Babylonian and Assyrian Literature Part 63

28 I entered as a Ruler into Musasir. I seized as spoil Urzana's wife, sons and daughters, his money, his treasures, all the stores of his palace whatever they were, with 20,100 men and all that they possessed, the G.o.ds Haldia and Bagabarta, his G.o.ds, and their holy vessels in great numbers.

29 Urzaha, King of Armenia, heard of the defeat of Musasir and the carrying away of the G.o.d Haldia[19] his G.o.d, he cut off his life by his own hands with a dagger of his girdle.

I held a severe judgment over the whole of Armenia. I spread over the men, who inhabit this country, mourning and lamentation.

30 Tarhun.a.z.i, of the town of Melid, sought for revenge. He sinned against the laws of the great G.o.ds, and refused his submission. In the anger of my heart, I crushed like briars Melid, which was the town of his kingdom, and the neighboring towns. I made him, his wife, sons and daughters, the slaves of his palace whoever they were, with 5,000 warriors, leave Tel-Garimmi; I treated them all as booty.

I rebuilt Tel-Garimmi; I had it entirely occupied by some archers from the country of Khammanua, which my hand had conquered, and I added it to the boundaries of this country. I put it in the hands of my Lieutenant, and I rest.i.tuted the surface of the dominion, as it had been in the time of Gunzinan, the preceding King.

31 Tarhular, of Gamgum, had a son Muttallu, who had murdered his father by the arms, and sat on the throne against my will, and to whom they had intrusted their country.

In the anger of my heart, I hastily marched against the town of Markasi, with my chariots and hors.e.m.e.n, who followed on my steps, I treated Muttallu, his son and the families of the country of Bit-Pa'alla in its totality, as captives, and seized as booty the gold and silver and the numberless treasures of his palace. I reinstated the men of Gamgum and the neighboring tribes, and placed my Lieutenant as Governor over them; I treated them like the a.s.syrians.

32 Azuri, King of Ashdod,[20] determined within himself to render no more tributes; he sent hostile messages against a.s.syria to the neighboring kings. I meditated vengeance for this, and I withdrew from him the government over his country. I put his brother Akhimit on his throne.

But the people of Syria, eager for revolt, got tired of Akhimit's rule, and installed Iaman, who like the former, was not the legitimate master of the throne. In the anger of my heart, I did not a.s.semble the bulk of my army nor divide my baggage, but I marched against Ashdod with my warriors, who did not leave the trace of my feet.

33 Iaman learnt from afar of the approach of my expedition; he fled beyond Egypt toward Libya (Meluhhi),[21] and no one ever saw any further trace of him. I besieged and took Ashdod and the town of Gimtu-Asdudim;[22] I carried away captive Iaman's G.o.ds, his wife, his sons, his daughters, his money, and the contents of his palace, together with the inhabitants of his country. I built these towns anew and placed in them the men that my arm had conquered.

34 I placed my Lieutenant as Governor over them, and I treated them as a.s.syrians. They never again became guilty of impiety.

35 The King of Libya[23] lives in the middle of the desert, in an inaccessible place, at (a month's) journey. From the most remote times until the renewal of the lunar period[24] his fathers had sent no amba.s.sadors to the kings, my ancestors, to ask for peace and friendship and to acknowledge the power of Merodach. But the immense terror inspired by my Majesty roused him, and fear changed his intentions.

In fetters of iron he threw him (Iaman), directed his steps toward a.s.syria and kissed my feet.

36 Muttallu, of Commagene, a fraudulent and hostile man, did not honor the memory of the G.o.ds, he plotted a conspiracy, and meditated defection. He trusted upon Ar-gisti,[25]

King of Armenia, an helper who did not a.s.sist him, took upon himself the collection of the tributes and his part of the spoil, and refused me his submission. In the anger of my heart, I took the road to his country with the chariots of my power, and the hors.e.m.e.n who never left the traces of my feet. Muttallu saw the approach of my expedition, he withdrew his troops, and no one saw any further trace of him. I besieged and occupied his capital and 62 large towns all together. I carried away his wife, his sons, his daughters, his money, his treasure, all precious things from his palace, together with the inhabitants of his country as spoil, I left none of them. I inaugurated this town afresh; I placed in it men from the country of Bit-Iakin, that my arm had conquered. I inst.i.tuted my Lieutenant as Governor, and subdued them under my rule. I previously took from them 150 chariots, 1,500 hors.e.m.e.n, 20,000 archers, 1,000 men armed with shields and lances, and I confided the country to my Satrap.

