Ashurbanipal 009

(i 1) I, Ashurbanipal, the creation of (the god) Aššur and the goddess Mullissu, the senior son of the king of the House of Succession, the one whom the god Sîn nominated in distant days, while (he was) in the womb of his mother, for shepherding Assyria and (the one for whom) the gods Šamaš (and) Adad declared the exercising of its kingship through their firm decision(s) —

(i 6) Esarhaddon, king of Assyria, the father who had engendered me, carefully observed the word(s) of the gods who supported him, (and) who instructed him about my exercising the kingship. In the month Ayyāru (II), the month of the god Ea — the lord of humankind — (i 10) on the twelfth day — an auspicious day, (the day of) the bread donation(s) to the goddess Gula — he assembled the people of Assyria — young and old — (and) of the Upper and Lower Sea(s). In order to protect my (position as) heir designate and afterwards (my) exercising the kingship of Assyria, (i 15) he made them swear to a treaty, an oath bound by the gods; he made the agreements strong.

(i 16b) In (the midst of) joyous celebration, I entered the House of Succession, a sophisticated place, the mooring place of kingship, inside of which Sennacherib — the father of the father who had begotten me — had performed (his duties) as heir designate and king, (i 20) the place in whose midst Esarhaddon — the father who had engendered me — was born, grew up, exercised dominion over Assyria, led all of the rulers, expanded (his) family, (and) bonded with relatives (and) kin.

(i 24) Furthermore, I, Ashurbanipal, learned inside it the wisdom of the god Nabû, all of the scribal arts. I investigated the precepts of every type of scholar there is, learned how to shoot a bow, ride a horse (and) chariot, (and) take hold of (their) reins. Kings among mankind (and) lions among the animals could not grow powerful before my bow. (i 30) I know how to wage war (and) battle; I am experienced in forming a battle line (and) fighting.

(i 32) Heroic male, beloved of (the god) Aššur and the goddess Ištar, descendant of kingship, I —

(i 34) At the beginning of my kingship, on my first campaign, I took the direct road to Makan (Egypt) and Meluḫḫa (Ethiopia). Tanutamon, the king of Egypt and Kush, heard about the advance of my expeditionary force and that I had set foot on Egyptian territory, he abandoned the city Memphis and, in order to save his (own) life, he fled inside the city Thebes. (i 40) The kings, governors, (and) officials whom Esarhaddon — king of Assyria, the father who had engendered me — had stationed in Egypt came to meet me and kissed my feet.

(i 43) I took the road in pursuit of Tanutamon (and) I marched as far as the city Thebes, his fortified city. (i 45) He saw the assault of my mighty battle array and abandoned the city Thebes; he fled to the city Kipkipi. With the support of the deities Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš, Bēl (Marduk), Nabû, Ištar of Nineveh, Ištar of Arbela, Ninurta, Nergal, and Nusku, I conquered Thebes (and) Heliopolis in their (lit. “its”) entirety.

(i 50) Silver, gold, precious stones, possessions, (and) property of that city, as much as there was, garment(s) with multi-colored trim, linen garments, large horses, people — male and female — two tall obelisks cast with shiny zaḫalû-metal, whose weight was 2,500 talents (and which) stood at a temple gate, I ripped (them) from where they were erected and took (them) to Assyria.

(i 55) On my second campaign, I marched against Baʾalu, the king of the land Tyre who resides in the middle of the sea. Because he did not honor my royal command(s and) did not obey the pronouncement(s) from my lips, I set up outposts against him. By sea and dry land, I took control of (all of) his routes. (i 60) I constricted (and) cut short their lives. I made them (the people of Tyre) bow down to my yoke.

(i 62) He brought before me (his) daughter, his own offspring, and the daughters of his brothers to serve as housekeepers. (i 65) He sent at the same time his son, who had never crossed the sea, to do obeisance to me. I received from him his daughter and the daughters of his brothers, together with a large marriage gift. I had mercy on him and (then) I gave (his) son, his offspring, back to him.

(i 69) (As for) Yakīn-Lû, the king of the city Arwad, who resides in the middle of the sea, Mugallu, the king of the land Tabal, (and) Sanda-šarme of the land Ḫilakku (Cilicia), who had not bowed down to the kings, my ancestors, they bowed down to my yoke. They brought (their) daughters, their own offspring, to Nineveh to serve as housekeepers, together with a substantial dowry, and they kissed my feet. I imposed upon Mugallu an annual payment of large horses.

(i 77) After Yakīn-Lû, the king of the city Arwad, had gone to (his) fate, (ii 1) Azi-Baʾal, Abī-Baʾal, (and) Adūnī-Baʾal, the sons of Yakīn-Lû who reside in the middle of the sea, came up from the middle of the sea with their audience gift(s), and kissed my feet. (ii 5) I looked upon Azi-Baʾal with pleasure and installed (him) as king of the land Arwad. I clothed Abī-Baʾal (and) Adūnī-Baʾal in garment(s) with multi-colored trim (and) placed gold bracelets (around their wrists). I made them stand before me.

