Military Campaigns, Part 1

Although many of the events of Ashurbanipal's reign are well documented in his res gestae, the internal chronology of his long reign is not as certain as one would like. This vexing problem has long been known.[94] In 1970, Grayson succinctly described the issues at hand:

The chronology of the reign of Ashurbanipal is still one of the more uncertain areas in Neo-Assyrian history and yet one of the most crucial. ... The reason that this is such a problematic area is the fact that chronologically oriented sources for Ashurbanipal are singularly sparse. There is no eponym chronicle for the entire reign; the eponym list breaks off at 649; no Babylonian chronicles are preserved beyond 667; and the chronological confusion is compounded by Ashurbanipal's "annals." In the text of the annals no eponyms are quoted for events but rather the campaigns are numbered in order of their appearance in the narrative and since the order of appearance is often different in the various editions, the number of the same campaign is often different. The designation "campaign" is also misleading for several expeditions or military incidents are commonly included under what is introduced as one campaign. The sequence of events in the narrative is unreliable for campaigns are arranged primarily along geographical rather than chronological lines. In other words Ashurbanipal's "annals" are not true Assyrian annals at all; rather they are a cross between the annals and display texts. Given these difficulties, how is one to reconstruct a chronology?[95]

Nearly forty years later, the situation has barely changed. Despite having a wealth of sources for Ashurbanipal's reign, there are many gaps in our knowledge. The sketch of the military and political events given here is based to a large extent on Grayson, ZA 70 (1980) pp. 227–245; Grayson, CAH2 3/2 pp. 143–155; and Ruby, PNA 1/1 pp. 164–168 sub Aššūr-bāni-apli II.3–6.

In Appendix C of his chronological study, Grayson listed a total of thirty-one "incidents" that are recorded in the extant corpus of Ashurbanipal's annalistic texts;[96] these took place between his accession year (668) and his 30th regnal year (639). Before diving into the survey of military expeditions and political events, it might be useful to present some of the information in a couple of tables, showing which "incidents" each inscription included. Table 1 arranges the information "geographically" (following the arrangement of the "campaigns" in the inscriptions) and Table 2 presents the material chronologically (generally following Grayson's proposed chronology).