37 While Dalta, King of Ellip, lived, he was submissive and devoted to my rule, the infirmities of age however came and he walked on the path of death. Nibie and Ispabara, the sons of his wives, claimed both the vacant throne of his royalty, the country and the taxes, and they fought a battle. Nibie applied to Sutruk-Nakhunti[26] King of Elam to support his claims, giving to him pledges for his alliance, and the other came as a helper. Ispabara, on his side, implored me to maintain his cause, and to encourage him, at the same time bowing down, and humbling himself, and asking my alliance. I sent seven of my Lieutenants with their armies to support his claims, they put Nibie and the army of the four rivers,[27] which had helped him, to flight, at the town of Mareobisti. I reinstated Ispabara on the throne; I re-established peace in his country, and confided it to his care.

38 Merodach-Baladan, son of Iakin,[28] King of Chaldaea, the fallacious, the persistent in enmity, did not respect the memory of the G.o.ds, he trusted in the sea, and in the retreat of the marshes; he eluded the precepts of the great G.o.ds, and refused to send his tributes. He had supported as an ally Khumbanigas, King of Elam. He had excited all the nomadic tribes of the desert against me. He prepared himself for battle, and advanced. During twelve years,[29] against the will of the G.o.ds of Babylon, the town of Bel which judges the G.o.ds, he had excited the country of the Sumers and Accads, and had sent amba.s.sadors to them. In honor of the G.o.d a.s.sur, the father of the G.o.ds, and of the great and august Lord Merodach, I roused my courage, I prepared my ranks for battle. I decreed an expedition against the Chaldeans, an impious and riotous people. Merodach-Baladan heard of the approach of my expedition, dreading the terror of his own warriors, he fled before it, and flew in the night time like an owl, falling back from Babylon, to the town of Ikbibel. He a.s.sembled together the towns possessing oracles, and the G.o.ds living in these towns he brought to save them to Dur-Iakin, fortifying its walls. He summoned the tribes of Gambul, Pukud, Tamun, Ruhua, and Khindar, put them in this place, and prepared for battle. He calculated the extent of a plethrum[30] in front of the great wall. He constructed a ditch 200 spans[31] wide, and deep one fathom and a half.[32]

The conduits of water, coming from the Euphrates, flowed out into this ditch; he had cut off the course of the river, and divided it into ca.n.a.ls, he had surrounded the town, the place of his revolt, with a dam, he had filled it with water, and cut off the conduits. Merodach-Baladan, with his allies and his soldiers had the insignia of his royalty kept as in an island on the banks of the river; he arranged his plan of battle. I stretched my combatants all along the river dividing them into bands; they conquered the enemies. By the blood of the rebels the waters of these ca.n.a.ls reddened like dyed wool. The nomadic tribes were terrified by this disaster which surprised him and fled; I completely separated his allies and the men of Marsan from him; I filled the ranks of the insurgents with mortal terror. He left in his tent the insignia of his royalty, the golden ...[33] the golden throne, the golden parasol, the golden sceptre, the silver chariot, the golden ornaments, and other effects of considerable weight; he fled alone, and disappeared like the ruined battlements of his fortress, and I entered into his retreat. I besieged and occupied the town of Dur-Iakin, I took as spoil and made captive, him, his wife, his sons, his daughters, the gold and silver and all that he possessed, the contents of his palace, whatever it was, with considerable booty from the town. I made each family and every man who had withdrawn himself from my arms, accountable for this sin. I reduced Dur-Iakin the town of his power to ashes. I undermined and destroyed its ancient forts. I dug up the foundation stone;[34] I made it like a thunder-stricken ruin, I allowed the people of Sippara, Nipur, Babylon, and Borsippa, who live in the middle of the towns to exercise their profession, to enjoy their belongings in peace, and I have watched upon them. I took away the possession of the fields which from remote times had been in the hand of the _Suti_ Nomad, and restored them to their rightful owners.

I placed the nomadic tribes of the desert again under my yoke, and I restored the forgotten land delimitations which had existed during the tranquillity of the land. I gave to each of the towns of Ur, Orchoe, Erikhi, Larsa, Kullab, and Kisik, the dwelling of the G.o.d Laguda, the G.o.d that resides in each, and I restored the G.o.ds who had been taken away, to their sanctuaries. I re-established the altered laws in full force.

39 I imposed tributes on the countries of Bet-Iakin, the high and low part, and on the towns of Samhun, Bab-Dur, Dur-Tilit, Bubi, Tell-Khumba, which are the resort of Elam.

