Chapter 07 · 911 – 609 BCE
Neo-Assyrian
Empire, library, terror, scholarship.

~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 196. A Letter from Hubuškia (CT 53 409)
“(Beginning destroyed) (5) [...] of the house of Tu[...], (6) [wh]en his son f[led], (7) [... U]rmakinn[u ...] (8) [did not] come [...] (9) [...] Iau-'a[...] (10) [No]w he and [...] (11) [At]â-idri [had an au]dience [with me] (13) [... the mo]untain from Hub[uškia] (14) [...] Hubuš[kia ...] (15) [...] on [...] (Break) (r 2) "There is one [...]; (r 3) "he is Bel-qatua [...]. (r 4) Now, muc[h ...] (r 5) opposite them [...] (r 6) [...] the hands of the king [...]. (r 7) [As to what I said t]o the king, [my] lo[rd]: "Ever sinc[e the king, my lord, sent me t]o Hubuš[kia], they have [...]ed me in [...] and [...] (r 12) [...] Hub[u]š[kia ...] (Rest destroyed)”
Source: Lanfranchi, G.B. & Parpola, S. 1990. The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part II: Letters from the Northern and Northeastern Provinces. SAA 5. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa05/P313822/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 197. (no title) (CT 53 485)
“(Beginning destroyed) (6) [...] Marduk-[......] (7) [from] there [......] (8) Inurta-ku[......] (9) show[ed ......] (10) [......] (11) The kallāpu messenger [......] (r 1) [...]ed his work quota [...] (r 2) Let [the king, my lord,] ask the kallāpu messenger [...] whether in [...] (r 4) to Harmas[aeans ......] (r 5) Ha[rg]aeans to [......] (r 6) When you have taken coun[sel ......] (r 7) kill him [......] (r 8) to my son [......] (r 9) my house [......] (Rest destroyed or too broken for translation)”
Source: Lanfranchi, G.B. & Parpola, S. 1990. The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part II: Letters from the Northern and Northeastern Provinces. SAA 5. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa05/P313898/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 198. On the Road Again (CT 53 533)
“(Beginning destroyed) (2) I have [now] set out [from] Dur-Ša[maš to where] the king, my lord, sent me.”
Source: Lanfranchi, G.B. & Parpola, S. 1990. The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part II: Letters from the Northern and Northeastern Provinces. SAA 5. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa05/P313945/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 199. Time to Set Out for a Campaign (ABL 0311)
“(1) To the king, my lord: your servant Šarru-emuranni. Good health to the king, my lord! (4) As to what the king, my lord, wrote to me: "Why did you set out early without waiting for the governor of Arrapha?" — (8) for the governor of Arrapha, the road in question is very slow. He sets out from Zaban, and it takes him three days to get there, while I can make a round-trip to Parsua going this way. (13) For this very reason I went up to the fort first. Last year, too, I and he [...] accordingly [...] (Break) (r 1) [...] Shall I not leave [the h]orses [and free men] in [the fo]rt, but ta[ke]…”
Source: Lanfranchi, G.B. & Parpola, S. 1990. The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part II: Letters from the Northern and Northeastern Provinces. SAA 5. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa05/P334199/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 200. Sending Boys to War (ABL 0312)
“(1) To the king, [my] lord: your servant Šarru-emuranni. Good health to the king, [my lord]! (4) As to what the king, my lord, wro[te me]: "Orga[nize] your army and be on the alert! If [feasible], take the road to Hirite by [...]" — (8) it is not at all feasible! The terrain is difficult; it lies between the mountains, the waters are constricted and the current is strong, not fit for using either wineskins or keleks. The king, lord, knows that the men cannot swim. (14) The troops are assembled, and I am going up to Sumbi, making a detour to [...], [then descend] to Bit-Hamban [......] (Break)…”
Source: Lanfranchi, G.B. & Parpola, S. 1990. The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part II: Letters from the Northern and Northeastern Provinces. SAA 5. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa05/P334200/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 201. (no title) (ABL 0321)
“(1) [To] the king, m[y] lord: your [servant] Šarru-emuranni. [Good he]alth to the king, [my] lord! (4) [The govern]or of Arz[uhina ......] (Rest destroyed)”
Source: Lanfranchi, G.B. & Parpola, S. 1990. The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part II: Letters from the Northern and Northeastern Provinces. SAA 5. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa05/P334208/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 202. Horses for the King (ABL 0310)
“(1) To the king, my lord: your servant Šarru-emuranni. Good health to the king, my lord! (4) As to what the king, my lord, wrote me: "If horses of such size fall into your hands, get them and send them to me!" — (9) Kumesaean merchants have reviewed (their stock and) together [...] (Break) (r 1) my lord [......]. (r 2) I waited f[or them], but since they did not come to m[e], I sent the servants of the king, my lord, to terrorize Kibatki, and they put people to the sword. After this act of terror on Kibatki, they got afraid and wrote to me, and I imposed a deadline upon them. (r 17) If they come and bring [the horses] I shall send them to the king. (e. 2) I have fetched the king's [...].”
Source: Lanfranchi, G.B. & Parpola, S. 1990. The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part II: Letters from the Northern and Northeastern Provinces. SAA 5. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa05/P334198/
Read the full tablet entry~715 BCE · Reconstructed composite — see ORACC entry for manuscript witnesses
SAA 05 203. When the King Established the Debt Remission (ABL 0387)
“(1) To the king, my lord: your servant Šarru-emuranni. Good health to the king, my lord! (4) As to the wine about which the king, my lord, wrote me: "Set aside 200 homers for the garrison!" — I have set aside as much of it as the king, my lord, wrote. (10) As to Kubaba-satar about whom the king, my lord, wrote me: "Speak nicely with him!" — (14) my [mo]uth is closed. [As the ki]ng, my lord, [wr]ote me, [I shall speak nic]ely [with him ......] (Break) (r 3) [He] will st[ay in] my [pre]sence. (r 4) I have now se[nt] (word), and I shall find an interpreter in [...], acquire him for the king, my…”
Source: Lanfranchi, G.B. & Parpola, S. 1990. The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part II: Letters from the Northern and Northeastern Provinces. SAA 5. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/saa05/P334263/
Read the full tablet entry