalzu, ... [...] and called [them] by new names. I set[tled] the people plundered by my bow from the Upper Sea (to the) Lower (Sea) in (them). I divided that land, in its entirety, in two and placed two of my officials over them as governors.

(SPACER)

(SPACER)

ruling

I am sending the best report to the god Aššur, my lord, by so-and-so. One charioteer, two cavalrymen, (and) three scouts are dead.

Their list (gloss): the cities Aššur-māssu-utēr, Mannu-šānin-Aššur, Aššur-mannu-išannan, Abāt-Aššur-lā-tēni, Abāt-šarri-lā-tēni, Mannu-lišissu, Kunuš-lā-kanšu, Litēr-ay-imṭi, Āmiršu-liglud, Mušakšid-nakirī, Kāšissu-lilbur, Ṣābissu-likūn, Lilbur-munīḫ-libbi-Aššur, Dūr-Esarhaddon, Šānini-ay-irši, (iv 20′) Šia-šulmi-amāt-šarrīšu, Pilaḫma-mātka-šallim, Lā-iplaḫ-māssu-iḫpi, Aššur-inār-garûa, Aššur-nīršu-urappiš, (and) Aššur-nīrka-(u)rappiš.

(SPACER)

[...] no happy person was walking its streets, no merrymaker was encountered; I cut off the traffic of [...] from the meeting place of the fortified city; [...] in their frightened cities, the fox and hyena made dens; [...] I drove out [...], rebellion, disorder, (and) ... [...] good, ... [...]; that diviner will gather ... [...]; ... I/he will send [...] ... to them.