(ii 10) (As for) Gyges, the king of the land Lydia — a region on the opposite shore of the sea, a remote place, the mention of whose name none of the kings, my ancestors, had (ever) heard — (the god) Aššur, (the god) who created me, made him see in a dream my royal name. On the (very) day he saw this dream, he sent his mounted messenger to inquire about my well-being.

(ii 16) (As for) the Cimmerians, a dangerous enemy who had never feared my ancestors, and, with regard to me, had not grasped the feet of my royal majesty, with the support of (the god) Aššur and the goddess Ištar, my lords, he (Gyges) clamped (them) in manacles, handcuffs, (and) neck-stocks and sent (them) before me, together with his substantial audience gift(s).

(ii 21) On my third campaign, I took the direct road against Aḫšēri, the king of the land Mannea. By the command of the deities Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš, Bēl (Marduk), Nabû, Ištar of Nineveh, Ištar of Arbela, Ninurta, Nergal, (and) Nusku, (ii 25) I entered the land Mannea and marched about triumphantly. I conquered, destroyed, demolished, (and) burned with fire his fortified cities, together with small(er settlements), which were without number, as far as the city Izirtu. I brought people, horses, donkeys, oxen, and sheep and goats out of those cities and I counted (them) as booty.

(ii 32) Aḫšēri heard about the advance of my expeditionary force and abandoned the city Izirtu, his royal city. He fled to the city Atrāna, a city upon which he relied, and took refuge (there). I conquered that district. I laid waste to (an area of) fifteen days march and poured out (over it) the silence (of desolation).

(ii 38) (As for) Aḫšēri, who did not fear my lordly majesty, (the god) Aššur and the goddess Ištar placed him in the hands of his servants. The people of his land incited a rebellion against him (and) they cast his corpse into a street of his city.

(ii 41) Afterwards, Uallî, his son, sat on his throne. He saw the might of the deities Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš, Bēl (Marduk), Nabû, Ištar of Nineveh, Ištar of Arbela, Ninurta, Nergal, (and) Nusku, the great gods, my lords, and bowed down to my yoke. (ii 45) For the preservation of his (own) life, he opened up his hands to me (and) made an appeal to my lordly majesty. He sent Erisinni, his heir designate, to Nineveh and he kissed my feet. I had mercy on him. I dispatched my messenger with (a message of) goodwill to him. He sent me (his) daughter, his own offspring, to serve as a housekeeper. (ii 50) (As for) his former payment, which they had discontinued in the time of the kings, my ancestors, they carried (it) before me. I added thirty horses to his former payment and imposed (it) upon him.

(ii 53) On my fourth campaign, I took the direct road to the land Elam. By the command of the deities Aššur, Sîn, Šamaš, Bēl (Marduk), Nabû, Ištar of Nineveh, Ištar of Arbela, Ninurta, Nergal, (and) Nusku, in the month Ulūlu (VI) — “the work of the goddesses,” the month of the king of the gods, (the god) Aššur, the father of the gods, the god Nunnamnir — like the assault of a fierce storm, (ii 60) I covered the land Elam in its entirety. I cut off the head of Teumman, their presumptuous king who had plotted evil (deeds). I slew his warriors without number. I captured his fighting men alive. I filled the plain of the city Susa with their bodies like baltu-plant(s and) ašāgu-plant(s). I made the Ulāya River flow with their blood; I dyed its water red like a red-dyed wool.

(ii 67) I took Ummanigaš (Ḫumban-nikaš II), a son of Urtaku — a (former) king of the land Elam — who had fled from Teumman to Assyria (and) had grasped my feet, with me to the land Elam (and) I placed him on Teumman’s throne. I installed Tammarītu, his third brother who had fled to me with him, as king in the city Ḫidalu.

(ii 72) After I had made the weapon(s) of (the god) Aššur and the goddess Ištar prevail over the land Elam (and) had continually established mighty victories, on my return march, (ii 75) I set out towards Dunānu, a Gambulian who had put his trust in the land Elam. I conquered the city Ša-pī-Bēl, a city upon which the land Gambulu relied. I entered that city (and) slaughtered its people like lambs. (As for) Dunānu (and) Samgunu, the ones who had disturbed my exercising the kingship, (iii 1) I clamped (their) hands and feet in iron manacles (and) handcuffs (and) iron fetters. I carried off people, oxen and sheep and goats, donkeys, horses, (and) mules out of the land Gambulu to Assyria. (As for) Ša-pī-Bēl, the city upon which he (Dunānu) relied, I destroyed, demolished, (and) dissolved (it) with water.

(iii 6) (As for) Ummanigaš (Ḫumban-nikaš II), for whom I had performed many act(s) of kindness (and) whom I had installed as king in the land Elam, who did not honor my treaty (and) sided with Šamaš-šuma-ukīn — (my) hostile brother — Tammarītu rebelled against him and struck him, together with his family, down with the sword.

(iii 12) (As for) Tammarītu, who sat on the throne of the land Elam after Ummanigaš (Ḫumban-nikaš II) (and) who came to the aid of Šamaš-šuma-ukīn — (my) unfaithful brother — he hastily sent his weapons to fight with my troops. As a result of the supplications that I had addressed to (the god) Aššur and the goddess Ištar, they accepted my prayers. Indabibi, a servant of his, rebelled against him and brought about his defeat in a pitched battle. He sat on his throne.