I transplanted into Elam the inhabitants of the Commagene, in Syria, that I had attacked with my own hand, obeying the commands of the great G.o.ds my Masters, and I placed them on the territory of Elam, in the town of Sakbat. Nabu-Pakid-Ilan was authorized to collect the taxes from the Elamites in order to govern them; I claimed as a pledge the town of Birtu. I placed all this country in the hands of my Lieutenant at Babylon and my Lieutenant in the country of Gambul.[35]

40 I returned alone to Babylon, to the sanctuaries of Bel, the judge of the G.o.ds, in the excitement of my heart and the splendor of my appearance; I took the hands of the great Lord, the august G.o.d Merodach, and I traversed the way to the chamber of the spoil.

41 I transported into it 154 talents 26 minas 10 drachms of gold _russu_;[36] 1804 talents 20 minas of silver;[37] ivory, a great deal of copper, iron in an innumerable quant.i.ty, some of the stone _ka_, alabaster, the minerals _pi digili_, flattened _pi sirru_ for witness seals, blue and purple stuffs, cloth of _berom_ and cotton, ebony; cedar, and cypress wood, freshly cut from the fine forests on Mount Ama.n.u.s, in honor of Bel, Zarpanit, Nebo, and Tasmit, and the G.o.ds who inhabit the sanctuaries of the Sumers and Accads; all that from my accession to the third year of my reign.[38]

42 Upir, King of Dilmun who dwells at the distance of 30 parasanges[39] in the midst of the sea of the rising sun and who is established as a fish, heard of the favor that the G.o.ds a.s.sur, Nebo, and Merodach had accorded me; he sent therefore his expiatory gift.

43 And the seven Kings of the country of Iahnagi, of the country of Iatnan (who have established and extended their dwellings at a distance of seven days' navigation in the midst of the sea of the setting sun, and whose name from the most ancient ages until the renewal of the lunar period,[40] none of the Kings my fathers in a.s.syria and Chaldea[41] had heard), had been told of my lofty achievements in Chaldea and Syria, and my glory, which had spread from afar to the midst of the sea. They subdued their pride and humbled themselves; they presented themselves before me at Babylon, bearing metals, gold, silver, vases, ebony wood, and the manufactures of their country; they kissed my feet.

44 While I endeavored to exterminate Bet-Iakin and reduce Aram, and render my rule more efficacious in the country of Iatbur, which is beyond Elam, my Lieutenant, the Governor of the country of Kue, attacked Mita, the Moschian, and 3,000 of his towns; he demolished these towns, destroyed them, burnt them with fire, and led away many captives. And this Mita the Moschian, who had never submitted to the Kings my predecessors and had never changed his will, sent his envoy to me to the very borders of the sea of the rising sun, bearing professions of allegiance and tributes.

45 In these days, these nations and these countries that my hand has conquered, and that the G.o.ds a.s.sur, Nebo, and Merodach have made bow to my feet, followed the ways of piety. With their help I built at the feet of the _musri_, following the divine will and the wish of my heart, a town that I called _Dur-Sarkin_[42] to replace Nineveh.[43]

Nisroch,[44] Sin, Samas, Nebo, Bin, Ninip, and their great spouses, who procreate eternally in the lofty temple of the upper and the nether world (Aralli) blessed the splendid wonders, the superb streets in the town of Dur-Sarkin. I reformed the inst.i.tutions which were not agreeable to their ideas.

The priests, the _nisi ramki_, the _surmahhi supar_ disputed at their learned discussions about the pre-eminence of their divinities, and the efficacy of their sacrifices.

46 I built in the town some palaces covered with the skin of the sea-calf,[45] and of sandal wood, ebony, the wood of mastic tree, cedar, cypress, wild pistachio nut tree, a palace of incomparable splendor, as the seat of my royalty. I placed their _dunu_ upon tablets of gold, silver, alabaster, _tilpe_ stones, _parut_ stones, copper, lead, iron, tin, and _khibisti_ made of earth. I wrote thereupon the glory of the G.o.ds.

Above I built a platform of cedar beams. I bordered the doors of pine and mastic wood with bronze garnitures, and I calculated their distance. I made a spiral staircase similar to the one in the great temple of Syria, that is called in the Phoenician language, _Bethilanni_. Between the doors I placed 8 double lions whose weight is 1 _ner_ 6 _soss_, 50 talents[46] of first-rate copper, made in honor of Mylitta ...[47] and their four _kubur_ in materials from Mount Ama.n.u.s; I placed them on _nirgalli_.[8] Over them I sculptured artistically a crown of beast of the fields, a bird in stone of the mountains. Toward the four celestial regions, I turned their front. The lintels and the uprights I made in large gypsum stone that I had taken away with my own hand, I placed them above. I walled them in and I drew upon me the admiration of the people of the countries.