Table 1: "Incidents" Arranged by Campaign Report[97]
Incident(s)Source(s)"Campaign" Number(s)
Egypt 12 iii 6–iv 1'; 3 i 48–i 90; 4 i 38–75; 6 ii 4'–2''; 7 ii 1'–18''; 8 ii 1'–12'; 11 i 52–117Ø; 1; 1; 1; [1]; [1]; 1
Egypt 22 iv 2'–v 12; 3 i 91–ii 37; 4 i 76–ii 11'; 6 ii 3''–iii 57'; 7 ii 19''–iii 15'; 8 ii 13'–33'; 9 i 34–54; 11 i 118–ii 48; 12 ii 7'–14'aØ; (2); (2); (2); [(2)]; [(2)]; 1; 2; Ø
Tyre, Arwad 1–2, Ḫilakku, Tabal, Lydia 1–21 vi 11–31'; 2 vi 14–vii 3'; 3 ii 38–iii 4; 4 ii 12'–72'; 6 iii 58'–iv 7'; 7 iii 16'–30''; 8 iii 1'–45'; 9 i 55–ii 20; 11 ii 49–125; 12 ii 14'b–24'; 13 iii 1'–13'Ø; Ø; 3; 3, [3]; [3]; [3]; 2; 3; Ø; Ø
Qirbit1 vi 1–10; 2 v 1'–vi 13; 3 iii 5–15; 4 ii 73'–iii 8; 6 iv 8'–19'; 7 iii 31''–35''Ø; Ø; 4; 4; 4; 4
Mannea, Media, Urarṭu 13 iii 16–iv 14; 4 iii 9–iv 8; 6 iv 1''–v 23; 7 iv 1'–74''; 8 iv 1'–22''; 9 ii 21–52; 11 ii 126–iii 26; 12 iii 1''–9''; 13 iii 1''–9''5; 5; [5]; [5]; [5]; 3; 4; Ø; Ø
Elam 1–23 iv 15–79; 4 iv 9–49'; 6 v 24–107; 7 iv 75''–v 47; 12 iii 10''–iv 12'6; 6; 6; [6]; Ø
Elam 33 iv 80–vi 9; 4 iv 50'–vi 12; 6 v 1'–vii 10; 7 v 48–vi 22'; 8 v 1'–vii 10'; 9 ii 53–71; 11 iii 27–49; 12 v 1–57; [7]; [7]; 7; [7]; 4; 5; Ø
Gambulu3 vi 10–85; 4 vi 13–95; 6 vii 11–47'; 7 vi 23'–vii 35; 8 vii 11'–17''; 9 ii 72–iii 5; 11 iii 50–69; 12 v 6–138; [8]; [8]; 8; [8]; (4); (5); Ø
Elam 4, Šamaš-šuma-ukīn rebellion3 vi 86–vii 76; 4 vi 96–vii 79; 6 vii 48'–ix 52''; 7 vii 36–ix 9; 8 viii 1'–ix 37'; 9 iii 6–32; 11 iii 70–iv 109(9); (9); (9); (9); [(9)]; (4); (5)–6
Elam 57 ix 10–63''; 8 ix 29''–x 16'; 9 iii 33–iv 16; 11 iv 110–v 62[11?]; 11; 5; 7
Elam 6–79 iv 17–vi 21; 10 iv 36–v 32; 11 v 63–vii 816; Ø; 8
Arabs 13 vii 77–viii 55; 4 vii 80–viii 57; 6 x 1'–18''; 7 ix 64''–x 52'; 8 ix 38'–28''; 11 vii 82–viii 64(10); (10); (10); (10?); (10); 9
Arabs 211 viii 65–x 5(10)
Elam 811 x 6–39(11)
Urarṭu 211 x 40–50(9)
Cyrus12 vi 7'–13'Ø
Ḫudimiri12 vi 14'–25'Ø
Tugdammî13 viii 6–11'Ø
Table 2: Proposed Chronology of "Incidents"[98]
DateIncident(s) Source(s)
668Qirbit1 vi 1–10; 2 v 1'–vi 13; 3 iii 5–15; 4 ii 73'–iii 8; 6 iv 8'–19'; 7 iii 31''–35''
667Arwad 13 ii 63–72; 4 ii 34'–46'; 6 iii 89'–103'; 7 iii 44'–4''; 8 iii 15'–29'; 9 i 69–74; 11 ii 63–67; 13 iii 9'–13'
667Egypt 12 iii 6–iv 1'; 3 i 48–i 90; 4 i 38–75; 6 ii 4'–2''; 7 ii 1'–18''; 8 ii 1'–12'; 11 i 52–117
ca. 666–665Lydia 11 vi 11–31'; 2 vi 14–vii 3'; 3 ii 86b–iii 4; 4 ii 61'–72'; 6 iv 1'–7'; 7 iii 17''–30''; 9 ii 10–20; 11 ii 95–110
ca. 666–664Egypt 22 iv 2'–v 12; 3 i 91–ii 37; 4 i 76–ii 11'; 6 ii 3''–iii 57'; 7 ii 19''–iii 15'; 8 ii 13'–33'; 9 i 34–54; 11 i 118–ii 48; 12 ii 7'–14'a
ca. 664Elam 13 iv 15–48; 4 iv 9–17'; 6 v 24–72; 7 iv 75''–v 16; 12 iii 10''–iv 10'
664Elam 23 iv 49–79; 4 iv 18'–49'; 6 v 73–107; 7 v 17–47; 12 iv 11'–12'
ca. 662Tyre3 ii 38–62; 4 ii 12'–33'; 6 iii 58'–88'; 7 iii 16'–43'; 8 iii 1'–14'; 9 i 55–68; 11 ii 49–62; 12 ii 14'b–24'; 13 iii 1'–8'
ca. 662Ḫilakku, Tabal3 ii 63–74; 4 ii 34'–48'; 6 iii 89'–105'; 7 iii 44'–6''; 8 iii 15'–31'; 9 i 69–76; 11 ii 68–80
ca. 662Arwad 23 ii 75–86a; 4 ii 49'–60'; 6 iii 106'–iv 1; 7 iii 7''–16''; 8 iii 32'–45'; 9 i 77–ii 9; 11 ii 81–94
ca. 660Mannea3 iii 16–92a; 4 iii 9–15'; 6 iv 1''–v 5; 7 iv 1'–58''; 8 iv 1'–21''; 9 ii 21–52; 11 ii 126–iii 26; 12 iii 1''–9''; 13 iii 1''–9''
ca. 658Media3 iii 92b–iv 5; 4 iii 16'–22'; 6 v 6–12; 7 iv 59''–65''; 8 iv 22''
ca. 657Urarṭu 13 iv 6–14; 4 iv 1–8; 6 v 13–23; 7 iv 66''–74''
653Elam 33 iv 80–vi 9; 4 iv 50'–vi 12; 6 v 1'–vii 10; 7 v 48–vi 22'; 8 v 1'–vii 10'; 9 ii 53–71; 11 iii 27–49; 12 v 1–5
653Gambulu3 vi 10–85; 4 vi 13–95; 6 vii 11–47'; 7 vi 23'–vii 35; 8 vii 11'–17''; 9 ii 72–iii 5; 11 iii 50–69; 12 v 6–13
before 652 and ca. 650Arabs 13 vii 77–viii 55; 4 vii 80–viii 57; 6 x 1'–18''; 7 ix 64''–x 52'; 8 ix 38'–28''; 11 vii 82–viii 64
652–648Šamaš-šuma-ukīn rebellion6 viii 9'''b–ix 10''; 7 viii 1'–79'; 8 viii 1'''–36''''; 11 iii 70–135 and iv 41b–109
ca. 651–650Elam 43 vi 86–vii 76; 4 vi 96–vii 79; 6 vii 48'–viii 9'''a and ix 11''–52''; 7 vii 36–viii 12 and viii 80'–ix 9; 8 viii 1'–34'' and viii 37''''–ix 37'; 9 iii 6–32; 11 iii 136–iv 41a
647Elam 57 ix 10–63''; 8 ix 29''–x 16'; 9 iii 33–iv 16; 11 iv 110–v 62
646Elam 69 iv 17–vi 21; 10 iv 36–v 32; 11 v 63–vii 8
ca. 645Elam 711 vii 9–81
ca. 645–643Arabs 211 viii 65–x 5
ca. 645–643Elam 811 x 6–39
ca. 645–643Lydia 211 ii 111–125
ca. 645–643Urarṭu 211 x 40–50
ca. 642–640Cyrus12 vi 7'–13'
ca. 642–640Ḫudimiri12 vi 14'–25'
ca. 640–639Tugdammî13 viii 6–11'