47 From the beginning to the end, I walked worshipping the G.o.d a.s.sur, and following the custom of wise men, I built palaces, I ama.s.sed treasures.

48 In the month of blessing, on the happy day, I invoked, in the midst of them, a.s.sur, the father of the G.o.ds, the greatest sovereign of the G.o.ds and the _Istarat_[49] who inhabit a.s.syria. I presented vessels of gla.s.s, things in chased silver, ivory, valuable jewels and immense presents, in great quant.i.ties, and I rejoiced their heart. I exhibited sculptured idols, double and winged, some ...[50]

winged, some ...[50] winged, serpents, fishes, and birds, from unknown regions and abysses, the ...[50] in high mountains, summits of the lands that I have conquered with my own hand, for the glory of my royalty. As a worshipper of the G.o.ds and the G.o.d a.s.sur, I sacrificed in their presence, with the sacrifice of white lambs, holy holocausts of expiation, in order to withdraw the gifts that had not been agreeable to the G.o.ds.

49 He has granted me in his august power, a happy existence, long life, and I obtained a constantly lucky reign.

I have entrusted myself to his favor.

50 The great Lord Bel-El, the Master of the lands, inhabits the lofty tracts; the G.o.ds and _Istarat_ inhabit a.s.syria; their legions remain there in _pargiti_, and _martakni_.

51 With the Chiefs of provinces, the Satraps, wise men, Astronomers, Magnates, the Lieutenants and Governors of a.s.syria, I have ruled in my palace, and administered justice.

52 I have bid them take gold, silver, gold and silver vessels, precious stones, copper, iron, considerable products of mountains the mines of which are rich, cloth of _berom_ and cotton, blue and purple cloth, amber, skins of sea-calves, pearls, sandal-wood, ebony, horses from higher Egypt,[51]

a.s.ses, mules, camels, oxen. With all these numerous tributes I have rejoiced the heart of the G.o.ds.

53 May a.s.sur, the father of the G.o.ds, bless these palaces, by giving to his images a spontaneous splendor. May he watch over the issue even to the remote future. May the sculptured bull, the protector and G.o.d who imparts perfection, dwell in day and in night-time in his presence, and never stir from this threshold!

54 With the help of a.s.sur, may the King who has built these palaces, attain an old age, and may his offspring multiply greatly! May these battlements last to the most remote future! May he who dwells there come forth surrounded with the greatest splendor; may he rejoice in his corporal health, in the satisfaction of his heart accomplish his wishes, attain his end, and may he render his magnificence seven times more imposing!

[Footnote 1: Orchoe, the Erech of the Bible, is certainly the Warka of the present day; Sippara, Sofeira; Nipur, Niffar; Larsam, Senkereh. Ur (the Ur of the Bible) is Mugheir; Kullab and Erikhi are unknown. (See "Exped. en Mesopot.," i. p. 255 et seq.)]

[Footnote 2: The old empire Bal-bat-ki. The syllabaries explain this ideogram by "a.s.sur," but it is very awkward that in these texts the identification with a.s.sur occurs nowhere. I therefore transcribe "Sumer,"

which was the true name of the people and the language named wrongly Accadian. The term of "Sumerian" is supported by MM. Menant, Eneberg, Gelzer, Praetorius, Delitzsch, Olshausen, and other scholars.]

[Footnote 3: "Ita.n.u.s," or Yatnan, in the island of Crete, became afterward the name of the island of Cyprus.]

[Footnote 4: For the words in italics no satisfactory translation has as yet been found.]

[Footnote 5: The "Pekod" of the Bible (Jer. i. 21; Ezek. xxiii. 23).]

[Footnote 6: Which belongs to Elam.]

[Footnote 7: Lower Chaldea. Nearly all the names of the Elamite towns are Semitic (see Gen. x. 22), but the Susian ones are not.]

[Footnote 8: Tiglatpileser, whom Sargon would not acknowledge.]

[Footnote 9: This is the word "siltan," the Hebrew "shilton" ("power"), the Arabic "sultan."]

[Footnote 10: Raphia, near the frontier of Egypt.]

[Footnote 11: Khilakku. It seems to be identical with the "Sparda" of Persian, the "Sepharad" of Obadiah.]

[Footnote 12: The condition of Jaubid before his accession.]

[Footnote 13: Or Minni.]

[Footnote 14: It seems not to be Paphos.]