Notes

94 See Johns, PSBA 24 (1902) pp. 235–241; Johns, PSBA 25 (1903) pp. 82–89; Johns, PSBA 27 (1905), pp. 92–100 and 288–296; Johns, PSBA 29 (1907) pp. 74–84; Streck, Asb. pp. CCXXXIV–CCXXXVIII; and Weissbach, RLA 1 (1928) pp. 203–204.

95 Grayson, ZA 70 (1980) pp. 227–228. His comments are echoed in Grayson, CAH2 3/2 pp. 142–143; and Ruby, PNA 1/1 pp. 163–164 sub Aššūr-bāni-apli II.2.

96 Grayson, ZA 70 (1980) pp. 240–244.

97 The abbreviations for the "incidents" follow Grayson (with minor changes); Gambulu is treated separately from Elam 3 here. The tables include data from text nos. 1–13 only. Ø in the "campaign" number(s) column indicates that the ancient text did not assign a number to the expedition; numbers in parentheses indicates the inferred campaign number in the text; and numbers in square brackets indicates the restored campaign number.

98 Information on the dates will be discussed below, in the notes to this section.

Jamie Novotny & Joshua Jeffers

Jamie Novotny & Joshua Jeffers, 'Military Campaigns, Part 1', RINAP 5: The Royal Inscriptions of Ashurbanipal, Aššur-etel-ilāni, and Sîn-šarra-iškun, The RINAP/RINAP 5 Project, a sub-project of MOCCI, 2022 [http://oracc.org/rinap/rinap5/rinap51introduction/militarycampaigns/]

 
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